Kalgoorlie two-up shed: the goldfields bush ring and how it runs outside Anzac Day

What the two-up shed is

The ring goes by several names: the Two-Up Ring, the Kalgoorlie Two-Up School, and the two-up shed that most people search for. Tourism Western Australia places it about 7 km north of Kalgoorlie, off the Goldfields Highway. It’s a corrugated-iron shed with a ring inside, where a spinner tosses the coins and the crowd bets around the edge.

The game follows the traditional pattern of spinner, kip and two coins. WA’s two-up policy is explicit: “only two coins or two dice are to be tossed or thrown in the game of two-up”. The three-coin variant played in some other states has no place under a WA permit. Tourism WA says games are “strictly for those over 18”.

A game from the goldfields

Two-up and gold share a long history. Published histories, Wikipedia among them, place two-coin games on the eastern goldfields in the 1850s, and the Kalgoorlie tourism site says the game spread with the gold rushes. The name “two up” is first recorded in 1884, according to the Australian National Dictionary, and the game later went to war with the AIF.

What we can’t give you yet is a dated history of the Kalgoorlie ring itself. We haven’t found a primary record of when it opened, which permit it holds or who runs the games today, and published pages disagree on details. Where a fact on this page comes from a tourism site or a newspaper, we name the source in the sentence.

How WA law allows two-up in Kalgoorlie

In Western Australia two-up is an unlawful game unless it’s “permitted two-up”, under s 42(1)(b) of the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1987. A player at an unlawful game faces a fine of $5,000, and an organiser $50,000 (s 42). The Act then carves out permits, and distance from the Perth casino is the test that matters most.

Section 81 lets the Minister permit two-up at approved premises outside a 100 km radius of the Burswood Casino, now Crown Perth, and “not for the purposes of private gain”. Kalgoorlie is far outside that radius. Section 46(4) keeps Christmas Day and Good Friday off limits, and s 80 separately lets country race clubs beyond 100 km run games after racing.

Under the state’s two-up policy, an ordinary permit covers a game of up to six hours, with free entry and players aged 18 or over. The ringkeeper may take a “customary commission, not exceeding 10%” (s 81(2)(b)), which changes the maths for players. Our page on two-up odds and the house edge works that through; we haven’t confirmed whether the Kalgoorlie ring takes a commission.

The rest of the country works differently, from NSW’s Anzac Day rule to Broken Hill’s year-round licence. Our state-by-state page explains why two-up is illegal most of the year, and which exceptions apply where.

Which days games run: sources differ

Published days don’t agree, so check before you travel. Tourism Western Australia says “games are still played on Sundays and Public Holidays from 2 pm, strictly for those over 18”. The Kalgoorlie tourism site lists “Two Up each Sunday from 2:00pm”, and a Newcastle Herald report of 25 April 2024 described games on weekends and public holidays.

All three include Sundays, and the two tourism listings give a 2 pm start; they differ on Saturdays and public holidays. The law adds two fixed points, because no WA permit covers Christmas Day or Good Friday (s 46(4)). Look up a current listing, or ask locally in Kalgoorlie, in the week you plan to go.

What to expect at the ring

A bush ring runs like any traditional two-up game. The spinner tosses two pennies from the kip: two heads win the toss for the spinner, two tails lose the centre, and one of each is thrown again. Under the NSW two-up rules, which we use as the reference text, a spinner can’t collect until three heads come up in a row.

Local practice can differ from the NSW text, so watch a round or two before you bet. Bring cash, since bets change hands as notes, and set a limit before you arrive. Two-up is gambling; Gambling Help Online is free and confidential on 1800 858 858. The calls and the full round are on our page of two-up rules, and the kip and pennies explains the paddle and the coins.

Within 100 km of Crown Perth, two-up needs a Ministerial permit, such as those issued to RSL clubs each Anzac Day. Our guide to two-up on Anzac Day covers those games in every state.