The images below were taken on my 11/2004 holiday to the Western
Australian Goldfields. I thought they may be of general interest to anyone
interested in visiting the area.
The original images are 5.5Megapixels, and can be obtained
(Free for non-profit use) by emailing me at the address on my homepage.
Smallest Bank in Australia. Operating until 1997
Main street in Shackleton
Looking east on Boulder's main street.
Kalgoorlie's 'Golden Mile' SuperPit
Wooden bicycle used by early prospector to travel from
Coolgardie to Kalgoorlie area
Photo taken with permission in Kalgoorlie Museum
Other items in Kalgoorlie Museum
Kalgoorlie friend Dawn - Main reason for my visit to goldfields
Niagara Dam
Lovely spot just off gravel-road to Kookynie.
Kookynie Historic Pub. Pretty much only remaining thing in Kookynie, from a town of
over 2000 people during the 1800's goldrush days.
Salt lake usually dry
My Barina with mining mounds in background
Entrance to Leinster (Modern mining town)
Shopping center at Leinster
The Old Brewery
This cave system served the drinking needs of the town of
Sandstone and area during its goldrush days.
London Bridge also on Sandstone's Heritage Trail
Old Dominican Chapel in Yalgoo.
View of Yalgoo from Lookout
Joker's Tunnel is just over 100m long and situated 10 kms south of Yalgoo. Sealed road all but last 1.7kms.
Bats and venomous snakes live inside so I only entered 30 feet or so.
View toward Yalgoo standing on tunnel wall
Hitchhiker's corner Yalgoo.
Need a lift?
(Out of Goldfields area)
View toward coast across farmlands on main highway about 50 kms east of
Geraldton
Scenic lookout ~30kms east of Geraldton looking toward coast
Lake Indoon on East-West road to Coolimba & Leeman
They charge Entry Fee. You can ski or swim, but they warn of Amoebic
Meningitis. So why not travel 10/15 kms to Coolimba/Leeman beaches
Salt lake on same road to Leeman
If
Stromatolites are your bag. Visit Lake Thetis 2kms from Cervantes. There
are lots for you to enjoy!
Goldfield's ghost town footnote: I travelled to five ghost towns
(marked as abandoned towns) in the goldfields area and was surprised to
find virtually no traces left of buildings etc...
These townsites
included Malcolm (only concrete footings, broken bricks and rusted
metal remain, along with a sign showing the town layout. Malcolm now hosts
an active railway siding. Driving up from Kookynie a sign points to
abandoned townsite to the left just before the Railway siding and start of
the Old Laverton Road which heads east), Lawler southeast of
Leinster (Mining and habitation has resumed and I couldn't find the old
town location), Murrin Murrin 34kms east of Malcolm on Old Laverton Road
(Sign marks old town site but didn't see any signs of buildings, only
rusty buckets and water tanks. A few Abandoned Mine shafts on right (west
side) of townsite clearly visible from Old Laverton road. Nice countryside with present mining on
both east and west sides).
Niagara is marked on the gravel road
but I didn't visit the townsite instead opting to visit Niagara Dam which
is a nice camping spot. Teutonic is not marked on highway or
perhaps I missed the signpost. There are many other abandoned goldrush era
towns in the goldfields area however most are less accessible than those
mentioned above.
