Location

643 kilometres (straight line) ENE from Perth.

808 kilometres along the Hunt Track from York.
140 kilometres along the Hunt Track from Kambalda (the Special Stages)

103 kilometres (straight line) ESE from Kalgoorlie.

GPS Coordinates

UTM

51J
456129 metres East
6573787 metres North

DMS

30° 58'6.98"S
122°32'28.17"E

Directions

Condition

History

Sandalwood cutters discovered gold near Karonie in early 1963. Karonie has a 1,852 m loop and an rusty spur line that runs up to an old dam on Cardunia Rocks, off the main line, once used to provide water for steam locomotives. The line to the dam is still intact but is not used. The rock is terraced by stone 'harvest' walls constructed to channel water to a dam and a reservoir that was covered to reduce evaporation - which can be as high as 2250 mm per annum - although the roof is now missing. The average annual rainfall in this area is only 300mm.

The origin of the name Karonie is unknown, but is likely derived from an aboriginal word. Cardunia is an Aboriginal name first recorded by W.P. Goddard during his explorations of the area in 1890.

The terracing work at Cardunia Rocks is similar to the constructions at Northam Army Camp - much of it being done by Italian prisoners from Cook POW Labour Camp No. 3  during World War II.