Bonnie Vale is an abandoned goldfields townsite 14 km north of
Coolgardie in Western Australia.
The town was gazetted in 1897. It was apparently named after
Bonnie, a prospector who picked up a 7 oz troy (220 g) nugget here
in May/June 1894. [1]
It is famous as the site of the Varischetti mine rescue of 1907,
when Italian gold miner Modesto Varischetti was trapped for nine
days in a mine when it was flooded after a thunderstorm.
Varischetti survived in an air pocket until rescued. A diver using
deep-sea diving equipment located Varischetti five days after the
mine was flooded, and provided him with food, candles and letters
of encouragement.