Living in Kalgoorlie

Commenter Robyn asked me what it’s like to live in Kalgoorlie. A lot of people discover this web site searching for information about Kalgoorlie and I’ve received quite a few emails.

Tomorrow’s paper will have a story about a new building surveyor who has started with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder after moving here from northern England.

Paul and I exchanged emails before he arrived with his family, and based on his comments, I think he believes I gave a fair account of life in the Goldfields.

I tell people there is still a wild west element here but that’s largely a caricature and Kalgoorlie is a normal regional centre in terms of services and opportunities.

The council has worked hard to promote Kalgoorlie-Boulder as family friendly. Having moved here from a small town we can substantiate the claim.

There are a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. Both my older children play soccer and my youngest daughter is attending dance classes. There is a 50-metre indoor pool called The Oasis.

The climate is hot from November to March while cold nights prevail in June and July. The rest of the year is mild and it hardly ever rains.

The heritage buildings lining most of Hannan Street and Burt Street give Kalgoorlie and Boulder an old-world charm.

The surrounding bush is beautiful in a quintessentially Australian way. Given the mix of people and industries here I think Kalgoorlie is a more iconic Australian town than Alice Springs, which for some reason captures more overseas attention.

Yes there are social problems, but no worse than the rest of regional WA. Parents have a choice of schools and we’ve been very happy with the public primary school and the Catholic secondary college attended by our children.

Kalgoorlie has a full range of commercial services. The only thing we lack is medical specialists and there is no private hospital. If you have a complicated illness that might involve travelling to Perth for care.

Kalgoorlie is a four-hour drive from Esperance on the coast, which offers a cool refreshing break during the hot summer months.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is one of the most welcoming cities I have ever lived in. I think that’s because most people here have come from somewhere else. They know what it’s like to be a newcomer.

Western Australia is booming at the moment and Kalgoorlie old timers are familiar with the boom-bust cycle because they’ve seen it all before.

Kalgoorlie is currently a very exciting and dynamic place to be given the high nickel price. The gold price isn’t spectacular at the moment, so there current positive cycle still has upside potential.

Housing prices have escalated in the past couple of years. Rental prices have climbed as well and accommodation can be hard to find.

There is a genuine labor shortage, more so than a skills shortage. Mining companies are able to hire skills because they can afford to entice workers. The labor shortage exists in service industries which can’t compete in offering high salaries.

I can strongly recommend Kalgoorlie as a great place to live for individuals and families.