Coolgardie, town in southwestern Australia, in the state of Western Australia. Located on the southwestern edge of the Great Victoria Desert, about 32 km (about 20 mi) southwest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie was once an important gold-rush town. Today its economy is largely dependent on tourists and passersby on the Great Eastern Highway (which leads to Perth) and the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway (which leads to the southern coast and Adelaide). A large provincial museum is based in Coolgardie's former government offices; these buildings were once the largest stone buildings in Western Australia outside Perth. Outside Coolgardie, tourists can pan for gold.
The discovery of gold in East Coolgardie in 1892 brought a stream of gold diggers to the area. Coolgardie was founded the same year, and its population quickly soared to more than 20,000. The discovery of potentially richer gold fields in Kalgoorlie enticed most of the newcomers away, although the Eldorado nugget, weighing 55 kg (121 lb), was found in Coolgardie in 1951. Population (1991) 1,065.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Coolgardie Information info
|
