Laverton

Laverton, situated on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert, 360 kilometres north east of Kalgoorlie Boulder, is one of Western Australia's remote inland townships, but visitors are constantly amazed by the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside. It is a land of contrasts.

From rugged breakaway cliffs, to quiet, cool waterholes, from the magnificence of the wedge tail eagle to the startling beauty of the Sturt Pea, Laverton is a welcome oasis for travellers crossing from Alice Springs on the Outback Highway, one of the world's great road journeys.

Originally established as the British Flag Mine in the goldrush era, Laverton was gazetted in 1900, in recognition of Dr Charles Laver who rode into town on a pushbike from Coolgardie in 1896 and remained as the town's doctor. A statue in the main park stands as a tribute to his contribution to the town.

It is where fortunes were won and lost in the 1960s and 1970s when the gold price dipped and nickel shares boomed with Poseidon shares leaping from 80 cents to $280 in less than six months.

Laverton was a thriving district of gold strikes and mines in 1900, but the gold price fluctuations of the 1960s reduced it almost to a ghost town. The discovery of nickel in 1969 at Mt Windarra sparked the world famous Poseidon share surge and nickel boom, but as so often happens in mining, the nickel ran out and Poseidon disappeared from the Stock Exchange.

Today Mt Windarra is a silent reminder of the subtleties of mining.

The mine site has been rehabilitated into the Mt Windarra Heritage Trial and is one of many interesting attractions in the region - a ghost mine from the modern era - a stark contrast with the gold mines of the 1890s.

Poseidon was only one of many mining stories from the region. You can visit the lonely ghost towns and cemeteries at Burtville (28 kilometres) and Mt Morgans (48 kilometres), Laverton's historic police station and gaol built in 1900 or take your photo with the impressive statue of Dr Charles Laver and his bike.

Today Laverton boasts two major gold mines and one of the worlds largest nickel mining operations as well as a thriving pastoral industry.

But there is so much more. You can discover the subtle beauty and vivid colours of a desert wilderness and breakaway country alive with a diversity of acacia woodlands and flora, or explore a landscape rich with sites of Aboriginal culture and dreamtime stories. Many of Australia's great explorers passed through the Laverton region on their quest to discover new lands.



Laverton is also home to the Great Beyond Explorers Hall of Fame, which brings to life the characters and stories of several explorers who led expeditions in and around the area in the 19th century. Step back in time with notable explorers John Forrest and Ludwig Leichardt, eavesdrop on the horses of the inland as they recount their personla stories of hardship and bravery. Learn about the valuable industries of our land.

Laverton features a motel, caravan park, chalets and station home stay