Explore the Golden Pipeline

Travel the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail.

Track to Trail

Today's well signposted trail contrasts sharply with the track thousands followed to Australia's richest goldfields.

Travel on parts of:

the old Goldfields Road along which fortune seekers trudged
the reserve for the Eastern Railway along which trains steamed and
the maintenance road that runs alongside the water supply pipeline

Pipeline Trail

Water proved to be more precious and elusive than gold in the arid goldfields. Men and their horses died of thirst.

A steel pipeline completed in 1903 delivered life-giving water and continues to do so today.

The 650 km Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail follows the water's journey from Mundaring Weir in the forested Perth Hills, through the golden expanses of the Wheatbelt to a reservoir overlooking the gold boomtown of Kalgoorlie.

Discover the Heritage

Explore and learn much about the state's rich heritage at 25 designated stops that include:

Dams and wells built before the pipeline
Natural attractions such as nature reserves
Gold mining towns and abandoned town sites
Illustrated information panels and walk trails

Meet the People

Stop and meet the people that live alongside the pipeline. It is a lifeline for 100 000 people and around six million sheep. Golden Pipeline country covers an area two-thirds the size of Tasmania.

Hear the Stories

The Trail has many stories to tell, from the tragic tale of CY O'Connor, the designer of the pipeline, to glimpses of what life was like "on the line" for workers and their families.

Read the Guidebook

To make the most of your adventure purchase a copy of The Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail Guide packed with easy to read maps, photographs and information.

The guidebook is available from good book stores in Perth and major WA towns, tourist information centres and newsagents in Golden Pipeline country, The National Trust of Australia (WA) and from this website.

Take a Trip

To plan your trip through Golden Pipeline Country follow the map on the website.

Interactive Guide

This guide contains a wealth of information about points of interest along the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail. You can use it to plan a visit to the trail, or to learn more about the fascinating history of the Golden Pipeline.

The heritage trail consists of seven sections, from Mundaring in the west to Kalgoorlie in the east. Use the arrow buttons next to the map to travel along the trail.

Searching the Database

The Golden Pipeline database contains information in various categories, which are listed on the left of this screen. Choose the category that interests you to find out more about the currently displayed section of the trail.

Points of interest are shown on the map like this: You can click on them for more information about the towns and sites that you find along the trail. In many cases the database entries are illustrated with historic photos that show how the locations have changed over the past century.

Planning your trip

Over the coming year the interactive guide will expand and include information to help organise accommodation, transport and activities. In the mean time, to assist in planning your trip, we suggest that you visit the Western Australian Tourist Commission website, then click on Search and Plan.

The Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail can be undertaken at any time of the year. Nevertheless it is important to be aware of the possible weather conditions. Winters are mostly dry and temperatures can be low during the night. During the summer temperatures are very hot, sometimes above 40 Celsius. Spring is an ideal time, the weather is mild and sunny, and a great time to view the wildflowers in the region.