Ghost Towns in Oz

[graceysdad]

Do they exist these days anywhere around the traps, be they towns once supported by mining or what have you, just curious, be an interesting experience to visit one, did hear of one little town outside of Whyalla in SA that was heading that way cant remember why, think it was mining related, any known books on the subject? Cheers

[crump]

Mary Kathleen between Mt Isa and Cloncurry, although I'm not sure you can visit anymore.

[Phoenix]

There is a couple in tassie, most are hidden away, others more visible.

Linda is one where the pub still stands. nearby is gormanston which still has a few residents, but not many.

Gowrie park is another one (ex hydro town) that has a couple of things, but a whole pile of empty streets (visible on google earth to good effect)

[p38arover]

wittenoom

[hiline]

there's a book about Ghost Towns Of The High Country

or something along them lines:angel:

gives your all the details of each town built during the gold rush and mining days
it even gives you most of their locations via GPS

[101RRS]

Joadja - up near Mittagong somewhere - now a tourist Ghost Town.

I visited in the 60s when it was still just a Ghost Town - was still complete with tar pits and old 20's cars still parked in driveways.

People just walked out and left everything as it was.

Garry

[Quarks]

Aha! I have just the book - "Ghost Towns of Australia" by George Farwell.
hmmm, first published 1965, so there are probably a few more by now :)

A list from the contents:

Waukaringa
Hammond
Thackaringa
Silverton
Mount Gipps
Milparinka
Tibooburra
Innamincka
Tallangatta
Clunes
Pipeclay
Hill End
Port Douglas
Bloomfield River
Cooktown
Palmer River
Croydon
Karumba
Burketown
Borroloola
Port Essington
Hall's Creek
Port Arthur

Although I dare say some of those places are a bit alive for a ghost town!!
:)

[87County]

you should try Armidale in a Sunday afternoon :)

[loanrangie]

Or Adelaide :p.

[Xavie]

It's not a ghost town as such but Cabrumurra is quite an amazing place. Just near Mt Selwyn snow fields. It was built as a government show village. It is sort of like how the perfect village would be built or some rubbish. Great spot though.
No one lives there Well 3 people do but I always thought if I could live there I would.

Xavier

[Tank]

Mary Kathleen between Mt Isa and Cloncurry, although I'm not sure you can visit anymore.
Used to work there, was a great little town, even had a Drive in (theatre), all gone now, nothing there, have a look on google earth, couple of towns north of there were ghost towns when I worked at Mary K in the mid 70's, Kajabbi, Kalkadoon, Sedan Dip dont know if they are populated now, but they weren't back then, anyway check them on google earth, Regards Frank.

[Bulldog]

Don't think this one is a ghost town either, but Enoch's Point in Big River state forrest is a nice (strange) place. About 15 houses, i've never seen a car there, but i have seen people peering out their window at us ;). I think most are owned by fishermen.

I also know of a "ghost" mine and house out of woods point. I won't say i've been in the open unlocked door to the house, as i believe someone does actually own the place, but all the accounts books, sign in books etc are there. Looks like they up-and-left one day in 1990 and took nothing with them. The mining shed with massive battery (not the electricity type) is awesome... The outside dunny has the best view in Victoria :D.

[Hymie]

Maiden Town, Coopers Creek, Happy Go Lucky.
All close to Walhalla.

[paulthepilot_5]

Or Adelaide :p.

Ha HA :Rolling:
So lets see what is happening down in Adelaide hey!.............................................. .................................................. ..............................Moving on,

:wasntme:

[DEFENDERZOOK]

does anyone got any pics to post of these ghost towns......

sounds fascinating.......

[Redback]

Or Victoria after 5.00pm:p:p

[cjc_td5]

Newnes, in the Wolgan Valley north of Lithgow.

Was built around 1900 and demolished in the 1940s when crude oil made shale oil uneconomic. If you know where you are going, you can still pick out a fair bit of the old shale oil industrial area and some of the township. Then of course there is the railway, with the two tunnels still complete (able to walk through one, drive through the other).

[Redback]

Funny thing about most of these ghost towns, is, most have always had residents all of the time, very few have been completely vacant, Joadja is a prime example, great motorcycle destination before the freeway was built, also Hill End, has never had no people in it at anytime.

There is a town near Mt Wilson that is a ghost town though, the name escapes me.

Baz.

[mightgeta4be]

what will the majority of petrol heads be looking at this week end. Didn't know they ran the best V8 super car race in a ghost town.

[tombraider]

Ha HA :Rolling:
So lets see what is happening down in Adelaide hey!.............................................. .................................................. ..............................Moving on,

:wasntme:

Clipsal 500 :D

[bblaze]

There is a couple in tassie, most are hidden away, others more visible.

Linda is one where the pub still stands. nearby is gormanston which still has a few residents, but not many.

Gowrie park is another one (ex hydro town) that has a couple of things, but a whole pile of empty streets (visible on google earth to good effect)

To add to Tassie list of old mining towns
Balfour, Dundas, there is also one one the hill outside Rosebery (cant think of the name), they are all worth having a poke around. The west coast of tassie is full of old mine shafts so when off the beaten track extreme caution needs to be taken exspecially around Zeehan
cheers
blaze

[ScrubPleb]

A good guide to north Queensland is,"Angor To Zillmaton, stories of North Queensland's deserted towns". by Colin Hooper. ISBN 0 646 00629 0.
There are about two hundred sites listed between Mackay and Torres Strait and west to the NT border. Each entry has a town map, lat and long, a short history and photos.

[tombraider]

wittenoom

Yeah, just don't breathe

[BMKal]

Yeah, just don't breathe

It's a great place & safe as houses (as long as you don't go digging in the wrong spot or doing circle work).

You can drive all the way up the gorge to the old mine managers' houses at the top of the gorge - still people living there last time I was up there. There is a stream running through the gorge - you drive through it a couple of times on the way up. If you get out and have a look, you can see the asbestos fibres in the rock below the water.

Some of the best scenery there is.

[jsp]

I had to put some stuff in at clipsal in Adelaide today, and with the traffic - I wish it was a ghost town - I moved from Melbourne to Adelaide to get away from the pushy narky in a hurry people who scurry around like mad in their millions!

:wasntme:

[Disco300Tdi]

Or Adelaide :p.

I have an exwife living in Adelaide who constantly haunts me....:eek:

[Bushie]

Waukaringa (thanks TheThink)....
every time we pass thru we take a pic of the family against the signpost
3 times now....3 pics of the signpost and the family at different stages :D
note...pics are in a big photoalbum...scanning not so easy ;) but it DID happen!! :D

Did happen

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/02/180.jpg

Bushie and (start of) family with Numpty and son in background.
Waukaringa 1989

Bushie

[hiline]

Don't think this one is a ghost town either, but Enoch's Point in Big River state forrest is a nice (strange) place. About 15 houses, i've never seen a car there, but i have seen people peering out their window at us ;). I think most are owned by fishermen.

once had a beer or two up there with the caretakers of the place......
the 2 old guys even have a 9 hole golf coarse there they made up :D

might get to tell you some of their stories over a few beers one day
very interesting stuff

[Tote]

Yerranderie is another one to the west of Warragamba Dam, Privately owned and well worth a visit. Dosen't compare with Bodie in the US which was abandoned when the ore became unprofitable. Unlike a lot of abandoned towns in oz where houses were relocated everything was just left there.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/toteau/Bodie/IMG_0458.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Regards,
Tote

[hiline]

these are the ones i was talking about :D

hope this works :angel:

Boiling Billy Publications Pty Ltd (ABN 29 101 041 687) - OnLine Store (http://esvc000369.wic001ss.server-shop.com/store/listCategoriesAndProducts.shop?idCategory=11)

[loanrangie]

Or Victoria after 5.00pm:p:p

You obviously havent been south for a while, isnt it only the g.a.y.s out after 5 in mardi gra town:eek:.

[HangOver]

I went through a ghost town about 10 years ago in WA.

It was called Kalgoorlie

Kidding :D.............
It's just north of Kal heading north east towards the "road" that leads to Ayres Rock.

Can't remember what it's called - I'm getting old and senile.
Leonora rings a bell, no it's on the way to Lenoroa grrrrr

I'll look in a road atlas....................

[HangOver]

I went through a ghost town about 10 years ago in WA.

It was called Kalgoorlie

Kidding :D.............
It's just north of Kal heading north east towards the "road" that leads to Ayres Rock.

Can't remember what it's called - I'm getting old and senile.
Leonora rings a bell, no it's on the way to Lenoroa grrrrr

I'll look in a road atlas....................

It's called Gwalia it's a few k's south of Leonora, North of Kal.

[markyc]

Tarcoola, on the railway service road, east of Goog's track. Boarded up pub with pots still on the bar:eek:

[29dinosaur]

It's called Gwalia it's a few k's south of Leonora, North of Kal.


They have a nice web site - Gwalia (http://www.gwalia.org.au/index.html)

[JamesH]

Malcolm is sort of a ghost town between Menzies and Leonora, it has pretty much disappeared. All thats left are some pads and debris, but it was a biggish bustling town. A mate's father bought the Malcolm pub sometime after the war. he dismantled it and truchek it down to Perth when building supplies were in short supply.

It was open one night and the next morning they were at it with crow bars. The miners arriving off the shift for a reviver were not impressed. He used the material to build a large shed and farm house.

[Gillie]

It's not a ghost town as such but Cabrumurra is quite an amazing place. Just near Mt Selwyn snow fields. It was built as a government show village. It is sort of like how the perfect village would be built or some rubbish. Great spot though.
No one lives there Well 3 people do but I always thought if I could live there I would.

Xavier

I lived at Cabramurra for about three months after the 03 bushfires. Coldest I have ever been in my life. Highest town in Australia.

[Scallops]

It's scary when you're from Adelaide, think of Adelaide, and someone else has already nominated Adelaide in a thread about ghost Towns. :eek::eek::eek:

[loanrangie]

It's scary when you're from Adelaide, think of Adelaide, and someone else has already nominated Adelaide in a thread about ghost Towns. :eek::eek::eek:

Ha, ha, i worked in Adelaide and met my wife there- though she was from Bendigo.