Located within Kosciuszko National Park, Kiandra is the site of Australia’s highest, coldest and probably shortest gold rush.
The gold rush established the township of Kiandra which endured into the 1970s.
It started in 1859 / 1860 and was over within 4 months despite 8,000 miners seeking their fortune there.
While the gold rush ended quickly, Chinese miners remained to re-work the diggings.
Other businessmen and entrepreneurs stayed on in Kiandra utilising increasingly intensive mining methods to extract the gold including; dredging, ground and hydraulic sluicing and tunnelling.
The scars of this enterprise, the archaeology of the Kiandra township and 4 buildings including the Kiandra Courthouse and Chalet remain as a legacy to the search for gold in this harsh place.
The NPWS is in the process of restoring for use as accommodation, café and interpretation / exhibition the Kiandra Courthouse and Chalet. The history of Kiandra’s gold will be one of the themes interpreted / presented within this building.
