Leonora

Leonora is a town in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia.

Understand
Leonora is largest town in the Northern Goldfields. Its long history follows the usual gold-rush boom and bust of many other historical Goldfields mining towns, but it has managed to hang on as service centre. Of most interest is the Gwalia ghost town 3km out of town.

History
Explorer John Forrest surveyed the area and identified the mining potential 1869. He and his party camped at the foot of Mount Leonora, naming it in honour of his wife. Legend has it that they build a 12 foot high tower of stones on the peak to aid in navigation by subsequent parties, though there is no evidence remaining.



By car
Leonora is 235km north of Kalgoorlie on the Goldfields Hwy.

Phone
Mobile phone coverage is limited to the Telstra 3G network, and only within town. The signal becomes variable to non-existent the further away you get. Coverage maps show it's possible to get a signal with an external antenna further out of town, but you should not rely on it. Other networks aren't available.

A satellite phone would be useful to have in an emergency if you intend to spend an extended amount of time off the beaten track.

Internet
Mobile internet on the Telstra 3G network has the same coverage as the phones do.

Go next

 * Menzies – A tiny gold rush town at the turn off to Lake Ballard.