Museum Precinct - Tower Street

The Mine Office was built in 1898/99 as office accommodation for the mine manager, accountant, paymaster, clerical staff and surveyors.

The Mine Office was among a number of buildings commissioned by Herbert Hoover, the mine manager at the time. The floor plan is T-shaped and the building is wrapped by a verandah from east to west. The double roof helps to keep the building cool.

Mine records and gold were held in the central strongroom and the original timber counter top and partition can still be seen in one of the offices. The mine workers lined up to collect their wages at the pay windows on the east side of the building.

Following the closure of the mine in 1963, Western Mining Corporation used the building as a mineral exploration base until 1971.

In 1972, the Gwalia Leonora Historical Gallery was established in the seven-roomed Mine Office building. In late 1980s the building underwent restoration work and the museum was reopened on 1 April 1989 by the then Premier, Peter Dowding.

A collection of objects and photographs tells the story of Gwalia and Leonora and the people who lived and worked here.

Learn more about the Sons of Gwalia mine and Gwalia by watching the DVD “Gwalia Unearthed” which screens in the mine office. Exhibition banners explaining the rise and decline of the Mine complement the DVD.