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Kalgoorlie Electorate Profile (2025)

About the Kalgoorlie Electorate

Map showing the boundaries of the Kalgoorlie electorate for the 2021 election

PDF version of the Kalgoorlie electorate map PDF/pdf-file.png

Area (sq km): 754,990
Number of Electors: 32,382 (21,057 + 11,325 large district allowance)
Source: 2023 Final Distribution Report, Western Australian Electoral Distribution Commission.

Origin of the Name:
Kalgoorlie is the major city in the Eastern Goldfields, located 596 kilometres east north east of Perth. It was gazetted a townsite in September 1894. Paddy Hannan, Daniel Shea and Thomas Flanagan made a significant gold find near Mt Charlotte in June 1893 which led to a gold rush with thousands of diggers prospecting the rich alluvial field.
When the government decided to declare a townsite here in 1894, the place was locally known as 'Hannan's Find'. At first the name 'Hannans' was nominated, and in suggesting the it to the commissioner of crown lands, Under Secretary for Lands R. Cecil Clifton noted that, the native name of the place is 'Calgoorlie', but this is rather too much like Coolgardie and if adopted is, I fear likely to lead to postal mistakes". R. Cecil Clifton supported 'Hannan', but Cabinet chose 'Kalgoorlie in August 1894. Although local preference was for 'Hannan's Find', 'Kalgoorlie' soon came to be accepted as the name of the rapidly developing town. An alternative spelling of 'Kalgurli' was also sometimes used unofficially.
JIt is unknown when the name 'Kalgoorlie' was first recorded, or its precise meaning. Various sources believe it could mean: Aboriginal dog chasing a kangaroo; the Aboriginal name of a shrub from the area - galgurli; or the Aboriginal name for the local edible silky pear - kulgooluh.
Source: Western Australia. Department of Land Administration. Names and Places.

Suburbs and Towns within the Electorate:
The electorate of Kalgoorlie includes all or part of Bandya, Binduli, Boulder, Broadwood, Bullabulling, Bulong, Caiguna, Cocklebiddy, Coolgardie, Cosmo Newbery, Cundeelee, Emu Flat, Eucla, Feysville, Forrest, Fraser Range, Hannans, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda East, Kambalda West, Kanowna, Kanpa, Karlkurla, Kookynie, Kurnalpi, Lake Carnegie, Lake Darlot, Lamington, Laverton, Leinster, Leonora, Little Sandy Desert, Londonderry, Madura, Menzies, Mt Burges, Mullingar, Mundrabilla, Ngaanyatjarra-Giles, Norseman, Ora Banda, Parkeston, Patjarr, Piccadilly, Plumridge Lakes, Rawlinna, Sir Samuel, Somerville, South Boulder, South Kalgoorlie, Tjirrkarli, Ularring, Victory Heights, Warburton, West Kalgoorlie, West Lamington, Widgiemooltha, Williamstown and Wiluna.
Source: Western Australian Electoral Commission.


Local Governments within the Electorate:
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (part)
Shire of Coolgardie
Shire of Dundas
Shire of Laverton
Shire of Leonora
Shire of Menzies (part)
Shire of Wiluna (part)
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku (part)

Schools
Government: Boulder Primary School; Coolgardie Primary School; East Kalgoorlie Primary School; Eastern Goldfields College; Eastern Goldfields Education Support Centre; Hannans Primary School; Kalgoorlie Primary School; Kalgoorlie School of the Air; Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community High School; Kambalda Primary School; Kambalda West District High School; Laverton School; Leinster Community School; Leonora District High School; Menzies Community School; Mount Margaret Remote Community School; Ngaanyatjarra Lands School; Norseman District High School; North Kalgoorlie Primary School; O'Connor Education Support Centre; O'Connor Primary School; South Kalgoorlie Primary School; Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School; Wiluna Remote Community School.

Other: Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed School; Goldfields Baptist College; John Paul College; St Joseph's School; St Mary's Primary School.

Local Newspapers:

Books about Kalgoorlie:
  • Charley Nadin: Among the fields of gold (2012)
  • Sheryl Milentis: The scarlet stain, harlots, harridans and hellholes of old Kalgoorlie (179p. Hesperian Press, 2004)
  • Robert Pascoe: In old Kalgoorlie, the photographs of J J Dwyer (243p. Western Australian Museum, 2010)
  • Arthur Bennett: The glittering years (148p. St. George Books, 1981)
  • Charles Manners: Never a dull moment, Kalgoorlie's golden years through to the seventies including life in the WW1 trenches (438p. Mannwest, 2002)
  • Martyn Webb: Golden destiny, the centenary history of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia (1070p. City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 1993)
  • Danny Sheehan: Heads and tails, the story of the Kalgoorlie two-up school (178p. Wescolour Press, 1985)
  • Pat Rodgers: No sign of the time, a collection of stories of the Menzies District (182p. Shire of Menzies, 1992)
  • Norma King: Daughters of Midas (182p. Hesperian Press, 1988)
  • 110 degrees in the waterbag, a history of life, work and leisure in Leonora, Gwalia and the northern goldfields (461p. Western Australian Museum, 2012)
  • Alex Palmer: Yerilla (80p. Hesperian Press, 2009)
  • Margaret Pusey: Niagara Kookynie, how it was (269p. Margaret Pusey, 2002)
  • Alex Palmer: Agnew (138p. Hesperian Press, 2000)
  • John Marshall: Battling for gold, or, stirring incidents of Goldfields life in Western Australia (206p. Hesperian Press, 1984)
  • Kim Lockwood: West Australian goldfields sketchbook (62p. Rigby, 1969)
  • Ian Templeman: The fields, the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie goldfields, 1892-1912 (215p. Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1988)
  • Kalgoorlie Miner: 100 years of reporting Goldfields news (100p. Kalgoorlie Miner, 1995)

Statistical Profile of the Kalgoorlie Electorate

Successive Members for the Kalgoorlie Electorate

Constituency created under the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899

Name Party Term
William Dartnell Johnson Australian Labor Party 1901 - 1905
Norbert Keenan Independent Ministerialist 1905 - 1911
Albert Ernest Green Australian Labor Party 1911 - 1914
George McLeod Australian Labor Party Feb 1914b - Oct 1914
Albert Ernest Green Australian Labor Party 1914 - 1921
John Boyland Australian Labor Party 1921 - 1923
James Cunningham Australian Labor Party 1923b - 1936
Herbert Henry Styants Australian Labor Party 1936 - 1956
Thomas Daniel Evans Australian Labor Party 1956 - 1980
Edward Thomas Evans Australian Labor Party 1980 - 1981
Ian Frederick Taylor Australian Labor Party 1981b - 1996
Megan Irene Anwyl Australian Labor Party 1996b - 2001
Matthew (Matt) John Birney Liberal Party 2001 - 2008
John James Mansell Bowler Independent 2008 - 2013
Wendy Maxine Duncan National Party 2013 - 2017
Kyran O'Donnell Liberal Party 2017 - 2021
Alison (Ali) Elizabeth Kent Australian Labor Party 2021 -

b = by-election
Source:
Black, David & Valerie Prescott. Election Statistics: Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, WA: Parliament of Western Australia Electoral Commission, 1997.
Parliament of Western Australia, Members (website) http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au