COOLGARDIE, is a small town in the Australian state of Western Australia, 558k east Perth.
It has a population of approximately 800 people.

Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining 'ghost town', it was once the third largest town in Western Australia (after Perth and Fremantle).
At this time, mining of alluvial gold was a major industry and supplied the flagging economy with new hope.

Many miners suffered under the harsh conditions, but for a few, their finds made the hard work worthwhile. Most men, however, left poorer than they had started off, with their hopes dashed.

The town was founded in 1892, when gold was discovered in the area. Australia had seen several major gold rushes over the previous three decades, mostly centred on the east coast, but these had mostly been exhausted by the 1890s. With the discovery of a new goldfield, an entire new gold rush began, with thousands flocking to the area. By 1898, Coolgardie was the third largest town in the colony, with a population of 15,000, and another 10,000 in the surrounding region. At its peak, 700 mining companies based in Coolgardie were registered with the London Stock Exchange. The town also supported a wide variety of businesses and services, including a railway, a swimming pool (first public baths in the state), many hotels and several newspapers ... more at link

see also COOLGARDIE 1893-1894

MAYORS of COOLGARDIE 1894 - 1921
James SHAW 1894-1895
- first Mayor of Coolgardie
- James was born 1846 in Belfast Ireland and died 17 Sept 1910 South Australia. His father Hugh Shaw was an Engineer and James married 1875 in Victoria to Margaret SHAW. In 1864, age 18 James sailed to Auckland New Zealand, started contracting business which was most successful, he also won a service medal for fighting in the Maori Wars. He arrived in South Australia from New Zealand in 1871, left South Australia for Victoria in 1875 for a short period of time then returned to Adelaide and arrived in Coolgardie Western Australia on 22 March 1894
His occupation in South Australia was Builder & Contractor and was the Builder of the South Australian Houses of Parliament and many other handsome buildings in Adelaide.
He was a Councillor of the City of Adelaide Council for 13 years, then an Alderman and in 1889 Mayor of Adelaide
When James Shaw arrived in Coolgardie he was a Director of Cosgroves

A G JENKINS 1897-1898

J T GLOWERY 1898-1899

C SOMERS 1899-1903

A P WYMOND 1903-04

C McDOWELL 1904-05

W G.ATKIN 1905-06

B W McCORMICK 1906-08

A MERCER 1908-10

J MONOGHAN 1910 - JULY 1912

W FAAHAN JULY 1912-1913

D McPHERSON 1913-15

E J HANLEY 1915-16

W TINDALL 1916-17

W P M STROTHER 1917-19

William M FAAHAN 1919-21
- William was the last Mayor

From 1921 the Municipality became the Coolgardie Road Board eventually changing to Shire of Coolgardie in the 1960?s