ORA BANDA, Western Australa

ORA BANDA is a townsite, now a virtual ghost town, located 66km
(41 miles) north east of Kalgoorlie.
... see also Black Flag and Balgarri
According to folklore, the town name is Spanish meaning 'band of gold'
Gold was discovered in the district in 1893 and in 1909 the Ora Banda Progress Committee requested the Government make additional lots available, but it was 1911 before a decision was made to declare a townsite there The survey of lots was made in 1911, and the townsite gazetted in 1912.
By 1910 there were approximately 2,000 miners and their families living in the area. The town had two stores, two butchers, two bakers, a town hall, dining halls, a post office, a police station, churches, boarding houses and billiards saloons.
(Today, it boasts a population of 9 adults, 1 child and 2 dogs!)
The once famous Huntington Mills Bank was situated there. Which in its time it was the largest bank in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1911 the Ora Banda Hotel was constructed by Alfred E GARNETT using stone and brick.
On 17 June 1913, Eileen WALLS (13yrs old) led a procession of school children up the main street, and had the honour of cutting the ribbon and so officially opened the Ora Banda State Battery. The five head battery ran three shifts and in 1936 another five head had to be added.
Water was supplied to the town by dams until the town was connected to the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme from Kalgoorlie in 1933
Old Photos of Ora Banda
ORA BANDA CEMETERY
AHERN female stillborn 2 Jul 1914
? C of E Section 4 grave 2 - BA
AHERN Joan still born
?C of E Section 4 grave 12
BAILEY William Murray d. 7 Sep 1915 age 45 accident
?Cof E Section 4 grave 8 ? BA
DUFALL George Charles d. 11 Sep 1919 at Ora Banda age 31
- C of E section 2 grave 1 - Coolgardie
GARDENER Harry stillborn 22 Apr 1916 at Ora Banda
? Cof E section 4 grave 20 ? Coolgardie
GLEESON Agnes d. 8 Oct 1915 at Ora Banda age 2 days
?RC section ? Broad Arrow
*GLEESON Agnes d. 10 Jan 1916 age 2 days ?RC section
*GLEESON Leo Harry d. 10 Jan 1915 age 5 days ?RC section 28/29
HURLEY female stillborn 31 Aug 1919
?Methodist section - Coolgardie
HURLEY Phyliss Irene d. 11 Jan 1918 age 8 weeks
?Methodist section 1 grave 1 ? Boulder
MURPHY William John d. 21 May 1917 age 44 at Ora Banda
? RC section 2 grave 6 & 7 Coolgardie
RICHARDS Elizabeth Dunstan d. 25 May 1913 age 38
? RC Section 2 grave 8 & 9 Broad Arrow
SMITH Albert Edward d. 11 Jul 1925 at Ora Banda age 62
? C of E section grave 20a Coolgardie
SMITH John (Archibald ?) d. 16 Jan 1914 age 37
? Cof E Section 4 grave 13 Broad Arrow
TRIPP Benjamin d. 5 Feb 1922 at Ora Banda age 59
?RC section 2 grave 10
WALLIS Arthur Clarence d. 2 Aug 1916 age 7 weeks
?Cof E section 4 grave 1 ? Coolgardie
WALLS Thomas Wallace d. 17 Jul 1919 at Cashmans age 72
?Presby section 3 grave 11
WARES William d. 2 May 1919 at Ora Banda age 58
?Mine accident - Presby section 3 grave 15 Coolgardie
WARHAM Michael d. 14 Dec 1922 at Balgarrie age 65
?RC section 2 grave 2 Coolgardie
WIESE William
d. 31 Jul 1915 age 56
? Cof E Section 4 grave 16 - Broad Arrow
WILLCOCKS William d.
6 Mar 1914 age 56
?Cof E Section 14 grave 14 0 Broad Arrow




on 2011-08-02 11:40:18
ngairedith has been a Family Tree Circles member since Feb 2008.
Comments


Very interesting ng.
You never know it may get busy again Phoenix Gold are sniffing around there and just south of Ora Banda at Grant's Patch, and finding some very interesting prospects.