The area around Laverton is too arid for agricultural cultivation, so there is only sheep and cattle breeding. Laverton lives from gold mining, because there is a deposit with the two large mines, the Grann Smith Gold Mine of the Canadian company Barrick Gold , the largest gold mining company in the world, and the Sunrise Dam gold mine of the South African Company Anglogold Ashanti . Both mines are open-cast and are located near Leonora.
The area was first entered by the Europeans John Forrest and Ludwig Leichhardt from Germany in the mid-18th century when they led expeditions westward. Leichhardt's expedition and he himself did not return and Forrest followed his footsteps, where he found the large gold depot of Leichhardt. The large gold deposits around Laverton were discovered in 1896 and numerous prospectors came to the area, among them the successful prospector Charles W. Laver , after whom the place was named. The original location was moved to its current location in 1899.
In the late 1960s, the price of gold fell and the region's economy fell.
When raw material prices rose towards the end of the 20th century, old mines such as the Windarra Mine and other mines were reopened and exploited.
Natural resources
In 1969 a huge nickel deposit was discovered, which was mined as the Windarra Nickel Project for 20 years and then closed. A reopening of the mine is planned today. About 30 kilometers from Laverton, Mount Weld is home to one of the largest known deposits of rare earths outside of China .
