Leonora, Western Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name =Leonora
state = wa

---

caption = Leonora's location within Western Australia
lga = Shire of Leonora
postcode = 6438
est = 1900
pop = 401 (2006 census)
elevation= 376
maxtemp = 27.9
mintemp = 13.9
rainfall = 234.5
stategov = Kalgoorlie
fedgov = Kalgoorlie
dist1 = 833
dir1 = NE
location1= Perth
dist2 = 237
dir2 = N
location2= Kalgoorlie
dist3 = 124
dir3 = NNW
location3= Leinstercoord|-28.885|121.331|type:city(401)_region:AU-WA_scale:100000|format=dms|display=title

Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located convert|833|km|mi|0 northeast of the state capital, Perth, and convert|237|km|mi|0 north of the city of Kalgoorlie. About 1,500 people live in the town of Leonora, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a mean annual rainfall of just convert|230|mm|in|0. It is also quite warm, with mean daily maximum temperatures ranging from 18°C (64°F) in July to 37°C (99°F) in January.

Leonora is primarily a mining town. There are a number of major gold mines in the Shire, and the Murrin Murin laterite nickel project is located in the shire. The area is too arid to support agriculture, but there is a substantial pastoral industry.The Leonora area was first explored by John Forrest, who visited the area in 1869. Forrest's party made camp near a hill, which Forrest named Mount Leonora, after a lady friend of his, Miss Phylis Leonora Hardey. In 1894, gold was discovered in the area by a prospector named Morrisey, and in the following two years a number of rich finds resulted in rapid development of the area. The Gwalia and Sons of Gwalia gold mines brought Leonora to the attention of the world. By 1897 a residential and business area had been established, and the town was gazetted as Leonora in 1898.

Leonora had an urban tramway system between 1901 and 1921: perhaps it was the smallest town in the world to have an electric tram.

ee also

*Leonora Airport

External links

* [http://www.wannerooshs.det.wa.edu.au/PARSONSS/Pages/Leonora.htm Leonora tramway history]