Shire of Leonora celebrates Gwalia’s Gold
The Shire of Leonora is celebrating after winning a prestigious award at the State Heritage Awards for the restoration of the Sons of Gwalia headframe, and is about to open the doors to the public. The Goldfields mining landmark, linked to 31st US president Herbert Hoover, was one of two projects to be commended in the conservation of a State-registered place category of the awards. The Gwalia precinct has recently undergone a total of $3 million of refurbishment and restoration, and they are inviting the public to join them for a special reopening on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 November.
Gwalia’s Gold | Celebrating our heritage – is going to be a fun filled celebration for the whole family and will feature a Gatsby-esque cocktail party, walking tours with the characters of Gwalia, a multimedia exhibition, a talk on the award-winning headframe restoration and a community bake-off! In addition, the Gwalia State Hotel will be opening its doors for the first time in 50 years. If you’re located in Perth, Skippers charter flights departing at 9am on Saturday and leave Leonora at 6pm on Sunday. The Shire of Leonora has organised shuttle buses to get you from the airport to the event. The heritage precinct of Gwalia is a major tourist attraction in the Goldfields, and the Shire has invested in the restoration and conservation of the Gwalia cottages, Hoover House and associated museum.
Kim Hewson, principle at Economic Transitions, said: “I am so delighted to see Gwalia and the Shire of Leonora celebrate this amazing milestone. My family has strong ties with both Gwalia and Leonora, having worked as bakers, guest house owners, publicans and even jockeys in the region! “I work closely with the Shire of Leonora on all aspects of tourism for this wonderful region and we just know that Gwalia is the gem in the crown when it comes to tourism! I can’t wait to see their hard work celebrated and to set foot inside the Gwalia State Hotel.”
Anyone wanting to head to Leonora and Gwalia for the weekend should contact the Shire of Leonora at cso@leonora.wa.gov.au or further details at www.leonora.wa.gov.au