5 things you didn’t know about the Goldfields

The Goldfields is a vast sub-region of the Golden Outback, showcasing incredible mining history, heritage, and hidden secrets about times gone by.

1. It’s home to one of the world’s oldest working brothels

Questa Casa, also known as the ‘pink house’ has been in operation for 115 years! It’s the only remaining brothel from Kalgoorlie’s gold rush era, and it was built in the 1890’s. Today the brothel offers tourists the unique opportunity to see life from bygone era. Back in the day, Hay Street was home to multiple brothels lining the street for the residents and visitors to the town. Nowadays, it still has the “starting stalls” which used to be famous for the ladies standing in the doorways. You can take a tour of the brother, which takes you through the historical working areas, and through the rooms the ladies use.

2. You can visit an outback pub that a horse calls his home

Have you ever heard of Kookynie? This small Goldfields town is now a living gold rush ghost town and is home to The Grand Hotel, as well as a plethora of gold rush relics to explore. When the gold rush was in its peak, the town was home to over 1,500 residents, which has since dropped to just 13 as the rush dried up. The 14th resident of the town is a horse named Willie. This old racehorse who won thousands of dollars for his owner in the mid to late 2000s has now found a new home at The Grand Hotel, where he stands at the door greeting guests, and loves an apple or carrot from his visitors. Grab a picture with the horse, enjoy a cold drink and a bite to eat. This is one for the bucket list!

3. 15 million tonnes of rock is moved from the Super Pit each year

Some 800,000 ounces of gold is extracted from the Super Pit every single year, making this gigantic operation worth its weight in gold! This is a little easier to believe if you’ve seen the sheer size of the massive mining pit. It’s so big it’s even visible from space, meaning standing right next to it truly is an incredible experience. You’ll also be amazed at the size of the nearly 800 dump trucks that travel up and down the mine’s roads, with their tyres weighing up to five tonnes, and takes two people about 45 minutes to change one!

4. It's home to a ghost town, stood still in time

The abandoned homes and business of Gwalia ghost town create a rather eerie snapshot in time of what once was a busy mining town. The closure of the Sons of Gwalia Mine in the 1960s saw the town's population fall from 1200 to just 40 in a matter of three weeks. Today, buildings and homes still stand, making for an incredible ghost-like town to visit and see what life was like surrounding mining life! Walk around town looking in the homes and seeing what life was like in the gold rush era, and visit the museum.

5. It’s home to the only legalized Two-Up school in Western Australia

Experience the aura and excitement surrounding the old-timey game of Two Up in Kalgoorlie. The town is home to the only legalized two up school in the state, which still stands in the original corrugated iron shed and bush ring. Just 10 minutes from Kalgoorlie, try your luck at this fast-paced game, or sit back and watch the punters take their turn. Visit on a Sunday from 1:30 pm to watch or play.