Mount Magnet, Western Australia

Mount Magnet is a city in the west of the Australian state of Western Australia. It was founded in the time of the Western Australian gold rush, but today according to data of the 2006 census, only 424 inhabitants.

Your name was coined in the exploration of the territory and refers to a freestanding hill 5km north-west of the present city. His rock has an extremely high content of iron ore and drew the compasses of researchers from clear.

Mining and History

The city is located 570 km northeast of the Western Australian capital Perth, and is connected to it via the Great Northern Highway. Of the earlier numerous mines today are only a few in operation - especially the Hill 50 gold mine, which began operating in the 1890s. In the area there were originally three different settlements, Mount Magnet, Boogardie and Lennonville. Boogardie disappeared now in the open pit of the Hill 50 gold mine. Lennonville was abandoned at the beginning of the First World War; the foundations of the bank and the station can still be seen today.

Unusually was for such a large mining village as Mount Magnet, that they never owned a public stamp mill. The closest stamp mill was 5km west in Boogardie. Nevertheless, we recognize the typical signs of a gold rush settlement: the very wide main street with three hotels, a racecourse and golf course with manicured green.

Geography

Around the city you will find the remains of old mines and in the north- east are important places of the Aborigines, whose stock is maintained jointly by the local church and the Western Australian Museum. Today, Mount Magnet is mainly a supply center for the surrounding agricultural land with large sheep stations.

In spring ( September to November), the area attracts many tourists who observe the natural spread of daisies, extending several kilometers in all directions. Also places further north are visited from here, such as the Mount Augustus National Park or 800 km to the north harbor town of Port Hedland. The 6 -hour drive from Perth applies for tourism this deserted country as " cozy day's journey ."

From the airport from Mount Magnet Skippers Aviation operates routes to Meekatharra and Perth. When the Northern Railway still existed after Meekatharra, Mount Magnet was an important station with repair shop.

The Australian cricket player Bill Ponsford (1900-1991) spent his youth in the summer holidays.

Coincidentally, the magnetic declination in the area since 2006, almost zero - ie the magnetic needle shows almost exactly (except for the ore ) to true north.

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