On Friday 29 August, 2025, we will move into Phase 4 of our project and that adds 16 new communities to the list of communities on which we are already working. The biggest community in this phase is Kanowna. If you have any information about these communities, or any of the communities on our master list, please contact us.
Image from our project partner Eastern Goldfields Historical Society
The new 16 in alphabetical order
4 Mile (Leonora)
Bootenal (aka Boolungu, Bootanoo, Bootanu and the Bootenal Railway Siding)
Buldania
Coonara (aka the Coonara Railway Siding)
Gabanintha
Gums (aka The Gums)
Hawks Nest (aka Hawk’s Nest, Hawkes Nest and the Hawkes Nest Gold Mine)
Jibberding
Jitarning (aka Geetaring)
Kanowna (aka White Feather and Cement Workings)
Kodj Kodjin (aka North Baandee)
Londonderry (aka Golden Hole Mine)
Pilbarra (aka Pilbarra Creek, Pilbarra Pool, Yandeyarra Hotel and Yule River, but NOT Pilbara)
Pingarning
Plavins (aka Plavins Timber Mill and Plavins Railway Siding)
Woolgar (aka Yundaga, Yundagga, Yunndaga and Yunndega)
Previous phases have covered the following communities:
I have noticed something today while researching the ghost community of Woop Woop. The name “Woop Woop” has often been used as a humorous or derogatory adjective.
If you have been following along with our project, you will already know that Woop Woop is one of the communities included in Phase 2. Woop Woop was a timber mill situated about 70Km south of Collie, and just a couple of Kms from the little town of Wilga, in the Shire of Boyup Brook. It only last for three years (1925-1928) but in that time it had six huts for single men, two houses, a boarding house, an office, and the Mill itself.
So today I have been working through a publication call The Guardian that has been published in Perth since 1937. While doing this I came across these “references” to Woop Woop – not to the place, but in a completely different context.
On 27 November, 1942, a random report about a scientific discovery related to the size of the solar system (and the universe) was concluded with a pretty obscure reference to Adolf Hitler as the bantamweight champion of Woop-Woop. 1
In February 1945, in a report decrying poor quality journalism in relation to reports on the distribution of preferences in Victoria Park. Claiming that any junior reporter would have done a better job than the senior reporters tasked with informing the public. The report concludes with the statement “A Woop Woop editorial staff would have made a better job of a simple duty to the public”. 2
Elections once again figure in a report from January 1947, where everyone from the Federal Government all the way down to “the Woop Woop Shire Council” is looking for a handout. 3
These stories may have been meant to be humorous, but between 1937 and 1954, seven times the name “Woop Woop” was used in a way that, if I had been a local resident, would have seen me writing a letter to the editor to demand an apology. And, perhaps, in this litigious age, seeking compensation.
A LAST NOTE: The seven articles are all in The Guardian. There are probably hundreds in the 365 other Western Australian newspapers currently digitised on Trove. Have a look for yourself and see what you can find.
The total records captured up to 31 July 2025 is 78,987. During the past month, the communities of Black Range, Burbridge, Cork Tree Flat, Culham, Dattening, Garden Gully, Gum Creek, Hawk’s Nest, Kintore, Kudardup, Linden, Paynesville, Red Lake School, Spargoville, Warriedar, Wyening, and Zanthus have found their way into our captured list.
Our project team are working hard to capture as many records as possible of the people in WA’s ghost communities. Once our website and search engine is fully operational you will be able to access some of these records. Here are the latest figures followed by a simple line graph showing the growth in total numbers:
Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].
The total records captured up to 30 June 2025 is 74,222. During the past month, the communities of Barton, Bummers Creek, Cuddingwarra, Davyhurst, East Kirup Timber Mill, Fly Flat, Galena Bridge, Kathleen, Kathleen Valley, Mount Ida, Mulgabbie, Naretha Railway Siding, Niagara North, Pingin, Pinjin, Sandstone, Sir Samuel, Surprise South, Webb’s Patch, and Yundamindera have found their way into our captured list.
Our project team are working hard to capture as many records as possible of the people in WA’s ghost communities. Once our website and search engine is fully operational you will be able to access some of these records. But for now, here are the latest figures along with a graph showing the growth in total numbers:
Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].
In May 2011, The Weekend West‘s Rod Moran published an article under the banner “The Way We Were”.1 The short article reads:
August 4, 1898
In three decades Goongarrie grew from a camp to a thriving town and finally a ghost town.
This lighthearted snap shows a picnic gathering at Goongarrie, a flourishing gold-mining site in the back-blocks between Menzies and Kalgoorlie. The first gold discoveries in the area were mde in 1893. The hamlet was also called the Roaring Gimlet, due to the thundering noise of icy desert winds through the gimlet trees. More prosaically, early on it was simply called the 90 Mile camp, its approximate distance from Coolgardie.
Despite its isolation, Goongarrie developed into a thriving little town. By the 1890s it boasted two pubs, as well a other essential services such as a post and telegraph office. In 1898 the Cobb and Co coach from Coolgardie was boosted from a bi-weekly to a daily run. The government rail line opened in the same year. The town also boasted a blacksmith, a carpenter, two butchers, a baker two restaurants and a cool drink manufacturer. But the citizens depicted here at play also had some weighty concerns on their minds in its August 4, 1889 [sic] edition The West Australian reported “Considerable dissatisfaction is expressed in this district at the failure of the Education Department to establish a school at Goongarrie. From 15 to 30 children are now resident here, and…not having any educational facilities whatever, are to a great extent running wild about the country…growing up in almost total ignorance.”
In 1904 the district’s electoral roll listed 109 names. But by 1921 the postal directory had only 21 people on it. even if a school had been built, Goongarrie’s fortunes would have waned as alluvial gold petered out.
The information and accompanying image were said to be taken from the archives of The West Australian. However, a search of Trove for the period in question has not located the original photo. The quoted comment about the lack of a school in Goongarrie can be found in the Kalgoorlie Western Argus2 along with further details on the issue.
In September 1898, Cyril Jackson, the Inspector General of Schools, responded to a letter from the local Board of Health in which an offer of a suitable building (the Miners’ Institute) was made to house a school free of charge. He said “…the Minister is very anxious indeed to extend education to as many children as possible. It seems impossible, however, in the present state of the funds to establish a school at Goongarrie.”3
Some things, it seems, never change.
Source
Rod Moran, 2011. The Weekend West : The Way We Were. Published 28-29 May, 2011 by The West Australian Newspapers. ↩︎
The following is a detailed report of a cricket match that took place on this day in 1897 at Cossack between the Cossack and Roebourne teams. It was published in Northern Public Opinion and Mining and Pastoral News on Saturday, 19 June 1897.1
CATCHES. By “SHORT SLIP.”
The Boebourne Rovers “trammed” to Cossack on Saturday. The first association match played at the port this season took place.
The game was well contested, and good feeling made for a close and exciting finish. A good number watched the game, but the fair sex had only one representative present. ‘Tis true for the poet when he describes the petticoat sporting fraternity as a “sit-me-on-the-bicycle sort of push.”
The Rovers proved the victors by eleven runs.
This photo shows the Roebourne & Cossack cricket teams three years later in 1900.2
“Watty,” the Cossack barracker, was all there in his usual bass voice and sung himself hoarse. “Snap-shot” Renold, with his camera, took a “shot” at both teams, and “never smiled again.” He should have thrown the “X-rays” on them.
Like the “Arizona Kicker,” good old “Sol.” blessed the players with a beautiful day, and the Cossackites prepared a good wicket for the Boebourne boys.
Through the instrumentality of a few members of the home team, led by indefatigable “Donny,” a shed was erected on the ground, and the scorers were accommodated with a “cose” and a few “ax.l.” boxes to squat down on.
The Union Jack—or perhaps the Cossack coat-of-arms-out-of-pocket—was flying on top of the shed, whilst the decorations at the bottom comprised two fine jars of water (not of Babel, but of Nature).
There is no denying the fact that the pitch at Cossack, and also the fielding ground, is far superior to that of Boebourne, and if it always remained in the condition it was on Saturday, all matches could be played on the marsh.
The Rovers played a really well-combined game and deserved to win, whilst the Cossack lads defended splendidly and did everything in their power to avert defeat.
“Luck was agin’ them,” said Watty, after a whiskey and soda.
Whilst travelling with the cricketers on Saturday (not a Parliamentary team), our worthy and much-respected member, Mr. H. W. Sholl, M.L.A., opened his many-a-time generous heart and proved to those who travelled by the tram that he was a sportsman as well as a “Member of Parliament,” and a gentleman as well as a public “sarvint.” He informed the members of the B.C.C. that he was that day presenting a bat to the individual, of either team, who made the highest score in the match, for the sake of evincing some interest among the batsmen.
This goes to show that Mr. Sholl’s heart and soul were with them in their recreation, and he deserves the thanks of all true and honest sportsmen in both Boebourne and Cossack.
I may state that the genial skipper of the Rovers, “Sam” Hemingway, won the bat to which I refer, his score being 81, made by sterling cricket. I offer him my heartiest congratulations.
One of the most pleasing sights that I have yet seen on a North-West cricket ground appeared before me on Saturday. It was simply the Cossack “willow wielders” turning out in their true colours—wearing scalp-caps of yellow and black hue, and with a green kerchief (ould Oirish, begorra) round their waists.
It reminded me of an old English cricketer (Dr. Grace), who, when in Australia, had, on entering the Melbourne ground, decked himself with blue dungaree pants, and what he termed an “old physician’s waistband” (green). When the spectators eyed him, they shouted out, “We bar the Irish navvy!” But the good old medico held his peace, and the crowd silenced down.
The query is asked—”Why don’t the Boebourne teams play in their colours?” Echo answers—”They have none!”
At two o’clock, both captains met, and the coin was tossed, turning in favour of George Snook, who elected to bat. “Sam” Hemingway then led his men into the field, and at twenty minutes past two, a start was made.
“Uncle” Harding and “Bob” Selway were the first men to pad up and take strike for Cossack, while “Jim” Hubbard and “Jack” Keogh took the cudgels for the Rovers.
“Bob” did not celebrate a record reign at the crease. Taking strike to Hubbard, he received the dreaded “duck,” which he has for so long been unaccustomed to. This was rather unlucky for Cossack, to lose their best man by the first bell of the day, and there was “weeping and gnashing of teeth” when Bob returned to the shed.
“It was a splendidly pitched ball, and broke to the off, beating me all the way.” – Selway
“Donny” took the vacancy and, after making a dozen, was clean bowled by “Tommy” Molster, who was brought in from long-field to do the trundling. “Uncle” soon followed, being caught and bowled by “Sam” Hemingway. He had made nine by good cricket.
“Georgy” Fry and “Georgy” Brown, the two pavilion cricketers, made four and eight respectively. They were off duty (cricket, I mean) and did not take much advantage of their “staff.”
“Snoofie,” the skipper, played a free bat and made some very pretty strokes, notching fourteen before he drove one very hard to Jack Keogh, who accepted it. It was a splendid catch, and Jack received an ovation.
“Jum” Louden fell a victim to Tommy Molster, after breaking the shell of the “duck.”
“Watty” Moore surprised everyone by his fine exhibition, his leg hits being marvellous, and he received a cheer when he had carried out his bat for thirteen.
“Slurry” Wilson and “Carbine” Moore both succumbed to Hubbard before they had scored and joined the ranks of “Short-slip’s” spoon competition.
An amusing thing occurred while “Carbine” was batting. He played the first ball of Hubbard’s onto his cranium, and with a cricketer’s oath, the next one gave him a clip in the ear, but the third one hit the—w-i-c-k-e-t.
“Herb.” Birch, who was put in last wicket down (who should have followed the seventh man), just reached double figures when he was snapped up by Jim Hubbard.
Tommy Molster, in the long field, made a “bolster,” fell down, and got stuck in a mud-hole. Here’s to him, with “Short-slip’s” sympathy!
The ball went off the cricket bat, And travelled far away! “Tom” Molster in his big white hat Fell on it in the clay.
The clay was soft, the ball was round, Poor “Tom” he couldn’t stir, So all the boys they stood around And left him in despair.
He with the ball at last did rise With language that was wicked, And told them that he’d cause surprise When he got at the wicket.
Covered with mud, he took the ball And bowled a maiden over, And in the next surprised them all By scattering bails in clover.
For fielding, Church, Naish, and Hemingway were excellent, and it speaks well for Cossack’s wicket-keeper that a bye was not recorded in the innings.
The bowling honours for the Rovers were carried off by Jim Hubbard, who came out of the cupboard (his shell, I mean), and got the splendid average of 5 wickets for 11 runs. A word of praise is also due to Tommy Molster, his 2 wickets only costing him 7 runs.
After a blow, the Rovers commenced their innings, having to make 72 to win. “Bannerman” Raymond and “Sam” Hemingway were the first representatives, and the bowlers were Brown and Louden.
“Banner,” after his usual careful play, had the misfortune to snick one of Louden’s into the hands of Brown and retired with four to his credit.
The skipper played a very useful innings. It was really a treat to watch his well-timed strokes and neat cuts, and when he had reached 81, he was captured by Selway. “Sam” was received with three times three when he reached the shed.
“Jim” Hubbard, after making seven, was foolishly run out. “Bert” Naish trebled his misfortune on Saturday, falling a victim to Brown for a duck.
“Herb.” Church, who had received a nasty blow on the left cheek through coming into contact with the ball, played a good innings and was bowled by Fry for a well-made 18.
“Jack” Keogh fell a victim to Fry for five, and “Burly” bowed to the same bowler for a unit. “Dawesie,” who must be credited with making the winning hit, cried ‘nough to Fry for 11. A.E.D. hit a fiver, which was the biggest hit of the day.
“Willie” Fuller threw his bat at Donny (unintentionally), and after making a single was bowled by Walter Moore. “Jack” Wotherspoon “spooned” the ball into the “dukes” of Fry.
Pass along the banjo! “Oh Jack, why did you hit that ball?” Cried Boebourne Rovers one and all. “I went to place it to the leg,” Said poor old “Wother,” with his egg. The game was o’er, the match was won— So it didn’t matter what he done. But on this man there was a doom, Because his name was Wotherspoon.
“Tom” Molster carried his bat to the wicket, but had no chance to use it.
George Fry did the trundling for the home team, bagging 6 wickets for 22 runs. Selway and Walter Moore also bowled well. Little “Donny” was the best man in the field, ably assisted by Brown and Harding, while “Snookie” performed well behind the sticks.
Owing to the bogey condition of the Cossack cricket ground, caused by the high tide at the port, the Civil Service–Cossack match has been postponed till today week.
Some of our local cricketers, I learn, are striving to arrange an all-day match (one end of the town against the other), for Wednesday next. It is to be hoped that “both ends will meet.”
“Short-slip” was met by an indignant cricketer the other day, and was thus warned:
“Look here you blonky (hic) quill-driver, if you (hic) say a word about me in the (hic) paper, I’ll punch your blinky nose (hic)… take it from me.”
I don’t think he was—d-r-u-n-k.
Source
CATCHES. (1897, June 19). Northern Public Opinion and Mining and Pastoral News (Roebourne, WA : 1894 – 1902), p. 3. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article255736548↩︎
State Library of Western Australia, 2025. Cossack and Roebourne Cricket Teams. Photograph taken 1900 in the North West Australian series. Retrieved June 11, 2025 from North West Australia ; BA338/1/36↩︎
Our project team are working hard to capture as many records as possible of the people in WA’s ghost communities. Once our website and search engine is fully operational you will be able to access some of these records. But for now, here are the latest figures along with a graph showing the growth in total numbers:
Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].
Wyn Green was born in Kundip in Feb 1911. In later years she wrote a poem called “The Ghost Town of My Dreams” which you can find, in full, in the book “Kundip 1901-2001” by R Goldfinch1. This is an excerpt…
The gorge still breathes its glory swathed in purpose and in gold Rocks I climbed so many times their majesty still hold There’s a lone crow a-cawing on a distant hill Where the sombre mines with their rotting lines loom, eerie, and so still.
I hear the joyous notes of childhood wafted on the air Occupants of homesteads which are dotted here and there But Alas! The vision passes, again the streets are bare – Homes have gone – have crumbled and none are there to care.
Wherever I may wander guided by my schemes Kundip, I will remember – the ghost town of my dreams
The following information was posted on the People of Western Australia’s Ghost Towns Project facebook group1 on 7 Jan 2024 by group member, Neal Winship. Thank you Neal for permission to reproduce the material here.
Located north of Perenjori and immediately to the east of the Wubin-Mullewa Highway and the railway line, the site of the Bowgada Townsite is marked by a small timber sign. All that remains of the town are the ruins of a house, a shed, some foundations, tanks and several established trees.
Settlement at Bowgada commenced from c1910. Jim Campbell 2 and his eldest son Harry were the first to settle in the area and others soon followed, especially after roads were cleared. The townsite was gazetted as Chubble in 1913 but changed to Bowgada in 1914. Bowgada is an Indigenous Australian word used to describe a bush that is found in the local area from the Acacia ramulo. The town was originally a railway siding for cropping and stock, two industries that still thrive in the area.3
After “a drawn out struggle with the Education Department a small school was established at Bowgada and in 1924 Jim Chomley’s Store and Post Office opened. The store, later known as Maurice’s Store, a timber and iron building with a residence to the rear, burnt down c1932. An Agricultural Society was formed in 1926 which assisted in securing a free grant for land for a sports oval and tennis court. A Hall was built using voluntary labour where many social activities were held. The Perenjori Co-operative Co. opened a branch in 1928, however business slumped when the Depression hit and the store was sold for £700 in 1936 to Mr Stephen Maurice and his wife Lily. The weatherboard building, which also accommodated the Dalgetty Agency, the post office, and the telephone exchange, was later purchased by Gilbert Allen and his sister Mrs Matthews. It was subsequently sold to Mrs Dorothy Flavel who lived in a house north of the store which” was later relocated to another location. The school closed on 31 October 1941 for amalgamation with the Morawa School. The post office at Bowgada closed in 1974 and the stock yards were dismantled the following year.
From BowgadaFrom Bowgada
The Bowgada Townsite has considerable historic significance as a former settlement in the Perenjori District. It’s demise is evidence of the centralisation of services and the effect of improved transport and communications of small rural settlements. The place is held in high esteem by local residence , for its former glory .Ruins , The house is of impressed concrete block construction and has no roof. To the rear is a timber framed corrugated iron clad garage/shed while immediately to the north are the foundations of Maurice’s Store including a ramp. Horses were gradually replaced on the farms and in 1924, although there was only one tractor in the district, five farmers now owned cars. Areas under crop increased, cricket and tennis clubs established and a school built. Bowgada was described as a ‘flourishing centre’ in 1927 as it awaited a record crop of 45,000 to 50,000 bags. It had a strong community spirit with a recreation ground and a good cement pitch for the Cricket Club. The annual ball organised by the Primary Producers’ Association was popular and the 1929 a children’s fancy dress and masquerade ball in aid of the Christmas tree was described as ‘the most successful function ever held in the Bowgada district.’ In 1935 it was declared that ‘golf was by far the most popular sport’ with the Perenjori Road Board completing nine holes on new links between Bowgada and Perenjori, with a further nine to come.
The 1920s were a time of strong community building. In 1924 Bowgada was described as ‘a growing district’ and after three years of struggle and with the help of local Members of Parliament, the school opened. Speeches at the opening described progress of the farming community from 1910 when Bowgada did not exist and 14 settlers struggled with no transport and lack of water to 1924 when 80 people resided in the district which had seen 14,000 acres ‘fall before the axe and the fire’, with 8000 acres under crop.
The school, with fireplace and tanks and with a ‘picturesque’ school hall was built ‘with the voluntary labour of settlers. It provided enough space for socials and dances, from the first social held in February 1924 welcoming the school teacher Miss Kelly.4 A Parents and Citizens’ Association was formed and dances in the school hall became monthly events. The school closed in 1941 with the few remaining students bused to Morawa.
In 1924 the Chomley family moved to the district buying land and opening a store and post office. There are some fascinating reflections on the building process and the decision to start a store in an oral history by James Chomley. 5 He remembered arriving in the district and getting bogged in the ‘siding’ and meeting the district’s population ‘the whole six or seven of them’ who arrived to meet the weekly train. Seeing a wagon load of stores, the settlers asked if they could get a bit of flour or sugar.
“Of course, everybody was wanting something and the old man thought, well this is no good, I’m going to finish up with nothing. So he thought, well, maybe it would be a good idea. There’s nothing here so I’ll start a store. So he went down to the wagon and served out to everybody that wanted things, and then he and Uncle Reg built a shed made out of salmon gum poles, or gimlet poles, and ti-tree, which was in those days called a bough shed. That was the first store. He put all his store stuff into there and sorted it out and made it into a little bit of a store.
“Then they decided that as we were in the township that was – or wasn’t [laughs] – that it would be an idea if Mother took over the position of postmistress and collected the mail and people didn’t have to go out to Gilmores to get it. Mrs Gilmore was delighted to hand it over. So the first store and post office was started off in that bough shed and just beside it there was two tents which was the living and eating quarters.
“It later grew into a ‘great big galvanised shed which was divided up with hessian, about seven foot high hessian walls inside.”
Chomley’s Store and Post Office operated to 1929 when the Depression hit and the family moved to their farm east of the Bowgada siding and sold the store to Stephen John Maurice. 6 Maurice had recently arrived from Wales with his wife and son where he had worked as a shop manager. He moved to Carnamah for a few months until he shifted to Bowgada in July 1929 and set about reconstructing what now became known as Maurice’s store. Maurice put up a new building for postal facilities and remained in the district until around 1942. The timber and iron building was destroyed by fire in about 1932 – its foundations remain today.
The siding itself was often bypassed in the 1920s as settlers carted to Koolanooka, partly because of the direction of roads, partly because there was a weighbridge there. In 1929 it was decided to install a weighbridge at Bowgada. In the early 1930s farmers in the Bowgada district agitated for bulk handling facilities for the siding. Deputations to the Premier and other government ministers eventually paid off and in 1936 Bowgada siding was one of those 46 sidings to be equipped with bulk facilities by Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd.
An Agricultural Society was formed in 1926 and the Perenjori Co-operative Co. opened a branch next to Chomley’s store in 1928. As James Chomley recalls: “They built a store right beside ours, and that was one big room with a wooden floor. Out the back there was a little compartment, two rooms, one for sleeping and big enough for one person to sleep in and then the other side it was just some place where they could cook and eat their meals and that sort of thing. They used to get what they could for breakfast and lunch but they always came to our place for dinner of a night time and had a hot meal of a night time, because there was always a roast or a stew or something hot.”
The Bowgada Farmers’ Cooperative Society was formed in 1936. But times were touch in the 1930s and the Choleys walked off their farm in 1939. In 1949 the population numbered 177. The post office closed in 1974 and the yards were dismantled in 1975. The population in 2021 was 33. 7
Bowgada. (1924, February 21). The Yalgoo Observer and Murchison Chronicle (Meekatharra, WA : 1923 – 1941), p. 3. Retrieved January 26, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article233302091↩︎
It is always fascinating to read about one of our Ghost Communities in a publication that was originally written as it was all happening. The article that follows was written in 1870 and published on 26 May in The Sydney Morning Herald1. You can find it on Trove and I encourage you to seek out the original (using the link below) and view it online in its original format. However I do understand that it is difficult to read and so I have recreated it here verbatim without any claim to the content which is entirely the intellectual property of the publishers.
Tien-Tsin was the original name of Cossack after the barque that carried Walter Padbury and his party. In May 1863, Padbury landed his stock at the mouth of the Harding River near the present site of Cossack. The ship that brought the state’s governor, Frederick Weld, in December 1871 was named HMS Cossack, and the town adopted this name in 1872 (officially 1873). Cossack was the first port in the North West, and was critical to the development of the pastoral industry in the region2.
CONTENT WARNING: Before proceeding, please be aware that this is a transcript of the original text and contains concepts that may be offensive to some readers. It is not our intention to offend, but we believe it is important to understand that this was the language and content of the time and needs to be read in that context. It does not in any way reflect the opinions of the project team.
“An account of a new settlement is always interesting, but when Australian colonists venture into an entirely new country, and in addition to settling and stocking the land, discover a new industry that employs hundreds of men—both black and white—it becomes even more fascinating. Just two years ago, many parts of the district to be described here were only accessible by armed bands. Enterprising settlers are now sending down pearl shells and wool from the very spot where Panter, Harding, and Goldwire, the surveyors, were murdered by the aboriginals without provocation.
“The settlement of the Nicol Bay district, as it is known, has been quicker than any other part of Australia. It is heartening to note that the relationship between the aboriginals and the white settlers is now more friendly and satisfactory than can be seen elsewhere on the island. The prosperity of the largest part of the community relies entirely on the preservation and assistance of the natives; without their help, the settlers might explore the reefs but would not collect enough shells to repay their investment. The natives’ sharp eyesight and the large numbers in which they can be employed make their cooperation invaluable. Their usefulness serves as the best guarantee for their proper treatment. In fact, any injustice is often more likely to be borne by the whites than the blacks. Many natives gather food for themselves and their families during neap tides and walk away just when their services are needed.
“Port Walcott, the headquarters of the small boats engaged in pearl fishing and the port of entry for vessels from Fremantle that supply the settlement with stores, is located about a mile inside Butcher’s Inlet, or Tien-Tsin Creek, named after the first significant vessel that ever anchored in the bay outside. It is situated at latitude 20°40’ south and longitude 115° east, about 180 miles east of the North-West Cape. Despite bearing the high-sounding name of Port Walcott, the settlement has no better claim to the title than a single house and the hull of the New Perseverance, with several smaller dwellings that resemble mia-mias. However, as a government township has been surveyed and partly sold, it is likely that the town will soon have at least an orthodox hotel, a store, and a doctor’s shop. For now, Messrs. Knight and Shenton’s place of business onshore, and the cabin of the hulk, serve all purposes. Butcher’s Inlet has enough water on the bar to admit vessels of a hundred tons at high tide. During low water spring tides, the inlet can almost be crossed on foot. The tide along the northwest coast ranges from 17 to over 30 feet, a stark contrast to the west coast, where there is barely any rise or fall.
“During the fishing season, which begins around the first week in September and ends in April, the port is rather dull and unremarkable. However, at the close of the season, or during the neap tides, if any festivities are expected in Roebourne, the area comes alive with bustle and activity. The scene is a perfect representation of tropical Australian life. A wide mangrove creek is lined with a dozen boats, ranging from 3 to 10 tons, moored along the bank, or lying helplessly in the muddy sand at low tide. Perhaps a larger Swan River trader will be docked with clean-scraped spars and an awning spread. White settlers, dressed as minimally as decency permits, walk about, wearing fly-veils to protect their faces from the swarming flies. Aborigines from all parts of the coast are present, some cleaning and sorting pearl shells, chipping off sharp, colorless edges and tossing them as though they were worth little—when in fact, they are worth at least £150 per ton. Others are practicing spear throwing with small reeds or giges. The failure of any party to deflect a spear with their shield leads to uproarious yells of derision from one side and joy from the other. But the majority are lying on the hot sand, singing monotonous chants, accompanied by the scraping of a shell against a piece of stick held against their shoulder like a fiddle.
“Roebourne, the capital of the new country as Western Australians term the district, is located 11 miles southward, inland of Port Walcott. For some distance, the road crosses a marsh covered by the tide at high springs, making for difficult travel. All goods for the stations are brought up the creek to a jetty. From there, it is just five miles to Roebourne, and with the exception of one small marsh, the road is not too bad. The township of Roebourne consists of about twenty houses built at the base of Mount Welcome. The resident magistrate’s house and the government offices are the most prominent buildings, sitting higher up the mount and away from the threat of malaria or floods from the Harding River, whose waters sometimes get too close for comfort during heavy tropical rains. There are two rough but comfortable hotels, three stores, a butcher’s shop, a blacksmith’s forge, a large stockyard, and, of all things in such a place, a hairdressing salon. This is the current capital of North-West Australia.
“Roebourne is not without its charm, especially when the desert pea—native to the area—blooms in full flower. It has two key scenic features: mountains and a river. The Harding River is a permanent freshwater source. Races are held on the plain near the township every June, during which time nearly all the settlers and pearl fishers, numbering about a hundred, gather. The races may not be of great significance in such a small district, but for joviality and good cheer, a Roebourne race meeting could serve as an example for larger communities. Indeed, there is a noticeable absence of the ruffianism often found in new Australian settlements.
“The nearest station to Roebourne is Mr. Leake Burges’s, located 24 miles away, and carrying some 7,000 sheep. The main station is the “Mill Stream” on the Upper Fortescue, owned by Messrs. McRae, Howlitt, and Mackenzie, formerly from Victoria. Mr. Hooly had squatted on the Ashburton River, 200 miles westward and 80 miles from any neighbor, but constant attacks by the blacks, who are perhaps the most savage and untamable in Australia, forced him to move his flock to the Fortescue. The murder of the third shepherd last year led Mr. Sholl, the magistrate, to swear in a party of special constables to apprehend the murderers or, failing that, teach them a lesson. A party of six men set out to the scene of the murder and “dispersed” some of the hostile natives, who were caught spearing horses and cattle, though not without determined resistance.
“It is still uncertain whether station properties in this part of Australia will repay the investment. It has yet to do so, despite the encouragement of leases at nominal rents and other privileges given by the West Australian Government. This is partly due to the difficulty in preparing wool, the high cost of shipment to Fremantle, and the need for transshipment to England. The region also lacks mechanical means of wool preparation. Communication with Swan River is possible by land. During one food shortage in the settlement, a party rode to Perth to dispatch a vessel, and Mr. Hooly, alone and unaccompanied, completed a remarkable feat considering that the country for over 500 miles is uninhabited except by wild and potentially hostile blacks.
“There is a great scarcity of fresh water on the west coast, though the Nicol Bay country does not suffer as much in this regard. The primary drawback is that the best grazing areas are also the driest. Approximately twenty boats, mostly under eight tons, are engaged in pearl fishing. With the wind from the southward and south-east for most of the year, any vessel with a deck, no matter how small, can easily run before it until the North-West Cape is rounded, where the water remains calm due to the continuous reefs and islands. These boats generally carry two white men, who, before setting out to gather the shells, pick up as many aboriginals as possible along the coast. However, the number of boats involved in the trade, combined with losses from smallpox and other factors, has made it difficult to find enough aboriginals to properly search for the pearl oysters. As a result, the trade is no longer as profitable as it once was. Even for the most experienced fishermen, under the most favorable conditions, it is only a fair return on their investment.
“This season, two vessels from Sydney went to the fisheries but have since returned and are now in quarantine due to smallpox. Even if they had returned in good health, the expense of a trip to the South Sea Islands, where natives must be returned, as well as the cost of provisions, boats, wear and tear, and wages, makes the return on the investment not comparable. The “Kate Kearney” returned with eight tons, worth £150 per ton, and the Melanie, a large vessel, only brought back ten tons. New ground may still be found, as the fisheries currently range from Exmouth Gulf to the Annapanam Shoals, and it is known that Malay proas have visited the north coast of Australia for many years. A schooner named the Argo was outfitted from Swan River last season and ventured as far east as Camden Harbour. However, the aboriginals they had brought along ran away just as they had found valuable shell. These unfortunate men would likely never return home, as they would be speared by the first strong camp they encountered.
“Aboriginals, though well-treated, often long to return to their native lands. When taken to Fremantle, they are shown the pleasures of civilization, and, after a week, they are eager to return north. Their language is easy to learn, though dialects differ from river to river. The Eastern dialect is considered the standard, and both whites and blacks accommodate themselves to it. This means that a good understanding of the language used between Butcher’s Inlet and the De Grey River allows communication with natives from any part of the fishing coast.
“The natives primarily eat nalgo, a bulb from a species of grass. It is very palatable and resembles chestnuts when roasted. Women gather it from sandy spots along river beds or marshes. The men use two types of spear: a lighter hunting spear, thrown from a rest, and a fighting spear, thrown by hand. They also use boomerangs, clubs, and a short stick, which they throw with great dexterity. Their marriage customs are quite curious, and any breach of the intermarriage rules is punishable by death. They are divided into four great tribes or families, and in the event of a death in a camp, they may kill a fighting man from a neighboring tribe to balance their strength. They also kill those afflicted with contagious diseases, such as smallpox, which recently struck the South Sea Islanders aboard a Sydney vessel. Their dietary laws are strictly observed, and nothing will induce a native to eat tabooed food. Superstition plays a large role in their lives; they are in constant fear of a demon named Juna, responsible for all death and disease. It is believed that Juna chokes his victims.
“In their own way, the natives are great astronomers, with names for all the major constellations, such as the Large and Lesser Kangaroo and the Emu. They can distinguish fixed stars from planets. When answering questions, they tend to exaggerate, and they have legends of extraordinary men from far inland. This brief description of this fascinating race only scratches the surface, but more detailed accounts will intrigue those interested in ethnology.
“The pearl shell is not an oyster but an “avicula,” composed of nacreous laminae. It can be cut and polished in any part and is in high demand in England and on the Continent for inlaying and ornamental purposes. The shell is typically half embedded in the sandy mud and can only be harvested at low water during spring tides. Several large pearls have been found, one of which was sold in England for £260 last year.”
Christine Harris
Source
THE PEARL FISHERIES AT TIEN-TSIN, NORTH-WEST AUSTRALIA. (1870, May 26). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved December 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13205905↩︎
People of Western Australia's Ghost Towns 