Museum Precinct - Tower Street

The Assay Building houses the office where museum staff will welcome you and provide you with a site map and information about the museum complex and Gwalia Ghost Town. You can purchase merchandise from the museum gift shop, also conveniently located in the Assay Building.

The Assay Building is the closest building to the open cut mine and was completed in 1899 at a cost of £220 ($440). This single storey face-brick building includes some characteristics of the Federation Bungalow style, with a hipped gable corrugated iron roof.

Minor renovations were done in 1937/38 and some additions to the building were made in the 1970s. Major conservation work in 1899/90 was undertaken to rebuild the two chimneys and the verandah and to lift the weight of the roof from the load-bearing walls.

The three-roomed building served as the assay office for the Sons of Gwalia Mine. Assaying is the process by which the ore is analysed to determine its mineral content, and objects related to the assay process are exhibited. The ovens used for the fire method of assaying, the two chimneys and the original timber bench tops can still be seen.

The assay room is currently used as an archive containing documents and maps pertaining to the Sons of Gwalia. The archive also holds a number of family history records.