Waverley, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Waverley or Siberia is a ghost town
located between Kalgoorlie
and Leonora
. It is on the Davyhurst to Ora Banda
Road in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia
.
Two prospector
s Billy Frost and Bob Bonner discovered gold
in the area in the late 1893, resulting in a gold rush to the area. The increasing population indicated a need for a townsite to be planned and lots were surveyed in 1898, which was initially to be named Siberia. The local progress association decided that the town should be named Waverley after a nearby mine. The townsite was gazetted as Waverley in 1898.
Some of the mines close to town include Siberia, Waverley, Mexico and the Pole leases.
In 1911 the Postmaster General
raised concern about the duplication of town names in Australia, including Waverley. Alternative names such as Wongi (the name of a nearby soak
) and Siberia. The locals preferred Siberia and the name was officially gazetted in 1914. The name comes from Siberia Tank, a water supply that is close to the town.
The last resident left town in 1954.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
located between Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
and Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
. It is on the Davyhurst to Ora Banda
Ora Banda, Western Australia
Ora Banda is a townsite, now a virtual ghost town, located north east of Kalgoorlie. According to folklore, the town name is Spanish meaning 'band of gold'.- History :...
Road in the Goldfields-Esperance 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...
.
Two prospector
Prospector
Prospector may mean:*Prospecting, exploring an area for natural resources such as minerals, oil, flora or fauna*Prospector , a unified catalog for Colorado and Wyoming...
s Billy Frost and Bob Bonner discovered 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 in the late 1893, resulting in a gold rush to the area. The increasing population indicated a need for a townsite to be planned and lots were surveyed in 1898, which was initially to be named Siberia. The local progress association decided that the town should be named Waverley after a nearby mine. The townsite was gazetted as Waverley in 1898.
Some of the mines close to town include Siberia, Waverley, Mexico and the Pole leases.
In 1911 the Postmaster General
Postmaster General
A Postmaster General is a postmaster responsible for an entire mail distribution organization . The term may refer to:* Postmaster General of the United Kingdom* The head of the Hongkong Post...
raised concern about the duplication of town names in Australia, including Waverley. Alternative names such as Wongi (the name of a nearby soak
Soakage
A soakage, or soak, is a source of water in Australian deserts.It is called thus because the water generally seeps into the sand, and is stored below, sometimes as part of an ephemeral river or creek system.-Aboriginal water source:...
) and Siberia. The locals preferred Siberia and the name was officially gazetted in 1914. The name comes from Siberia Tank, a water supply that is close to the town.
The last resident left town in 1954.