Kookynie

Situated 70km north east of Menzies by road, Kookynie is part of the Shire of Menzies. Nowadays the town, commonly referred to as a living ghost town, caters for the amy tourists, prospectors, fossickers, mining and exploration companies, pastoralists and local population of thirteen. The Hotel offers an excellent collection of historic photographs, antique bottles and memorabilia from Kookynie's past. Kookynie was first discovered by prospectors in 1895, one of whom was W.A. Miller who took up the Englishman lease on 25 June 1895. Miller sold the lease to the Cosmopolitan Proprietary Ltd in 1897. This resulted in the development of Kookynie. The population grew at an astounding rate.

During Kookynie’s heyday, around 1907 the town could boast:

The first public swimming bath on the Goldfields;
A population of 3,500 residents with just as many transients;
11 hotels, 7 of which were licenced;
A workman’s club (instigated by the poor quality of earlier brews);
Many business houses sprang up, such as Newsagents, Chemists, Cycle Works, 2 Blacksmiths, Butchers, Bakers, 2 Banks, Jewellers and Watchmakers, several Clothing Stores and Drapers, Photographers, Tobacconists, Confectioners, Greengrocers, 5 General Stores, even the red light areas run by Japanese ladies boomed;
There was also the State School, Hospital, Police Station, Warden’s Office, Post and Telegraph Office, Money Order Office and an electric light installation, which kept the town’s 7 arc lamps operating;
Churches of all denominations and no less than 7 brass bands kept the population entertained;
The Kookynie Turf Club held 3 meetings annually;
The recreation area was used by footballers, cricketers and bicycle racers;
The Town Hall housed the regular Saturday night dances as well as plays and official ceremonies;
The Kookynie Cemetery is the final resting place of 149 past residents;
Of course Kookynie had its own brewery and 2 cordial and soft drink manufacturers to supply the many thirsty people;
4 trains a day came to Kookynie from Kalgoorlie, each half an hour apart. The railhead was quite impressive as before the line was constructed though to Malcolm, Mertondale, Gwalia, Leonora, Murrin Murrin, Mt Morgans, Mt Margaret and Laverton it was the end of the line and all turnarounds and marshalling had to be accomplished; and
The Cosmopolitan Proprietary Ltd mined a total of around 630,000 tonnes of ore that averaged 15 grams per tonne between 1897 and 1911. The first stamp mill that came from Edjudina, a thirty head stamp, was replaced with a fifty head unit that was shipped in from England in 1899 and installed in 1900. The Englishman mine commonly referred to as the Cosmopolitan or Coz, was dewatered at the rate of 250,000 gallons per day. Its final depth was 1,760ft on the decline.