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The 33rd Diggers & Dealers event begins in Kalgoorlie in Monday and it’s THE event for the who’s who in exploration and mining in Australia.
As D&D Chair Jim Walker explains in this interview, delegate numbers are creeping up by the day – reaching above 2500. Organisers expect registrations will get close to last year’s 2642 by Monday. The grand finale is the Wes Trac Gala Dinner next Wednesday night and that has booked out with 1300 guests.
Mr Walker said preparations were on track, with hotels filling up, 160 private homes being rented out, and two semi trailers set to deliver food and drink for catering.
Gold back in favour in Kalgoorlie
“The numbers are fantastic, the vibe is also very good, from the point of view we’re getting back to our old faithful gold, gold’s the flavour of the month again,” Mr Walker said.
“I’m going to repeat a comment made by the previous major of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, John Bowler, who said: ‘In Kalgoorlie we have three Christmases in one year. The first one is the race round, the second one – and the big one – is Diggers & Dealers, and the third one is the real Christmas’,” Mr Walker said.
“So it’s a huge event for Kalgoorlie, it’s very important to them.
“Their second Christmas is coming right now.”
Kim Beazley to address forum
Mr Walker said the keynote speaker, Labor stalwart, former Opposition leader, Former Governor of WA and Ambassador to the US, Kim Beazley, will be attending in person, along with other high profile Government figures.
Mr Beazley’s current roles include being Chair of the Perth USAsia Centre Board, Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Advisor to Lockheed Martin Australia, and Chair of the Council for the Australian War Memorial.
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