Menzies & Surrounds

The gateway to Lake Ballard, Menzies is one of Western Australia’s most historic gold boom towns, now home to approximately 150 citizens.

Gold was first discovered here in 1894 by an American adventurer, Robert Menzie, and his mates.  Their first discovery was to become the very rich and famous Lady Shenton mine, the primary catalyst for the establishment of a thriving township, officially gazetted as Menzies on the 20^th December 1895.  At its height, Menzies is believed to have had around 10,000 residents and was the unofficial capital of the North Coolgardie Goldfields. It was linked by rail to Kalgoorlie in 1898, and the region thrived for about a decade until the gold began to run out, or become too expensive to mine.

Unlike dozens of other gold rush boom towns, Menzies did not die and totally disappear from the map. After the big gold mines closed, it was sustained by the growing pastoral industry and by independent prospectors. But, ultimately, most of the town’s buildings were dismantled and relocated elsewhere, leaving just a few significant buildings on Shenton Street, including the charming Italianate Menzies Town Hall, with a clock tower that didn’t have a clock until the year 2000. It’s an intriguing story.

Today, Lake Ballard is not the only visitor attraction within the Shire of Menzies. Indeed, several key sites within the Shire are featured on the award-winning Golden Quest Discovery Trail, including the historic Menzies Cemetery, Niagara Dam, Kookynie and Snake Hill (at the western end of Lake Ballard).

You can easily spend at least two rewarding days exploring attractions within the Shire of Menzies.