Sandstone, Western Australia

Sandstone Western Australia
Empire Day celebrations in Hack Street, 1909
Sandstone
Coordinates	27°59′17″S 119°17′46″E / 27.98806°S 119.29611°E / -27.98806; 119.29611Coordinates: 27°59′17″S 119°17′46″E / 27.98806°S 119.29611°E / -27.98806; 119.29611
Population	105 (2011 census)
Established	1890s
Postcode(s)	6639
Elevation	533 m (1,749 ft)
Location	661 km (411 mi) N of Perth 157 km (98 mi) E of Mount Magnet 196 km (122 mi) W of Leinster
LGA(s)	Shire of Sandstone
State electorate(s)	Kalgoorlie
Federal Division(s)	Durack
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 27.3 °C 81 °F 13.2 °C 56 °F 248.3 mm 9.8 in

Sandstone is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia 157 kilometres east of Mount Magnet and 661 kilometres north of the state capital, Perth. At the 2011 census, Sandstone and the surrounding Shire of Sandstone had a population of 105 people (including six aboriginals) in 28 families.

The town was first settled in 1894 as part of a gold rush after a team of prospectors including Ernest Shillington first discovered gold about 20 km south of the present townsite. Following the influx of miners the local progress association requested that a townsite be declared in 1905. Correspondence of the time shows that the area was locally known as Hans Irvine's Find and that a large amount of money had been spent on building hotels, banks and other services required by the residents. The townsite was gazetted as Sandstone in 1906.

The following the establishment of the town the majority of the population and building from the nearby townsite of Nunngarra were relocated to Sandstone.

By 1907 the population of the town had swelled to 6,000–8,000 and it boasted four hotels, four butchers, two banks, a staffed police station and many other stores. A brewery was also constructed in 1907 by an Irishman, I.V. Kearney, to satisfy the local demand. He built the brewery on a breakaway on top of a cliff about 35 feet high. Water was pumped to the top level for brewing and the beer was stored in the cellars below to keep it cool even in the hotter weather.

In 1910 the railway was completed between Mount Magnet and Sandstone. The Jundoo Dam was completed in 1910 to provide water for the steam trains; the dam could hold 16 megalitres (3.5 million imperial gallons) of water and cost £5,000 to build. Most of the original dam works still exist today. The population of the town was approximately 2,000 adults at this time, and boasted two schools.