It was yet another grey and misty day when we left Kalgoorlie. We stopped for a break halfway between Kalgoorlie and Leonora at a town called Menzies. This is another former mining town which flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s but virtually died when the gold petered out. Tourism is generated by an interest in the history of the area so local shire councils in the goldfields renovate some of these old buildings. The population is less than 50 people in the town.
Visitors always appreciate a decent toilet block and that has been provided by the shire council in Menzies. There is also a large collection of old machinery on display in a park. A clock was ordered from England for the newly constructed town hall but the ship carrying the clock was apparently lost at sea. It was not until 2000 that a clock was finally installed in the tower.
Menzies is surrounded by several abandoned gold mining towns but is most famous for stainless steel statues in Lake Ballard created in 2003 by an English sculptor and artist, Antony Gormley. We did not drive the 50km dirt road to see these sculptures as rains made the track pretty muddy. Another destination saved for our next trip but at least photos are available on the internet!
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