KUNANALLING
(Also known as the 25 Mile)
GPS 30 41 05 S 121 04 0E
Kunanalling Townsite 1903 – Photo SLWA
In Dec of 1892, James Speakman and his 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. The other hotel were The Royal Hotel and the Twenty Five Mile Hotel.
Premier Hotel, Kunanalling – Phopto SLWA
Ruins of the Premier Hotel, Kunanalling – Photo by Doug Hardman 2020
Kunanalling’s Premier Hotel was a typical Goldfields pub, build by Fred ‘Cousin Jack’ Bow, a Coolgardie entrepreneur whose thriving wagon team business had made him a wealthy man. Fred could see the potential of a new hotel at Kunanalling and could guarantee that it would sell beer, wine and spirits at cheaper prices.
In 1901 the Premier Mine provided electricity to the hotel and it was opened with great celebration. It was a relatively ‘flash’ 10-bedroom establishment and one of the first in the Goldfields to have electricity. It had a huge parlour, billiard room, a cellar to cool the beer kegs and a large kitchen fitted with a wood range. A large, brick-paved courtyard separated the bedrooms from the hotel. Twelve, 200-gallon rainwater tanks were set up in the surrounds of the courtyard and provided ample storage for drinking and washing. But, in just over two years of successful trading, the closure of the Premier Mine dealt the pub and Kunanalling a near-fatal blow.
In 1922-1926 the Kelly’s took charge of the hotel, with ‘Gran’ Kelly being possibly the first publican in Australia to offer counter meals in the bar. Her delicious food delighted many regular customers and no one was refused a second helping. One can only imagine the elegant atmosphere, with a piano at the ready.
The Magic of Ice Cream – Ice Cream, that magic word with young people, was unheard of in Kunanalling until ‘Gran’, decided to put it on the Sunday menu. This, of course, was many years before the advent of refrigeration in the outback. One Saturday afternoon, a large bag of ice (packed in straw) was picked up from the Kalgoorlie Ice Works and a churn from Bairds. Early Sunday morning saw the time-consuming task of making the ice cream for Sunday lunch. Locals voted it the best ice cream ever.
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.
E Teggins Store, Kunanalling – Photo SLWA
A P McDonald, Storekeeper 25 Mile – Photo SLWA
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 1916 – Photo S R Bounsell
Back Row: Daisy THOMPSON – Lily BEWICK – Maggie NAIRN – Alma KEMP – Myra SUTHERLAND – Vie WARE.
2nd Row: Mr James Scott ‘Head Teacher’ – May DWYER – Vie WELLS – Molly WARE – Jack DWYER – Miss Clara PEARCE Sewing Teacher.
3rd Row: Dolly BOW – Hazel HUNTER – Clarice DWYER – Mavis HUNTER – Bellie BOUNSELL.
Front Row: Charles MUTZIG – Jordan WARE – George SCOTT – Arthur ‘Moggy’ BOW – James SCOTT Jr – Bill DWYER.
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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The ‘stories’ give an amazing insight into our history. Simply fantastic to read & appreciate the effort in preserving such memories.
Many thanks Les