Menzies
Suburb profile, market snapshot and recent listings for Menzies, WA 6436.
About Menzies
Welcome to Menzies
Menzies is a small outback town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, sitting roughly 130 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie along the Great Northern Highway. Once a roaring gold-rush settlement in the 1890s, it has since settled into a quiet, self-contained community with a distinctly frontier character that draws a particular kind of buyer — those seeking wide-open space, solitude, and an authentic slice of the Western Australian interior.
The town suits lifestyle buyers, hobby farmers, and investors looking for affordable land holdings well away from metropolitan pressures. Its scale is small, its pace unhurried, and the surrounding landscape — red dirt, granite outcrops, and vast saltlake country including nearby Lake Ballard — gives it a visual drama that is hard to find closer to the coast.
History
Menzies was established in 1894 following the discovery of gold in the region, and at its peak it was one of the busier centres of the Western Australian gold rush, complete with hotels, a stock exchange, and a railway connection. The town was named after Robert Menzies — not the Prime Minister, but a prospector who was among the first to register a claim in the area.
Many of the buildings from that era have long since gone, but the town's heritage is tangible in its layout, its wide streets designed for bullock teams, and a handful of surviving period structures. Understanding this history is part of what gives Menzies its appeal — it is a place with a genuine story, not a manufactured one.
Lifestyle & recreation
Day-to-day life in Menzies is quiet by design. The surrounding Goldfields landscape offers its own rewards — early mornings with expansive skies, star-gazing without light pollution, and the kind of stillness that is genuinely difficult to find in more populated parts of Australia.
One of the town's most remarkable drawcards is Lake Ballard, located about 50 kilometres to the north-west. The dry saltlake is home to Antony Gormley's permanent sculpture installation 'Inside Australia', featuring 51 figures cast from local residents and spread across the lake bed. It is an internationally recognised work of public art in an extraordinarily remote setting, and it brings a steady stream of visitors through the town.
Schools & families
Families with school-age children are served by Menzies Community School, which provides education for local students in a small-school environment. Small remote schools in Western Australia typically offer combined-age classes and a tight-knit community atmosphere, with additional support provided through the state's distance education services where needed.
For families whose children require secondary schooling beyond what is locally available, Kalgoorlie — roughly 130 kilometres to the south — provides a wider range of educational facilities and services.
Getting around
Menzies sits on the Great Northern Highway, which provides the main sealed road connection south to Kalgoorlie and, eventually, Perth. Driving to Kalgoorlie takes around an hour and a half under normal conditions, making it the practical hub for major shopping, medical services, and transport connections including the Indian Pacific rail service and Kalgoorlie Airport.
Owning a reliable vehicle is essential in Menzies — this is genuinely remote living, and the distances involved mean that self-sufficiency and forward planning are part of everyday life. Fuel and basic supplies are available locally, but for anything beyond essentials, a run to Kalgoorlie is part of the routine.
The property market
The Menzies property market is straightforwardly a land market — current listings are entirely made up of vacant land, reflecting the town's scale and the nature of buyer interest in the area. Purchasers are typically looking for affordable land holdings, whether for lifestyle purposes, speculative investment, or the possibility of owner-building a remote retreat.
Pricing at this end of the Goldfields market sits at a significant discount to metropolitan and even regional coastal markets, making entry accessible for buyers who understand the trade-offs of remote living. Due diligence around services, access to utilities, and council requirements is particularly important when purchasing land in small outback towns, and engaging a local conveyancer familiar with the Goldfields region is strongly recommended.
Who lives here
Demographics
ABS Census 2021 figures for Menzies, WA 6436.
Population
103
residents (2021)
Median age
46
years
Household income
$900
median, per week
Median rent
$156
per week
Median mortgage
$397
per month
Mortgage / income
10%
comfortable
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. Suburb-level (SAL) aggregates.
Education
Schools in Menzies
Government school catchment
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Price map around Menzies
Every listing for sale near Menzies, coloured by price — so you can see how it stacks up against the streets and suburbs next door.
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Common questions
Menzies suburb FAQ
Is Menzies a good place to live?
Menzies is an established residential suburb in WA, with a population of around 103 and 1 school in the area.
What is the population of Menzies?
Menzies has a population of 103 (ABS 2021 Census), with a median age of 46.
What schools are in Menzies?
There is 1 school in or near Menzies, including Menzies Community School.
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