Goldfields Hospitality in the Heart of the Murchison

Way out in Western Australia's spectacular Murchison region, where red earth meets ancient rock formations and the night skies seem to go on forever, sits the historic town of Mount Magnet.

Right in the centre of town you'll find the Commercial Club Hotel — a classic outback pub and a handy base for riders exploring one of Western Australia's most fascinating inland regions.

Mount Magnet is a town built on mining and pastoral history, and the Commercial Club Hotel is perfectly placed to experience both the town and the remarkable country that surrounds it.

For riders travelling through the Murchison, it's a chance to get off the main road, slow down for a while, enjoy a proper country pub and discover a part of Western Australia that is full of history, wide-open spaces and some seriously spectacular scenery.

A Town Built on Gold

Mount Magnet's European history stretches back to the pastoral era, with pastoral settlement beginning in the district in the 1870s.

But everything changed when gold was discovered in 1891.

Mount Magnet became one of Western Australia's great gold-mining centres, and remarkably, it has remained the state's longest continuously operating gold-mining centre.

The gold rush brought prospectors, miners, businesses and plenty of colourful characters to the district.

Hotels became an important part of life in these isolated communities — places where miners, pastoralists, travellers and locals could meet, share news and escape the heat and dust of the goldfields.

The Commercial Club Hotel continues that long tradition of country hospitality.

A Crossroads of the Murchison

Mount Magnet isn't just a destination — it's also an important stopping point for travellers crossing the Murchison.

The town sits on the Great Northern Highway, around 560 kilometres north-east of Perth, and provides sealed-road connections towards Cue, Meekatharra, Sandstone, Paynes Find and Yalgoo.

For motorcycle riders, that makes Mount Magnet a great base for exploring the region rather than simply passing through.

And with long stretches of open road in every direction, the journey itself becomes part of the experience.

Things to See & Do

🏍️ Mount Magnet Tourist Trail

One of the best ways to explore the area is the 37-kilometre Mount Magnet Tourist Trail.

The self-drive route takes in old mining settlements, unusual rock formations, caves, the Amphitheatre and other historic sites around the town.

It's an easy way to turn a pub stop into a proper Murchison adventure.

⛏️ Mining & Pastoral Museum

History buffs shouldn't miss the Mount Magnet Mining and Pastoral Museum.

The museum contains an extensive collection of artefacts and photographs covering the region's pastoral history, gold mining and early outback life.

You'll also find the reconstructed Boogardie State Battery, mining machinery and an exhibition covering the famous Rabbit-Proof Fence story.

It's well worth allowing some time to explore.

🪨 The Granites

Around four kilometres along the Cue Road are The Granites, an impressive collection of ancient rock formations.

The area is also culturally significant to the Badimia people, with Aboriginal rock art, carvings and traditional sites found throughout the region.

The Granites are particularly spectacular around sunset, when the changing light brings out the colours and textures of the rocks.

Visitors are asked to respect the cultural significance of the area and its sites.

🌄 The Amphitheatre

The Amphitheatre is another unusual geological feature on the Mount Magnet Tourist Trail.

The dramatic rock formation is believed to represent the remains of an ancient waterfall and has been a local picnic spot for generations.

It's another good reason to take the bike out for a few extra kilometres rather than heading straight through town.

🏜️ Explore the Old Goldfields

Mount Magnet's surrounding countryside is scattered with reminders of its mining past.

The nearby former townsites of Boogardie and Lennonville provide a glimpse into the boom-and-bust nature of the Western Australian goldfields.

At its peak in the early 1900s, Lennonville was believed to have had a population of around 3,000 people and five hotels. A major fire in 1909 helped accelerate the town's decline, and today the old townsite is a fascinating reminder of just how quickly gold-rush settlements could rise and disappear.

🌼 Wildflower Country

If your ride takes you through Mount Magnet between roughly July and October, keep an eye out for wildflowers.

Following good winter rains, the surrounding bush can burst into colour with carpets of native flowers.

The exact timing and intensity varies with rainfall, but when conditions are right, the Murchison puts on an incredible display.

Did You Know?

Mount Magnet has been a gold-mining centre since 1891 and is recognised as Western Australia's longest continuously operating gold-mining centre.

That's more than 130 years of gold-mining history — and the landscape around the town still carries the scars and stories of that remarkable period.

📖 Add the Commercial Club Hotel to Your Great Aussie Pub Feed Passport

If you're riding through Western Australia's Murchison region, make sure the Commercial Club Hotel at Mount Magnet is on your route.

Pull into town, grab a feed, enjoy a drink, explore the old goldfields and discover the incredible landscapes surrounding Mount Magnet.

Then, before you head off, get your Great Aussie Pub Feed Passport stamped. 📖✍️

Because the Great Aussie Pub Feed is about more than finding a pub.

It's about finding the roads, towns, history, people and stories that make riding around Australia such a bloody good adventure.

Every pub has a story. Every ride creates a memory.

🏍️ Ride • Eat • Explore • Support