Ghost Town – Gindalbie

Gindalbie Headframe

Gindalbie – Western Australia   Latitude 30 degrees 20’S Longitude 121 degrees 45’E

Gindalbie is an abandoned Goldfields townsite located about 55kms north east of Kalgoorlie. In 1898 when it was proposed to establish a town here the name nominated was ‘Vosperton’. This was to honour a well-known Goldfields identity, newspaperman Frederick Charles Burleigh Vosper.  He was editor of the ‘Coolgardie Miner’ and was the elected MLA for North-East Coolgardie in May 1897.  The boundaries and area for the proposed townsite were amended in 1900 and the name changed to Gindalbie. The town has also been know as Hayes New Find.

The Pioneer Store, George Coopers Store Gindalbie 1905

Over the last 20 years or so I have travelled on the back road from Kookynie to Kanowna many times.  This way takes about an hour longer that the most direct route along the main highway but is far more enjoyable.  Travelling first along the Kookynie Road and then along Yarri Road you are taken through the old townsite of Gindalbie. Up until a few years ago you would see the headframe above which is one of the largest wooden headframes on the Goldfields. Constructed with rough timber it had stood for many years.  Each time we drove past it I would be pleased to see it still there but on the trip before last, sadly it had been burnt to the ground. I don’t know whether it was by bush fire or by deliberate action, who knows?  Sadly it is irreplaceable.  If you do take a trip to Kookynie and Niagara try to take the long road back to Kalgoorlie through this beautiful country.  You will travel through Yerilla station and you will see the remains of the old homestead.  One one particular trip we saw, eagles, goats, kangaroos cattle and one fox and one donkey.

Nothing remains of the Gindalbie town except the big trees that may have sheltered its residents. George Cooper was not only the proprietor of ‘The Pioneer Store’ but also of the South Gippsland Hotel and a butchers shop.

South Gippsland Gold Mine Gindalbie

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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