Niagara, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Niagara is an abandoned
town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia
. It is found between Kalgoorlie
and Leonora
.
In 1895 two prospectors named Northmore and Doolittle discovered gold
in the area, some sources claim that John Alway was the first o peg the area earlier the same year. Following a rapid growth in population the local progress association requested that a townsite be declared early the following year. The Land Department gazetted the townsite later in 1896.
Another lease named Trilby was producing rich ore in 1896 and a 20 ounces (567 g) nugget was found at Carmichael's lease north of the town in the same year.
Although seven streets were planned only two, Challenge and Waterfall, were ever developed. By 1900 over sixty buildings existed within the town and one hundred and fifty stamp head listed on the area.
After 1900 Kookynie
took over as the district centre and by 1903 Niagara was in decline.
Aboout fifty prospecting sites were still operating close to the town in 1903 with a ten head Stamp mill
being built at the Black Hawk mine.
Other mines in the area included Challenge, Orion, Champion, Batavia and Britannia. The town was soon in decline with a population of 75. By 1905 many of the mud brick buildings were derelict and by 1909 the town was abandoned.
The last run of the Niagara State Battery
occurred in 1913 when 809 tons of ore was processed for the return of 830 ounces (24 kg).
A waterfall
in the area was jokingly named after the falls
in the United States. The local falls are approximately 3 metres (10 ft) in height and only flow after heavy rain. A railways concrete wall dam was also constructed nearby in 1897.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is found between Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
and Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
.
In 1895 two prospectors named Northmore and Doolittle discovered gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in the area, some sources claim that John Alway was the first o peg the area earlier the same year. Following a rapid growth in population the local progress association requested that a townsite be declared early the following year. The Land Department gazetted the townsite later in 1896.
Another lease named Trilby was producing rich ore in 1896 and a 20 ounces (567 g) nugget was found at Carmichael's lease north of the town in the same year.
Although seven streets were planned only two, Challenge and Waterfall, were ever developed. By 1900 over sixty buildings existed within the town and one hundred and fifty stamp head listed on the area.
After 1900 Kookynie
Kookynie, Western Australia
Kookynie is a town located in the Eastern Goldfields region in Western Australia.The name of the town is believed to be an aboriginal word which means 'water hole' or 'spring'...
took over as the district centre and by 1903 Niagara was in decline.
Aboout fifty prospecting sites were still operating close to the town in 1903 with a ten head Stamp mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
being built at the Black Hawk mine.
Other mines in the area included Challenge, Orion, Champion, Batavia and Britannia. The town was soon in decline with a population of 75. By 1905 many of the mud brick buildings were derelict and by 1909 the town was abandoned.
The last run of the Niagara State Battery
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
occurred in 1913 when 809 tons of ore was processed for the return of 830 ounces (24 kg).
A waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in the area was jokingly named after the falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
in the United States. The local falls are approximately 3 metres (10 ft) in height and only flow after heavy rain. A railways concrete wall dam was also constructed nearby in 1897.