Paynes Find, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Paynes Find is a former gold rush
settlement approximately 430 kilometres (267 mi) northeast of Perth
in the Mid West region of Western Australia
. It is reachable by the Great Northern Highway
. Only a roadhouse
, which serves as a fuel stop, and a few other buildings remain today. The area is renowned for its wildflower
s.
The townsite was gazetted in 1911, the same year the gold battery
was constructed. The battery is the only currently operational battery left in the state.
The town is named after the prospector
, Thomas Payne, who was the first to discover gold
in the area and was the first to register a lease for gold mining with the Mines Department. He was rewarded with free use of the state's gold battery and his ore was the first to be crushed using the battery.
By the 1930s the town had prospered and the population was estimated at about 500.
In 1987 the battery was sold to the Taylor family who use it as a tourist attraction.
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
settlement approximately 430 kilometres (267 mi) northeast of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in the Mid West region of 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 reachable by the Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway
The Great Northern Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the state's capital Perth with its most northern port, Wyndham. It is in length, with being National Highway...
. Only a roadhouse
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
, which serves as a fuel stop, and a few other buildings remain today. The area is renowned for its wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s.
The townsite was gazetted in 1911, the same year the gold 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....
was constructed. The battery is the only currently operational battery left in the state.
The town is named after the prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
, Thomas Payne, who was the first to discover 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 and was the first to register a lease for gold mining with the Mines Department. He was rewarded with free use of the state's gold battery and his ore was the first to be crushed using the battery.
By the 1930s the town had prospered and the population was estimated at about 500.
In 1987 the battery was sold to the Taylor family who use it as a tourist attraction.
External links
- Payne's Find at Tourism Western Australia