KUNANALLING
(Also known as the 25 Mile)
GPS 30 41 05 S 121 04 0E
Kunanalling Townsite 1903 – Photo SLWA
The townsite of Kunanalling is located in the eastern goldfields, 25 “miles” from Coolgardie and it was first known as the “25 Mile” when the Warden for this goldfields area recommended a townsite be declared in 1895. At this time it was referred to as the “25 Mile” or “Coonanalling”, but when gazetted in 1896 the Lands Department applied spelling rules that changed it to Kunanalling.
In Dec of 1892, James Speakman and party, pegged a lease in this area but did not apply for an exemption when he left due to a lack of water. A man called Adams then re-pegged the lease, called it ‘The Premier’ and sold it to a company that developed it into a rich mine. Several other shows opened up in the area and the townsite of Kunanalling came into being. The Premier was the richest mine in the area and by the end of 1900 had mined 34,626 ounces of gold.
Kunanalling was at its height early in the 1900s and had three hotels which include the Premier of which the ruins are all that remain of the town today.
There were four streets in Kunanalling namely Balfour, Chamberlain, Gladstone and Salisbury. The town must have been going through a patriotic phase when it named all its streets after British Prime Ministers.
Other buildings were several shops, a Mechanics Institute, various Government buildings and a school. The school was later to be moved to Tammin when it closed in 1927 and became a farmer’s homestead. When a mining revival in the 1930’s made a school once again needed the Post Office was used for this purpose. The last resident left the town in 1942, and the townsite is now abandoned.
Kunanalling State School – Photo S R Bounsell
Recommended Reading:
Ref:- Ghost Towns of the North Country by Norma King – Kunanalling and Beyond by S R Bounsell
Moya Sharp
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My father Thonas Clews was Killed at Blackett’s mine in Kunanalling in 1936 from a rock fall. After this the mine was declared unsafe and closed. I remember the Kunanalling hotel which was operating at the time. I went to school there and remember the Trail and Winner boys. Jack Trail was my father’s prospecting partner.
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Hi Thomas Did you know that he is on the Western Australia Virtual Miners Memorial. I would love to add some more infoamtion to his profile if you would like to send it to me. https://www.wavmm.com/listing/thomas-4/
Hi
I am doing research on my family tree.
Stevens, Matthews, Puseys, Higgins and Mckeevers/Dix
Do you have any photographs of any of them, especially Stevens/Pusey’s
I was born in Kal in 1954 and left in 1964. I went to North Kal Primary School.
KInd regards
Wally Stevens, 0418835557
email: walter.l.stevens@gmail.com