Official Opening of the Leonora Loop Trails

Wednesday 23 September 2009



by His Excellency Dr Ken Michael, AC
Governor of Western Australia



Julie and I are very pleased to be here today for this very special community initiative opening of the Leonora Loop Trails.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians and elders of the land where we are holding this event today. Thank you to Gay Harris for her warm welcome to country and kind words. It is important that we acknowledge this important Indigenous cultural link to the land in our efforts to effect meaningful reconciliation.

In June 1869, the explorer and future Premier, John Forrest, camped near the foot of Mt Leonora that was part of the land of the Ngalia people. This is thought to have been the first time Europeans had passed through this area. It was another 25 years before the Northern Goldfields saw any significant European settlement activity.

Of course, back then it was prospectors who poured into this area, seeking gold and the quick wealth it bestowed on a fortunate few.
 
In March 1896, Edward (Doodah) Sullivan pegged the Johannesburg Lease just a few kilometres north of Leonora, and when the Sons of Gwalia reef was discovered soon afterwards, Leonora was well on its way to becoming the centre of a rich mining area - as it remains today.

The landscape these men and their families ventured into was hot, harsh and inhospitable. Water was desperately scarce and hundreds died of thirst, typhoid, starvation, or through mining mishaps. Vast salt lakes taunted desperate men with incessant alluring mirages, while the mulga scrub must have seemed numbingly endless to those limited to horse or camel transport at best.

Yet before long, this country began to yield more than its gold - there was water to be had underground; the mulga scrub provided vast supplies of strong, hot-burning timber, and the scattered, ragged breakaways provided enchanting views to sooth all but the weariest of souls.
 
Pastoralists brought cattle, then sheep, and established vast stations that fed both burgeoning local mining towns and markets far away on the coast. Coach roads and stock routes fanned out from Leonora - and towns like Lawlers, Woodarra, Agnew and Mertondale burst into life - and then faded just as quickly as the gold gave out.
In a few short decades, the arrival of Europeans had changed the face of this region, leaving fascinating relics of a time of challenge and change.

It is this absorbing historical tapestry – and the remarkable landscape it is set against – that forms the foundation of the Leonora Loop Trails.
 
One trail, the Agnew Loop, explores the social and human history of the north-western portion of the Shire, while the other, the Darlot Loop, focuses on the nature of this countryside and the influences that have impacted on it since the coming of Europeans. These trails together provide a gateway to understanding and enjoying the Leonora Shire and are a tribute to all who have been involved in their development.

Both trails feature 15 stopping places, each with its own interpretive signage – and each with a uniquely designed rusty steel figure waiting to share another story with visitors to the site. These life-like cut-outs give an often-quirky perspective of the human or natural history of the area, and are likely to be the signature element of the Leonora Loop Trails. An engaging Guidebook adds depth to the experience, and provides all of the basic information that could be needed to safely travel on these trails.
 
The Leonora Loop Trails will continue to develop into a captivating, informative and educational destination for many adventurous travellers.

I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the Leonora community, and the Councillors and staff of the Shire of Leonora, who have wholeheartedly supported the project since its original conception in 2006. The Shire has made a substantial financial investment in the project; one that I’m sure will pay rich dividends as word spreads about these excellent new tourist attractions.

It now gives me great pleasure to officially open the Leonora Loop Trails and I wish this wonderful community initiative much success in attracting many tourists and visitors to the region to share in the natural, historical and cultural stories and sights that make this a very special and fascinating local attraction.