Leonora, Western Australia Explained

Type:town
State:wa
Lga:Shire of Leonora
Local Map:yes
Zoom:7
Postcode:6438
Est:1897
Elevation:376
Maxtemp:27.9
Mintemp:13.9
Rainfall:234.5
Stategov:Kalgoorlie
Fedgov:O'Connor
Dist1:833
Dir1:NE
Location1:Perth
Dist2:237
Dir2:N
Location2:Kalgoorlie
Dist3:124
Dir3:NNW
Location3:Leinster

Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located 833km (518miles) northeast of the state capital, Perth, and 237km (147miles) north of the city of Kalgoorlie.

History

The first European explorer to visit the area was John Forrest in 1869.[1] On 21 June 1869 Forrest's party made camp near a conspicuous hill, which Forrest named Mount Leonora, after his six-year-old niece Frances (Fanny) Leonora Hardey.[2] In 1895, gold was discovered in the area by prospector Edward "Doodah" Sullivan at the Johannesburg lease just north of the current townsite. In the following two years a number of rich finds resulted in rapid development of the area. The Sons of Gwalia gold mine brought Leonora to the attention of the world. By 1897 a residential and business area had been established, and the town was gazetted as Leonora.[3]

Leonora is the terminus of the Kalgoorlie to Leonora railway line, which opened in 1903.[4] [5] [6]

Leonora had a single track passenger tramway linking the town and nearby Gwalia, from 1901 to 1921. Initially steam driven, the service was electric from November 1908, and petrol powered from 1915.[7] [8]

A reverse osmosis desalination treatment plant was opened in October 2005 to improve the quality of the town's water supply from the Station Creek wellfield by reducing the naturally occurring high levels of salinity, nitrate and hardness. It was designed to supply 2.5e6L of treated water per day.[9] [10] In 2010, the Rudd government relocated asylum seekers from Christmas Island to the "Leonora Alternative Place of Detention", an immigration detention centre, previously used as a mine workers hostel, in Leonora. The Abbott government closed the facility in February 2014.[11] [12]

Economy

Leonora is primarily a mining town. There are a number of major gold mines in the shire, as well as the Murrin Murin laterite nickel project. The area supports a significant pastoral industry.

Demographics

At the 2016 census, Leonora had a population of 556, 27.6% of whom were of Aboriginal descent.

Climate

The area has an arid climate (BWh), with very hot summers and cool winters. Frost may occur occasionally on some winter mornings. Rainfall is very sparse.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Forrest . John . Explorations in Australia . Sampson Low, Marston, Low, & Searle . 1875 . London . 2012-05-06.
  2. News: Woman Pioneer. 13 January 2016. Daily News. 17 August 1927. Perth, WA. 4.
  3. Web site: 1829-1896 . 26 October 2015. Shire of Leonora. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107113958/http://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/1829-1896.aspx. 7 January 2016. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019 . Public Transport Authority . 13 August 2024.
  5. Web site: Railway map of Western Australia, 1952 . Trove . 13 August 2024.
  6. Web site: Arc Map Network. 13 August 2024.
  7. News: The Gwalia Tram. . . 2 . 95 . Western Australia . 11 May 1901 . 15 August 2022 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: Leonora-Gwalia Tram. . . 1042 . Western Australia . 1 June 1918 . 15 August 2022 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: Work to start on Leonora desalination plant. 2003-06-02. 2015-01-12. ABC.
  10. Leonora Water Reserve drinking water source protection plan: Leonora-Gwalia town water supply.. Water Resource Protection Series. June 2010. 113. 20 March 2018. Government of Western Australia Department of Water. Perth, WA. 1835-3924.
  11. News: Asylum seekers to be sent to WA mining camp. 1 June 2010. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 June 2010.
  12. News: Shire of Leonora disappointed over Government decision to close immigration detention centre . ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 14 January 2014 . 7 April 2014 .