Ora Banda

Ora Banda is a locality situated in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, approximately 66 kilometers northwest of Kalgoorlie. The town's name, "Ora Banda," is of Spanish origin, meaning "band of gold," a title that aptly describes the region's historical and ongoing connection to gold mining.

History and Gold Rushes

The history of Ora Banda is deeply intertwined with the gold rushes that swept through Western Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gold was first discovered in the district in 1893, and by 1910, the area was a bustling hub with an estimated 2,000 miners and their families. The townsite was officially declared and gazetted in 1911 and 1912, respectively. At its peak, Ora Banda boasted numerous amenities, including stores, butchers, bakers, a town hall, a post office, a police station, churches, boarding houses, and even the once-famous Huntington Mills Bank, reputed to be the largest bank in the Southern Hemisphere at the time. The Ora Banda State Battery, a crucial facility for ore processing, was officially opened in 1913 and later expanded.

Modern Ora Banda and Geological Discovery

Today, Ora Banda continues to be an active mining area, with contemporary gold mining companies working the same sites discovered nearly a century ago. The Ora Banda State Battery remains in operation on the outskirts of town, still used for crushing ore. The community also holds an annual Ora Banda Race Day in September, drawing visitors to the historical Ora Banda Inn.

In a significant geological discovery announced in August 2020, an impact crater was found near Ora Banda. This meteorite crater is estimated to be over 100 million years old and has a diameter of approximately 5 kilometers, adding a new layer of scientific interest to the region's already rich geological and historical narrative.