With a rich mining history and rugged natural landscape, Mount Magnet offers visitors an outback experience to remember. Located 500 kms north west of Perth, its unique flora and fauna, semi-arid landscapes, stunning sunsets and sunrises and crystal clear skies perfect for stargazers, all build the appeal of this outback setting.
Mount Magnet is also part of a new and exciting tourism initiative – the Gascoyne Murchison Tourism Pathways. Creating three outback experiences with their own individual flavour – Wool Wagon Pathway, Kingsford Smith Mail Run, and the Miner’s Pathway – the pathways develop a whole new understanding and appreciation for the mid west outback’s heritage and significance.
As the oldest operating gold settlement in Western Australia, Mount Magnet features prominently along the Miner’s Pathway. And it’s not surprising.
Mount Magnet features a 37 km circular tourist trail that takes in the remains of original settlements, gold mines, historic buildings and spectacular granite breakaways.
The Shire has produced trail maps to assist tourists on their way. Within the town itself, visitors can also undertake a 1.4 km heritage walk through Mount Magnet’s historic buildings and sites of the early gold rush era. An interesting collection of pioneering and mining artefacts is also on display in the town’s Mining and Pastoral Museum. Old railway carriages display memorabilia of events and the area’s history, and include a Crossley Engine from the original State Battery.
Natural attractions feature prominently close to the town. The Mt Warramboo Lookout is a must for views over the town site and open cut mines. Exploring the fascinating breakaway country of the Granites is also a major attraction, with some Aboriginal paintings and ideal picnic locations in and around these stunning ancient red rocks. Like much of the mid west, from July to October, rains permitting, a large variety of wildflowers, flowering bushes and trees create a breathtaking vista around Mount Magnet. In season, the carpets of everlastings have to be seen to be believed.
For more information on visiting Mount Magnet, call the Tourist Information Centre on (08) 9963 4172.
Rural Transaction Centre becomes town hub
Cooperation between the Shire of Mount Magnet, the Central West College of TAFE, CDEP and Yulella Aboriginal Corporation has created a new focal point for Mount Magnet – the Rural Transaction Centre. With financial support from the Shire, Commonwealth Government and the Lotteries Commission, the group transformed a derelict old school building into a thriving community centre.
Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Webster, said because of the level of community involvement in the project, the town and its people have developed a real sense of ownership over the Centre.
“Nineteen local people took part in a construction course, organised by the Central West College of TAFE, to transform the old school building into the Rural Transaction Centre,” Peter Webster said. “Along with contributions by CDEP, Yulella and Shire workers, we were able to cut the cost of renovations by two thirds and make the project viable. The result is a facility that all in the community can feel proud.”
The centre houses the town library, Centrelink, a small telecentre, youth centre, the local newspaper and offices for the Mid West Development Commission, Central West College of TAFE and the Department of Agriculture.
“The Rural Transaction Centre has given us the opportunity to provide quality facilities to attract a permanent presence in Mount Magnet for State Government agencies, strengthening their offerings to the local community,” he said.“It has also provided a better Centrelink office and opened access to the library so that it too is attracting more use.”
With the facilities on offer at the Rural Transaction Centre, the Shire has now also been successful in securing a grant to run the First Clicks basic computing skills program in Mount Magnet.
Youth initiatives reap benefits
Mount Magnet knows the future of the town’s success lies in its youth. That’s why the Indigenous Youth Initiatives Program has been given the town’s full support, and the results speak for themselves. Three years ago, the Shire of Mount Magnet received a 12 month grant from the Department of Training, the Mid West Development Commission and the Mid West Gascoyne Area Consultative Committee, to trial a program targeting Indigenous youth unemployment.
The first year of the program showed so much potential that the Shire sought options for a continuing program. Today, the town is one year into a two year Indigenous Youth Initiative Program funded under the Commonwealth Government Regional Solutions scheme; juvenile crime has plummeted and a Youth Centre has just opened within the town’s new Rural Transaction Centre.
So successful has the program been that it was selected as a finalist in the 2002 Community Services Awards.
Indigenous Youth Initiatives Officer, Helen Smith, said the program aimed to provide opportunity for youth in Mount Magnet by improving their skills, furthering their education and providing entertainment options within the town for young people.
“We’re providing direction and a sense of purpose for our youth, broadening their horizons and providing opportunities to see life beyond the town borders,” Helen Smith said. “TAFE have been a very strong supporter as we seek training opportunities that will lead to employment outcomes. We run a strong Personal Development Program and are just commencing the Promoting Adolescent Sexual Health (PASH) course. With these strategies we are committed to providing Mount Magnet youth with more choices and the confidence to make informed and beneficial life choices.”
Mount Magnet’s new Youth Centre is providing daily entertainment and a meeting place for adolescents, with a pool table, X- Box, TV and table tennis at their disposal. But entertainment has also been encouraged out of the town with Helen Smith and two fellow youth workers organising camps and activities throughout the mid west.
“We’ve camped in Kalbarri, played basketball against Meekatharra and attended a theatre performance in Geraldton,” Helen Smith said. “We’ve also brought people to the town that our youth can look up to, such as Wildcats coach Alan Black, and provided facilities for fortnightly football and softball competitions.”
Helen Smith said the highlight of the program to date was the formal ball held in 2002.
“We were able to secure a deal with a Perth bridal hire firm to supply suits and gowns at a very low price so that our youth could dress up and really get into the spirit of the Ball,” she said. “We invited Meekatharra too and the whole town lifted. There was a noted change in attitudes that extended beyond the youths into their entire families.”
Just prior to going to press, Mount Magnet learned it had been successful in attracting a further $80,000 grant under the Criminal Property Confiscations Act to extend the program for another 12 months.
