Gwalia

History

The Wongatha people are the traditional owners and inhabitants of Gwalia. Underground mining at the Sons of Gwalia began in 1897, and continued until 1963. During this time it produced of gold down to a depth of via an incline shaft. Sons of Gwalia grew to become the largest Western Australian gold mine outside Kalgoorlie, and the deepest of its kind in Australia. The recovered between 1897 and 1963 amounts in value to US$4.34 billion (A$4.55 billion) at August 2012 prices. The area where Leonora-Gwalia are situated was first travelled by Sir John Forrest in 1869 during an unsuccessful search for signs of explorer Ludwig Leichhardt's expedition from the east. Forrest named a noticeable knoll Mount Leonora after a female relative. A number of years passed before Edward "Doodah" Sullivan first pegged the area in 1896 for gold prospecting, on the heels of recent finds in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. Gold was discovered near the base of Mount Leonora in May 1896 by Carlson, White and Glendinning, who named the claim "Sons of Gwalia" in honour of Thomas Tobias, a storekeeper in Coolgardie, who funded them. The name Gwalia, the ancient name for the country of Wales, was chosen because of Tobias' Welsh heritage. They then sold their claim for £5,000 to George Hall, who in turn recouped his investment in about one month. Hall sought additional capital, and began negotiations with a London firm, Bewick, Moreing & Co. They in turn sent a young American geologist to the area to develop the find into a working concern. That geologist was Herbert Hoover, who would later become President of the United States. Hoover arrived in Albany, Western Australia in May 1897, travelled by train to Coolgardie, then eventually to the Gwalia area by camel. He suggested himself as manager of…

Most-observed species

• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  38
• Singing Honeyeater

  Gavicalis virescens (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  37
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  35
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  31
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

  Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
  26
• Australian Shelduck

  Tadorna tadornoides (Jardine & Selby, 1828) · Aves
  25
• Zebra Finch

  Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  24
• Gray Teal

  Anas gracilis Buller, 1869 · Aves
  23