Payne's Find, located 420kms from Perth on the Great Northern Highway, with its small community of no more than twenty people, marks the centre of pastoral and goldmining activity. A gold crushing plant for extracting gold, new gold discoveries and the reworking of old mine sites have rejuvenated the area.
Paynes find takes its name from prospector Thomas Payne, who was the first to register a lease for gold mining with the Mines Department. As a reward for discovering gold in the area he was not charged to put a crushing of gold bearing ore through the State Government Battery. This was also the first crushing.
During the 1930's, about 500 people lived with their families, prospecting for gold by underground and dry blowing, hoping to strike it rich. During World War 1 many men were called away leaving only a few families remaining.
In 1987 the State Government Battery was sold to the Taylor family and is still operating, today as the Paynes Find Gold Battery, and is now a popular tourist attraction. A display centre is next to the battery.
Accommodation is available at the Paynes Find Tavern and station stay properties in the area. For travellers not wanting to leave the sealed road, Kirkalocka Station is only 1/2 kilometre off the Paynes Find-Mount Magnet Road and has caravan stop-over facilities and shearers' quarters accommodation.
Special Features
Paynes Find is one of the most spectacular wildflower areas in Western Australia and during the wildflower season, July - October, is usually awash with colour as the everlastings and flowering shrubs give off their riotous display of colour that extends for hundreds of kilometres. In close proximity to Paynes Find are station stay properties who accept visitors. Stay in shearers' quarters, old homesteads, your own caravan, or camp.
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