When explorers Tom Risely and Mick Toomey discovered gold in Southern Cross in 1888, they duly named the town after the stars that had been their guide. Today all the streets and the salt lake of the town are named after stars or constellations.

While gold was the catalyst for the town's discovery, today farming is well established with the region boasting some of the largest farms in the State.

Southern Cross is located on the Great Eastern Highway, three hours' drive west of Kalgoorlie, within the Shire of Yilgarn.  It straddles the Wheatbelt and Goldfields regions.