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Menzies

Shire of Menzies
133km NNW of Kalgoorlie-Boulder

The first lease pegged in the area was the Lady Harriet Gold Mine, discovered by J. Brown, George Kirby and Charles Jackman in September 1894.

However it was the prospectors who followed them who made the richest gold find on the field. American miner Leslie Robert Menzie set out in late 1894 to prospect the area north of Coolgardie on behalf of a Perth syndicate led by wealthy businessman and politician Sir George Shenton.

They met up with the Brown party near the Ninety Mile (now Goongarrie) to view a deposit Brown and his partners hoped would attract investment from the Shenton syndicate.

When water supplies ran low, Menzie and his companions – John E. McDonald, Aboriginal tracker Jimmy and Afghan camel driver Cumbra – trekked to a rock soak about 30km away.

They became lost on the way back to Brown’s camp and stumbled upon a rich reef outcrop. Packing as many nuggets and specimens as they could into their saddlebags, Menzie and McDonald left Jimmy and Cumbra to guard their discovery and headed back to Coolgardie.

On 1 October 1894 the claim was registered as two separate leases. The first was to become the famous Lady Shenton mine and the second the Florence mine.

A major rush followed and the booming town of Menzies was gazetted on 16 August 1895. By the end of that year, large firms had come to the town including Montgomery Brothers Drapers, H. Rockliffe & Co General Store, F.D. Dawson Produce Merchants, H.S. Goldsmith Drapers and general carrier J Flannery. Premier John Forrest paid an official visit in July 1899 and in 1900 Menzies had 13 hotels and three breweries.

By 1903 the Lady Shenton had produced 132,000oz of gold, but profits fell, mines began to close and by 1910 mining around Menzies had all but ceased.

Near Menzies:

Davyhurst
Originally named Davyston in 1900, the town was also known as Mace’s Find and Davyton until the name Davyhurst was chosen when it was gazetted in 1901. The town gave its name to the Davyhurst Gold Mine and mining continues in the area today.

Goongarrie
The first important gold find made outside the Coolgardie strike area was discovered here in 1893 by Pickersgill, Cahill, Frost and Bennett.

Originally known as the Roaring Gimlet, then the 90 Mile as it was 90 miles (145km) from Coolgardie, Goongarrie was gazetted in 1895.

By 1903 the population had fallen to 66. The townsite was later incorporated into Goongarrie pastoral station which is now part of Goongarrie National Park.

Mulline
Mulline was gazetted in 1897 and named after the nearby Mulline Rock. The main mine was the Lady Gladys which operated from 1896-1911. A State battery was built in 1899 and by 1910 the town had two hotels