While its population may have shrunk a hundredfold since its gold mining heyday, and it may now have one hotel instead of 13, the tiny WA town of Menzies still knows how to entertain a crowd!
These days though, instead of rowdy fortune hunters, the incoming crowd is a more sedate collection of grey nomads and adventurers looking to explore the area’s fascinating history … and its world-famous sculptures.
Amazingly, Menzies’ extremely remote location – some 130 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie along the Goldfields Highway – has not prevented it from becoming a magnet for art lovers!
In 2003, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Perth International Arts Festival, famed artist, Antony Gormley, decided to create the ‘Inside Australia’ exhibition … and the rest is history.
There are now 51 sculptures – derived from laser scans of the inhabitants of Menzies – scattered over 10 square kilometres of the salt lake, Lake Ballard, which sits 50 kilometres west of town … and they are a huge drawcard.
Before the sculptures though, it was gold which put Menzies on the map.
The precious metal was first discovered in the area in 1894, and the town took off. The railway arrived in 1898 and, by the turn of the century, the population – which now stands at around 100 – had soared to 10,000.
Signs of those glory days are everywhere, in the form of the town’s grand gold rush architecture. The most prominent building is the Town Hall, which was built in 1896. For around a century though, its commanding clock tower stood without a clock after the vessel that was bringing the clock from England, the SS Oriziba, sunk near Rottnest Island. The clock tower finally got its clock at the start of the new millennium.
Other interesting buildings include the old railway station which has now been earmarked for restoration; the old police station which is now a private residence; the old Post Office which is also now a private residence; the ruins of the old Well’s Bakery; the old Railway Hotel, now known as Menzies Hotel; and the Old Lady Shenton Hotel, which is now home to the Visitor Centre.
As is often the case, another great place to get a sense of the history of the town is to visit Marvellous Menzies the cemetery. Many of the graves here are occupied by typhoid victims.
Other attractions within striking distance of Menzies are Niagara Dam and Goongarrie National Park, and there are a number of fascinating ghost towns in the area including the ‘living ghost town’ of Kookynie, located 70 kilometres northeast of Menzies.
The dog-friendly Menzies Caravan Park is located adjacent to the Visitor Centre, and boasts 26 powered sites, a camp kitchen, and a dump point.
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