Being in Kalgoorlie, we took the golden opportunity and had a rest day. Sleep in, washing and then a visit to the Boulder end of town followed by a special dinner.

Paddy Hannan – one of the men that started it all when his lucrative discovery on 14 June 1893 set off the major gold rush. Paddy is happy to share his water but not his gold. I asked Paddy why he chose this corner in town and he told me he had his pick.

Like Coolgardie, the wide streets were planned to allow camel trains to turn.

Kalgoorlie is officially Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The two towns were once separate entities but they have grown together and now operate as one. Like Kalgoorlie, Boulder has many heritage buildings.

Court House

Statue at Boulder – the pneumatic drill saved a lot of time but led to increased lung issues for the miners as it pulverised the rock into finer dust particles.

Boulder streetscape

Boulder Town Hall

Old Council chambers upstairs in the Boulder Town Hall

Boulder Town Hall was built in 1908 with the architectural style of the prosperous gold rush days. This beautifully preserved heritage listed hall, with pressed tin ceilings and filigree wrought iron balustrades became famous as the host venue for celebrity performers such as Dame Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland and even rock bands. The hall was the focus of community life in Boulder.

The rare and famous Goatcher Curtain, believed to be the last remaining working stage curtain of its kind in Australia, was created by the internationally renowned theatre artist Philip Goatcher. This curtain depicts the scene of the Bay of Naples and has hung in the hall since 1908.

History repeated itself during COVID with border closures and public discord. The Spanish Flu pandemic in 1919 caused the people in Boulder to use the Town Hall as a venue to protest train arrivals from the eastern states.

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Before AC/DC were filling stadiums, they toured country towns and halls. Images above are of Bon Scott and Angus Young performing at Boulder Town Hall in 1975, the year the band released their debut album High Voltage. (L Fraser (photographer) from Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council images on display in the hall).

Bon and Angus’s view from the stage at the sound check.

Mount Charlotte underground mine headframe.

The only nuggets we were likely to find were at McDonalds but instead we opted for a special dinner at the York Hotel.

We booked a much sought after table on the first floor balcony above Hannan Street with sunset views.

View from our table

The balcony in earlier days.

After dinner, a walk back to our accommodation.