Paynes Find (W.A.)
Paynes Find
Paynes Find is a former gold rush settlement approximately 430 kilometres north east of Perth in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
It is reachable by the Great Northern Highway. Only a roadhouse, which serves as a fuel stop, and a few other buildings remain today. The area is renowned for its wildflowers.
History
The townsite was gazetted in 1911, the same year the gold battery was constructed. The battery is the only currently operational battery left in the state.
The town is named after the prospector, Thomas Payne, who was the first to discover gold in the area and was the first to register a lease for gold mining with the Mines Department. He was rewarded with free use of the state’s gold battery and his ore was the first to be crushed using the battery.
By the 1930s the town had prospered and the population was estimated at about 500. In 1987 the battery was sold to the Taylor family who use it as a tourist attraction.
Yalgoo and Paynes Find form the Shire of Yalgoo, situated a day’s drive north east of Perth. From late July to September, the surrounding area is carpeted in Western Australian wildflowers, such as white, cream, yellow and pink everlastings.
Paynes Find is renowned for its glorious carpets of Western Australian wildflowers during the season from July to September, as well as its Gold Battery.
Take a tour and enjoy the museum and displays.
Yalgoo and Paynes Find accommodation
This is a great place to experience real Australian outback life at one of the working cattle station stays. Yalgoo and Paynes Find accommodation options also include hotel rooms, caravan parks and camping grounds.