Lake Ballard

Enter the largest outdoor art gallery on Earth - the Inside Australia exhibit created by world-renowned artist Antony Gormley. Here, stretching across 10 square kilometres, a collection of 51 individually cast black chromium steel sculptures stand against the dramatic backdrop of Lake Ballard's white salt plain.<br/><br/>Day tours from Kalgoorlie regularly visit the art installation, or you can drive there in 45 minutes from Menzies, or in one hour and 45 minutes from Kalgoorlie. <br/><br/>Each sculpture represents one of the local residents of Menzies. For a fantastic overview, climb the hill and see the sculptures disappearing into the distance, each connected by the footprints of visitors. <br/><br/>The Inside Australia exhibit forms part of the self-drive Golden Quest Discovery Trail, which takes in eerie gold rush ghost towns, historical gold mining sites and the former home of US President Herbert Hoover in Gwalia.<br/><br/>The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon, when the sculptures' shadows stretch across the lake. Allow at least two hours, but it will take considerably longer to view all 51 sculptures as they are spaced 500 metres apart. Always walk with a friend and carry water as the heat can be extreme during summer.

Unearth the secrets of a rich landscape on this captivating journey through the Golden Outback. Discover the fascinating stories of spellbinding outback towns, view the world’s largest outdoor art gallery set against the backdrop of otherworldly salt lakes, and explore historic gold rush precincts.

The old gold mining town of Menzies is your entry to the largest outdoor gallery on Earth and one of the art world's most extraordinary exhibits, 'Inside Australia'. Created by internationally renowned artist Antony Gormley, the collection of 51 sculptures are dotted over 10 square kilometres of Lake Ballard's stark white salt bed.<br/><br/>Driving north of Kalgoorlie, you'll reach Menzies within one and a half hours. Lake Ballard and the Antony Gormley sculptures lie 55 kilometres to the north-west and day tours from Kalgoorlie regularly visit the art installation.<br/><br/>The Gormley sculptures, created in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Perth International Arts Festival, represent some of the local residents of Menzies. It's hard to imagine the town was once home to more than 10,000 people during the gold rush sparked by Lesley Robert Menzies, who struck significant reserves in 1894. <br/><br/>Within a decade, the town's population had grown and shrunk back to just a few hundred, although you'll still find the odd gold prospector and fossicker in search of their fortune. If you fancy joining them, you'll need to apply for a permit.<br/><br/>Grand gold rush architecture still stands as a reminder of Menzies' glory days, including the Menzies Town Hall that's famous for standing 'clockless' for 100 years. Local legend says the original clock lies at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, after the ship that brought it from England sank off Rottnest Island. Facing an uncertain future, the town decided not to order another one and so it stood bare until New Year's Eve 2000, when a clock was finally put in place to mark the new millennium.<br/><br/>For more fascinating insights and tourist information, head for the Menzies Visitor Centre, located in the 'Former' Lady Shenton Hotel. Grab some lunch at the local hotel, and if you're making Menzies your base for a few days, book yourself in at the caravan park.

<p>If places could talk, Kalgoorlie (Karlkurla) would have some interesting stories to tell. Explore Australia’s largest outback town to uncover its fascinating past and present, from the region’s gold rush era to the modern-day Super Pit mine. A visit to the whimsical outdoor art gallery set against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Ballard is a hauntingly beautiful way to round out your trip.</p>