Eastern Goldfields
# Eastern Goldfields

The Eastern Goldfields is part of the Western Australian Goldfields in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, covering the present and former gold-mining area east of Perth.

## Extent and name origin

The region encompasses the towns of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Coolgardie, Kambalda, Southern Cross and other smaller settlements within this area. The name is derived in two parts: Eastern in relation to its location from Perth, and Goldfields as the name suggests comes from the mining of gold in the region.

## Vegetation and biological survey

In the 1980s, a series of surveys were reported for the broader region.

The component areas were designated:

* Lake Johnston - Hyden
* Edjudina - Menzies
* Youanmi - Leonora
* Duketon - Sir Samuel
* Kurnalpi - Kalgoorlie
* Norseman - Balladonia
* Sandston - Sir Samuel and Leonora - Laverton
* Boorabbin - Southern Cross and Barlee - Menzies

## Transport

The region was the destination of the long-running Westland overnight railway sleeper train run by Western Australian Government Railways; for decades this was the main means of travelling to the "coast" or metropolitan Perth. The Prospector is now the main railway service into this area.

## Water supply

Water to the area is supplied by the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.

## Literary culture

It was the region of inspiration for a group of writers - Gavin Casey, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Henrietta Drake Brockman and others. It has been an important cultural region as far as labour history and Australian political history, with a rich worker and trade union history.

The history of the goldfields region also developed into a significant number of publications over time.

