Kundana – Book Review

Kundana is situated 25km west-northwest of Kalgoorlie and 27km north northeast of Coolgardie. In the 1890’s the area wass informally known as the “21 mile” because it was 21 miles from Coolgardie by the Black Flag road. Some other ‘unnoficial’ name in use at the time were ‘Barkers Find’, after the first prospector in the area, and “White Flag”.

In April 1896 the local people sent a petition with 58 signatures to Inspector Surveyor H S King asking for a townsite to be gazzetted so that business and public utilities could be established. A facsililie of the petition and other documents relating to the gazettal of the townsite are included in the following book.

Kundana

The government approved the idea of a townsite and a lithograph was prepared. The unusual shape of the towns northern boundary is defined by gold mining leases which were pegged prior to the survey of the townsite. King wrote to the under secretary for lands proposing the name ‘Kundana’ for the new townsite. “kundanha” is an Aboriginal word meaning “place of the quiet one” in the Wankgatah language but it is not know why king selected this name.

Street names suggested by King are from local lease and company names at the time. A post office was opened. A school site was allocated but there is no reference to a school building or teacher. A cemetery site was marked out, at first close to the townsite but later some distance away, but no burial are recorded. It is poignant to note that most of the mines were actually closing when the townsite was finally gazetted in September 1897.

The correspondence reproduced in this book from the Lands Department tells its own story of Kundana.

The area is still being mined today:- https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/northern-star-resources-to-outsource-at-kundana-gold/

If you would like a copy of the book you can enter this weekends giveaway 2-3rd July 2016 by leaving a comment @ https://www.facebook.com/OutbackFamilyHistory/

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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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