The township of Leinster lies 368km north of Kalgoorlie and is often described as an oasis in the desert. Residents refer to it as either the 'home of the wedge tail eagle' or 'the jewel of the northern goldfields'.
Gold mining first began in the area in 1897 and the town was established in 1976. Today, Leinster is home to some 700 gold and nickel mine workers. The Gold Industry Group had the opportunity to visit the mining town and attend their regional race day in October.
Local miners Ramelius Resources and Saracen Mineral Holdings were sponsors of the annual race day bringing locals and race goers from Perth together for a fun day out.
Staff at Vivien Gold Mine in 1904
Our guide, long-term resident and Ramelius Resources' Vivien Gold Mine Site Administrator Kylie Spark said the Leinster Cup was one of the highlights on the social calendar.
"As Leinster is a closed mining town, owned and managed by BHP, it has a great sense of security and community, which is always a bonus in small towns," said Kylie.
"The Leinster Cup is run by a committee of volunteers, and it is with the assistance of sponsorship from Ramelius, Saracen and other companies of all sizes, that the race day is such a success.
"Leinster has many volunteer run community groups, and Ramelius Resources is always happy to assist with sponsorship or donations and the support given is always very well received and much appreciated."
The community is located by Ramelius Resources' Vivien Gold Mine, Saracen Mineral Holdings' Thunderbox Gold Mine and Gold Fields' Agnew Gold Mine.
Amanda Layther is a mining engineer at Ramelius Resources' Vivien Gold Mine who is intrigued by the gold mining history.
"I love the history of the area and Vivien Gold Mine in particular. We are operating under the ‘old workings’, from mining in the early 1900’s, and while this can provide a few extra challenges for myself as a mining engineer, the thought that there were people who were doing the same thing here over 100 years ago amazes me, " Amanda said.
"Vivien Gold Mine is a small high grade underground gold mine. One of the great things about working in a small mine is the tight-knit team that we have, within Ramelius and with our contractors. I have also had the opportunity to gain a lot of experience with varying roles and responsibilities that I wouldn’t have received in a larger mine or company."