Bonnie Vale, Western Australia : History, Rail services Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bonnie Vale, Western Australia

Abandoned town in Western Australia

30°51′22″S 121°09′43″E / 30.856°S 121.162°E / -30.856; 121.162Established1897Postcode(s)6430Elevation375 m (1,230 ft)Location

570 km (354 mi) ENE of Perth, Western Australia
12 km (7 mi) north of Coolgardie

LGA(s)Shire of CoolgardieState electorate(s)Eyre Federal division(s)O'Connor

Bonnie Vale is an abandoned goldfields townsite 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Coolgardie in the Shire of Coolgardie in Western Australia.

History

The town was gazetted in 1897. It was apparently named after Bonnie, a prospector who picked up a 7-troy-ounce (220 g) nugget here in May/June 1894.^[1]

It is famous as the site of the Varischetti mine rescue of 1907, when Italian gold miner Modesto Varischetti was trapped for nine days in a mine when it was flooded after a thunderstorm. Varischetti survived in an air pocket until rescued. A diver using deep-sea diving equipment located Varischetti five days after the mine was flooded, and provided him with food, candles and letters of encouragement.

Rail services

The Prospector service, which runs each way between East Perth and Kalgoorlie once or twice each day, stops at Bonnie Vale.^[2]

Preceding station	Transwa			Following station
Koolyanobbing towards East Perth		Prospector		Kalgoorlie Terminus

References

^ "History of country town names – B". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
^ "Prospector Timetable" (PDF). Transwa. Public Transport Authority. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2024.