Town Halls and Guided Tours

Immerse yourself in Goldfields history by visiting the Town Halls, located in Kalgoorlie and Boulder, offering visitors a rewarding cultural experience.

Boulder Town Hall

The Boulder Town Hall was built in 1908 and demonstrates the architectural style of the prosperous gold rush days. This beautifully preserved heritage listed hall, with pressed tin ceilings and filigree wrought iron balustrades, became famous as the host venue for celebrity performers such as Dame Nellie Melba, Eileen Joyce, Joan Sutherland and even the rock band AC/DC. The multifaceted hall was the main focus of community life in Boulder.

The Hall is an imposing brick and stone building with a clock tower, originally comprising of municipal offices, a council chamber, library, main hall, theatre and eight dressing rooms, costing a total of £11,200 to construct.

It is also the home to the Goatcher Curtain, Local History Archives and the Goldfields War Museum.

The rare and famous Goatcher Curtain, believed to be the last remaining working stage curtain of its kind in Australia, was created by the internationally renowned theatre artist Philip Goatcher. This spectacular curtain depicts the scene of the Bay of Naples and has hung in the hall since 1908.

The local History Archives contains a wide collection of research material including council documents, historical books, microfiche index of births, deaths and marriages since 1841 and a well-stocked local and military history specialist library.

The Goldfields War Museum will be an enriching experience for anyone with an interest in Australia’s history and warfare. Walk through the exhibition and discover the significant involvement residents of the town made during the Boer War, World Wars I and II, through to the 21st Century. Examine photographs, documents and original artefacts to gain an in-depth understanding of the wars and how they impacted on those enlisted and on the home front.

From 15 October 2022, the Boulder Town Hall will be open to visitors Saturday's 9am to 1pm, excluding public holidays.

Kalgoorlie Town Hall

The Kalgoorlie Town Hall, an impressive heritage listed building, is one of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s major landmarks. With its grand façade and rich interior decoration, it reflects the town’s immense wealth and civic pride of community thriving on the 1900’s gold boom.

Built as a state-of-the-art theatre in 1908, the Federation Free Classical style building has many beautiful architectural features such as ornate pressed metal ceilings, chandeliers, sweeping staircase, fly tower with original theatre rigging, backstage area with 11 dressing rooms. Costing almost £20,000 to construct, the Kalgoorlie Town Hall was officially opened on 8th November 1908.

The upstairs foyer is home to the Sporting Hall of Fame, where photograph of Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s sporting heroes are on display, alongside artefacts and memorabilia of events and important occasions in the history of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The Council Chambers and Mayor’s Parlour on the first floor contains many objects, photographs and paintings of historic value, and to this day continues to host the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council meetings.

A familiar sight for visitors to Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the commemorative statue of Paddy Hannan, an Irish prospector who is credited with discovering the first gold in Kalgoorlie that started one of the greatest gold rushes in Australia’s history. The original statue was erected in 1929 and has since been refurbished and relocated inside the foyer of the hall where it can be viewed during guided tours. The more durable replica of Paddy Hannan was erected in 1983 and awaits you to take his photo and even refresh yourself with a drink from his water bag.

Guided Tours

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Heritage Services present guided tours of the Town Halls. Join the local historian and take a step back in time to the early 1900s to experience the magnificent municipal edifice.

Costing: Adults $10, Concession $8, Children 16 years & younger $4, the tours run for approximately one hour and at the following times:

  • Kalgoorlie Town Hall; 10:30am on Monday and Wednesday.
  • Boulder Town Hall; 10:30am on Tuesday and Thursday.
  • Goldfields War Museum; 1.30pm on Thursday.

Quick Links

Kalgoorlie Town Hall Fact Sheet

Boulder Town Hall Fact Sheet

Philip Goatcher Fact Sheet

Town Hall Guided Tour poster

Heartwalk Project