Explore the hidden wonders of the Northern Goldfields Shire of Menzies. The natural ecology of the mulga and eucalyptus belts have survived the rapid development of the gold rush days and is a landscape rich in biological diversity. This region of Western Australian has unique flora and fauna, as well as many striking rock formations, making it an area of great interest for visitors.

Experience the richness of Western Australia’'s pioneering past by visiting the town of Menzies and the ghost towns of the Northern Goldfields. The remnants of towns such as Goongarrie, Mulline, Mulwarrie, Kookynie and Niagara stand as mute witness to the most exciting phase of the state’s development. The cemeteries of these satellite towns are still in existence and provide a remarkable record of the human story behind the gold rush of the 1890s. The historic past and the pioneering spirit that made it possible are both awaiting you and you can find them where they still exist, in the frontier towns of the Northern Goldfields.

Long before the search for gold led settlers to explore the harsh Western Australian interior, Aboriginal people lived and travelled through the Menzies area as part of their ancestral dreaming tracks. Some of the dreaming tracks include: The Mountain Devil, the Mallee Fowl, the Goanna and the Snake, How the Desert Come To Be, the Giant Man, the Trap Door Spider Woman, the Goo-roo Daarn, and the Dingo.

The first gold discovery in the Menzies area has been credited to a prospecting party led by James Speakman in 1891. His find was reported but for some unknown reason Speakman did not return to the area. During September 1894, L.R. Menzies, in company with J. McDonald, Jimmy (an aboriginal tracker) and Cumbra (an afghan camel driver) discovered gold about twenty seven miles north of Ninety Mile. The Ninety mile is known as Goongarrie.

Menzies and McDonald Coolgardie to take out a lease on their claim. The lease Menzies obtained was to become The Lady Shenton. The town that grew from this lease became known as Menzies. 

Early residents had to endure heat, flies, lack of water, poor diets and limited transportation, often for little or no reward.

Sickness and disease plagued the early inhabitants, claiming many lives. An outbreak of typhoid produced a mortality rate of 13%, the largest percentage of this disease recorded during the West Australian Goldrush. Improved sanitation and a 50 bed hospital helped control the spread of the disease. 

Despite all the hardships, the people strived to make Menzies a vibrant, profitable town. Water was condensed and carted to town from surrounding lakes. A dam was built in 1897 by the Government and in 1901 this supplied water to the residences. The railway line between Kalgoorlie and Menzies was officially opened on March 22nd 1898.

Menzies at this time boasted 13 hotels, 3 banks, its own breweries and cordial factories, a post office with a staff of more than 20, a school with 205 pupils, a public library (in 1904) and 4 churches.

Testament to the regions roaring days is the Menzies Pioneer Cemetery. It provides a fascinating record of the human cost of settling the Western Australian Interior.

Step back in time and visit the Historical Menzies Hotel which was established in 1902 and is the social hub of the community.

While it still caters for the mining community as it has done for over 100 years, today it offers fantastic hospitality for workers, travellers and historians alike.

The interior is adorned with photographs of yesteryear and grand 15ft high pressed tin ceilings. The treasures to be found in the beer garden not only include artifacts, but an abundance of native bird life.

Menzies Photo Gallery

• Click here for Menzies Street Map.
• Click here for Distance Chart.
• Click here for a larger image of the Menzies area map below.