Centenary of CoolgardiePrint Page

The plaque commemorates the centenary of Coolgardie.

Coolgardie was founded in 1892, when gold was discovered in the area. Australia had seen several major gold rushes over the previous three decades, mostly centred on the east coast, but these had mostly been exhausted by the 1890s. With the discovery of a new goldfield, an entire new gold rush began, with thousands flocking to the area.

In late August 1892, at a site known as Fly Flat, prospectors Arthur Bayley and William Ford found more than 500 ounces of gold. Just over two weeks later, on 17 September, Bayley registered his claim in Southern Cross, 187 kilometres away. Worth about $800,000 at today’s values, the find triggered the last great Australian gold rush. It revived Western Australia’s struggling economy and almost quadrupled the State’s population within a decade.

The name Coolgardie is said to be derived from the Aboriginal word "Coolcaby", meaning a mulga tree near a waterhole. Another possibility is "Coorgardie", the Aboriginal name for a large lizard. Over the years, Coolgardie has also been known as Bayley's Find, Fly Flat and The Old Camp.

By 1898, Coolgardie was the third largest town in the colony, with an estimated population of 5,008 (3,151 men and 1,857 women).  At its peak, 700 mining companies based in Coolgardie were registered with the London Stock Exchange. The town also supported a wide variety of businesses and services, including a railway, a swimming pool (first public baths in the state), many hotels and several newspapers.

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