Hannans North Tourist Mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: Why visit?

Hannans North Tourist Mine in Kalgoorlie is a good spot for understanding the history of gold mining in Kalgoorlie, as well as the present day mining industry.

A Caterpillar 793C Haul Truck is, it’s fair to say, intimidatingly large. It is to motor vehicles what Jupiter is to planets. The tyre alone is just under twice the height of an average human male, and the whole thing is easily as big as a house.

Caterpillar 793C Haul Truck at Hannans North Tourist Mine, Kalgoorlie. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

It’s on display on Hannans North Tourist Mine* in the Western Australian city of Kalgoorlie. It acts as an indicator of how gold mining has moved on from the prospecting days of the 1890s. The stats of the thing are mindblowing. The fuel capacity is 3,790 litres, and consume 185 litres of it per hour. It can carry 250 tonnes of rock, moving at just 11km per hour when loaded. And the tyres cost $42,000 each.

Hannans North Tourist Mine and the history of gold mining in Kalgoorlie

This kit is a far cry from what Paddy Hannan had when he arrived on June 10^th, 1893. Back then, of course, there wasn’t a town. But one soon sprang up when Paddy found gold. Within days of him registering his claim, an estimated 700 men had besieged the area, prospecting for more. Kalgoorlie, a 593km drive from Perth or 90 minute flight across a vast area of Western Australia, was born. And one of the world’s greatest gold rushes had started. Gold mining in Kalgoorlie turned it into a boom town.

The original lease for the Hannans North site was taken out on November 1^st, 1893, by a Durham Longford Doolette. He went on to develop several more fields, although the Hannans North site changed hands several times before last being mined by BHP in 1952.

Now, it serves to educate tourists, with replica tents and ‘humpies’ – the rudimentary wood and metal shacks used by miners deciding to stay in one place. It leaves you under no illusions as to how unpleasant life on the goldfields was. Toilets were long drops – and would move to a new site when the hole in the ground was filled. There was virtually no fresh food – most meals came from cans. And water was so rare and expensive that the richer miners would simply throw away dirty clothes rather than wash them.

The buildings on site look at different topics. One is about dynamite storage, another about drilling – which comes with the surprising revelation that the Ancient Egyptians were using diamond-tipped drills on the Pyramids.

Two Up in Kalgoorlie at Hannans North Tourist Mine

Perhaps most engaging, however, is the shed devoted to Two Up, a distinctly Australian form of gambling. The game – which basically boils down to tossing two coins with a wooden paddle and placing bets on which way they’ll land. It started in convict era Sydney, but quickly spread to the goldfields around the country where there wasn’t much else to do.

A visit to Hannans North is worth combining with a trip to the Museum of the Goldfields, which covers different aspects of Kalgoorlie’s heritage. It’s also possible to take a tour of Kalgoorlie’s Superpit. But you might need a Kalgoorlie taxi if you’re not driving.

*No, there isn’t an apostrophe in “Hannans North”. Here’s why…

Where should I stay in Kalgoorlie?

Specialist Australian accommodation website Wotif offers Kalgoorlie accommodation for from $133 a night. Check out the deals page to search for the best value stay.

However, you should consider these options first.

For central location and a pool: Plaza Hotel.
For best quality: Quest Yelverton apartments.
For proximity to the railway station: Quality Inn Railway Motel.
For pool, free parking and good value: Hospitality Inn (part of the Best Western group).