KAMBALDA

HEMA Map reference 75/B13

31° 11' 43" S 121° 40' 13" E

Statistics

Caravan Parks

Kambalda               08 9027 1582

Services

Attractions

Red Hill Lookout.

Buildings of note

Unknown

Calendar of events

April-May: St. Ives Championships.

Description

The area was settled in 1897 (one source says 1887) after gold was discovered by Percy Larkin. Originally called Red Hill, the town was gazetted in 1903 (one source quotes 1897 and this appears to be the correct date). Gold mining, which started in 1897, had ceased by 1906. The town was abandoned shortly after mining ceased. It was named by a government surveyor W. Rowley because he liked the sound of the word – its meaning has been lost with the passage of time although one source suggests ‘maiden of the lake’ but this does sound a bit far fetched.

Nickel was discovered by George Cowcill in 1954 but for some reason it took him 10 years to present the samples to Western Mining who promptly paid him a $50,000 reward and began developing a new mine in 1966. The town was re-born as Kambalda East. Later a new section (Kambalda West) was constructed in 1969.