Established in 1893, Cue was once the centre of the Murchison Goldfields boasting a population of around 10,000. It began around the 1890’s when an Aboriginal prospector named Governor found a ten ounce nugget at Cuddingwarra about nine miles west of present day Cue. Encouraged by this find Michael Fitzgerald travelling with two Aboriginal people found gold at the present Kintore Blow on New Years Day in 1892.
Kintore Blow is in central Cue close to what is now Austin Street and in the first week yielded 260 ounces of gold. Tom Cue, Fitzgerald’s partner, travelled the 80 km’s to nearby Nannine and registered the claim. The town is named for Tom Cue as the registration of the first claim in the area.
Charming stone establishments still grace the township, making it one of the best examples of early architecture in rural Western Australia. The Gentleman’s Club – now the Shire Office, the Government Buildings – Courthouse and Police Station are still being used for their original purpose as is Bell’s Emporium. The region is also rich in Aboriginal culture, with several excellent displays of artwork dating back over 10,000 years.
This heritage walk takes the user through the old town, sharing stories of the people who lived and worked here, and recording the changes to the town, as old buildings were lost, and new were constructed in their place.