Captured Records at 31 January 2026

The total number of records captured as at 31 January 2026 was 123,471. Now that the very typical slow down over the festive season is past we will be seeing the also very typical ramp up in number of records collected. Congratulations to the project team who are working so hard to make this project great!!

Since the end of November, we have added about 40 new communities to the list of captured records – ranging (alphabetically) from Barrow Island to Yule River, and spread geographically all over our state.

As you can see from the list below, some of the record numbers are very low. This happens when we are researching one community and come across records for another community that is on our list. We capture the strays as we go along because we don’t want to miss anything!!

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:

List of Communities
Progress Graph

List of Communities

Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].

Community name (including some alternate names)	No of records collected
25 Mile	4
36 Mile Police Station	52
4 Mile (Menzies)	2
45 Mile	3
71 Mile Well	2
90 Mile	319
Abbott’s	58
Agnew	4
Aldersyde	4
Aldinga	53
Anaconda	2
Argyle	1
Argyle Police Station	6
Arrino	2
Austin	3
Baandee	120
Balkuling	50
Bamboo Creek	38
Bandee	76
Bardoc	47
Barrow Island	1
Barton	88
Beela Railway Siding	1
Benjaberring	13
Beria	1
Bernier Island	2
Big Bell	6527
Bila Railway Siding	1
Black Flag	44
Black Range	14
Bodallin	6
Bonnie Vale	181
Boogardie	1
Boorabbin	4
Bootenal	237
Bowgada	1
Boyadine	172
Boyerine	400
Broad Arrow	58
Brown Hill	173
Brown’s Mill	23
Buchanan River	5
Buldania	196
Bullabulling	27
Bullaring	108
Bullfinch	66
Bulong	1038
Bummers Creek	57
Bungarun Lazarette	60
Bunjil	25
Buntine	213
Burakin	8
Burbanks	2
Burbidge	3
Burnakura	57
Burtville	42
Butcher’s Inlet	16
Butterfly	1
Calooli	30
Camden Harbour	14
Camden Harbour Expedition	8
Cane Grass Swamp Hotel	11
Canegrass	102
Carbine	512
Carinyah	38
Caron	11
Cashmans Bore	1
Celebration City	5
Chesterfield	1
Comet Vale	70
Condon	3
Coodardy	6
Coonana	91
Cork Tree Flat	10
Corunna Downs Station	17
Cossack	42260
Craiggiemore	9
Cuddingwarra	17
Cue	6006
Culham	180
Darlot	5
Dattening	3
David Copperfield Mine	13
Davyhurst	25
Day Dawn	3459
Delambre Island	2
Derdebin	37
Derdibin	1
Dinningup	2
Dinninup	1538
Diorite King	8
Dore Island	2
Dowerin Lakes	405
Dudawa	15
Duketon	12
Dundas	1
Dunnsville	1
East Kirup	126
East Kirup Timber Mill	8
East Kirupp	65
Edjudina	40
Ejanding	9
Elverdton	2
Eradu	758
Erlistoun	27
Eticup	7
Eucalyptus	157
Eucla	159
Euro	30
Ferguson Mill	104
Ferguson Timber Mill (Lowden)	1
Ferguson Timber Mill (Yarloop)	2
Fernbrook	18
Feysville	350
Field’s Find	215
Fields Find	650
Fletcher’s Creek	4
Fly Flat	5
Gabanintha	902
Galena	181
Galena Bridge	3
Gap Well	3
Garden Gully	9
Garden Well	2
Geraldine	141
Geraldine Mine	293
Ghooli	343
Gindalbie	1
Golden Valley	14
Goodwood	29
Goodwood Timber Mill (Donnybrook)	888
Goomarin	1373
Goongarrie	6409
Gordon	5
Grants Patch	1
Grass Patch	15
Greenough River	513
Grimwade	1
Gum Creek	8
Gunyidi	22
Gwalia	4689
Haig (Railway Siding)	3
Hampton Plains	7
Harris	6
Hawk’s Nest	53
Hawkes Nest	6
Hawkes Nest Gold Mine	4
Hawks Nest (Laverton)	9
Hearson Cove	1
Higginsville	700
Holden’s Find	2
Holyoake	10
Howatharra	2
Ida H	1
Ives Find	1
Jarman Island	40
Jibberding	729
Jindong	14
Jitarning	133
Jonesville	1
Kallaroo	64
Kamballie	130
Kanowna	12973
Kathleen	8
Kathleen Valley	29
Kintore	16
Kodj Kodjin	46
Kokeby	2
Kookynie	2232
Korrelocking	16
Kudardup	27
Kukerin	1
Kulja	24
Kunanalling	166
Kurnalpi	60
Kurrajong	8
Kwelkan	26
Lake Austin	178
Lake Darlot	15
Lancefield	8
Lawlers	20
Lennox	3
Linden	2
Londonderry	103
Ludlow	4
Ludlow (Capel / Busselton)	462
Ludlow Bridge	1
Lunenberg	80
Lunenburgh	11
Malcolm	767
Mallina	10
Mangowine	33
Marchagee	8
Mark’s Siding	10
Marrinup	4
Maya	44
Merilup	13
Mertondale	5
Mia Moon	320
Mia-Moon	350
Miamoon	1853
Minnivale	219
Mogumber	1557
Mollerin	3
Moolyella	1
Moore River Native Settlement	455
Mornington Timber Mills (Wokalup)	1
Mount Erin	59
Mount Erin Estate	3
Mount Ida	2
Mount Jackson	16
Mount Kokeby	140
Mount Malcolm	327
Mount Margaret	137
Mount Monger	5
Mount Morgans	36
Mt Erin	119
Mt Ida	1
Mulga Queen Community	190
Mulgabbie	8
Mulgarrie	2
Mulline	1
Mulwarrie	2
Mundaring Weir	277
Murrin Murrin	531
Nalkain	818
Nalkain Railway Siding	12
Nannine	282
Nanson	134
Naretha Railway Siding	9
Needilup	2
Neta Vale Telegraph Station	16
New England	1
Newlands	97
Newlands Timber Mill	9
Niagara	294
Niagara (North)	5
Ninety Mile	139
Ninghan	2
Ninghan Station	15
Nippering	6
No 6 Pump Station (Ghouli)	44
Noman’s Lake	414
Nomans Lake	91
North Baandee	1
North Bandee	40
Nugadong	889
Nullagine	17
Nungarin (North)	27
Nyamup	5
Ogilvie	53
Ogilvies	10
Old Dowerin	143
Old Halls Creek	3782
Onslow (Old)	27
Ora Banda	326
Paddington	7
Payne’s Find	136
Paynesville	23
Peak Hill	18
Piesseville	51
Pilbarra	33
Pindalup	19
Pindalup Ports No.1 Timber Mill (Dwellingup)	20
Pindalup Railway Siding	20
Pingarning	97
Pingin	48
Pinjin	159
Pinyalling	1
Plavins	15
Port George IV	1
Quindalup Timber Mills	3
Red Lake School	8
Redcastle	12
Reedy	14
Roaring Gimlet	149
Rothesay	42
Rothsay	65
Sandstone	22
Shannon	19
Shay Gap	1
Sherlock	3
Siberia	12
Sir Samuel	2
Smithfield	9
Spargoville	1
Speakman’s Find	1
St Ives	1
Stake Well	2
Star Of The East	22
Stratherne	13
Sunday Island	48
Sunday Island Misson Station	44
Surprise	71
Surprise South	5
Tampa	9
Tardun	1
Taylor’s Well	316
Taylors Well	22
Tenindewa	8
The Island Lake Austin	3
Tien Tsin	62
Trafalgar	346
Tuckanarra	106
Tullis	16
Two Boys	13
Ularring	327
Ullaring	25
Vivien	33
Vosperton	1
Waddi Forest	3
Wagerup	2
Walgoolan	34
Wannamal	1
Warriedar	16
Webb’s Patch	1
Whim Creek	2
White Feather	813
White Hope	1
White Well	9
Wilga	3
Wittenoom	1
Woodley’s Find	4
Woolgangie	3
Woolgar	318
Woop Woop Timber Mill	305
Wyening	30
Wyola	744
Xantippe	22
Yaloginda	10
Yandanooka	148
Yankee Town	29
Yarri	1
Yerilla	49
Yetna	58
Yornup	73
Youanmi	18
Youndegin	5
Yuba	25
Yule River	6
Yundamindera	1
Yunndaga	324
Zanthus	20

Progress Graph

The Yilgarn Goldfield

The Unsung Pioneer of the Yilgarn: The Story of Richard Greaves

The history of Western Australia is inextricably linked to the glitter of gold. While names like Bayley and Ford often dominate the narrative of the great 1890s rushes, the foundations of these discoveries were laid years earlier by men whose names are less frequently celebrated. One such figure was Richard Greaves, a Victorian miner whose grit and keen eye for geology helped unlock the Yilgarn goldfield, paving the way for the legendary wealth of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.

The Early Spark of Discovery

Before the Yilgarn was even on the map, Western Australia’s golden potential was largely a series of rumors and small-scale finds. The first “payable” quantity of gold was discovered in 1881 by Phillip Saunders on the Mary River in Kimberley. Though the Kimberley field was never a massive producer, it proved that the state held more than just traces of gold, acting as a magnet for experienced prospectors from the eastern colonies.

Among these arrivals was Richard Greaves. He landed in Western Australia in 1885 at the age of 35, bringing with him a lifetime of experience gained by following his father through the famous Victorian gold rushes. For a time, he worked as a plasterer in Perth, but the call of the “outback” was too strong to ignore.

The Lawrence Syndicate and the Trek East

In 1887, Greaves’ life took a pivotal turn when he met William Lawrence, a Perth boatbuilder who had seen promising gold specimens from the north. Lawrence, sensing an opportunity, formed a high-profile syndicate to fund an expedition. This group included several prominent Perth citizens, such as Dr. Scott (the Mayor of Perth) and future Premier George Leake.

The expedition was led by Harry Anstey, a metallurgist. Greaves and his partner, Edward Payne, were the hands-on prospectors. The terms were modest: thirty shillings a week, food, and a one-eighth share of any find. On July 5, 1887, the party set out from St. George’s Terrace in Perth, equipped with a specialized dray and a water tank, heading toward the unknown beyond the Toodyay ranges.

July 15, 1887: A Fateful Discovery

The journey was not easy. The party met other prospectors, like a man named Colreavy, who were so discouraged they urged Anstey’s team to turn back. However, Greaves and Payne pushed forward to Enuin, then part of George Lukin’s station.

The breakthrough occurred on the slopes of the Yilgarn Range. Greaves later recounted the moment they found a “floater” (a piece of ore detached from the main reef). As he and Payne worked the outcrop, they realized the magnitude of their find:

The First Speck: Payne spotted a visible speck of gold in a sample.
The “Half-Solid” Gold: Greaves turned over another piece of rock with his pick, discovering it was nearly half solid gold.
The Reef: Within ten minutes, they located the main reef, finding quartz heavily studded with the precious metal.

This was the first payable gold ever found in the Eastern Goldfields.

Controversy and the “Cordelia” Mine

While the find was historic, it was also the source of long-standing bitterness. The Western Australian Government paid a £500 reward for the discovery, but it went to Harry Anstey as the leader of the party. Greaves later claimed he was the actual discoverer, but his official claim for recognition was rejected by the Mines Department on the grounds that he was a “paid servant” of the syndicate.

Greaves’ luck with official recognition didn’t improve. After the Enuin find, he and Payne discovered another rich outcrop about 12 miles away, which Greaves named the Cordelia mine. To mark the site, he dragged a log over the reef and set it on fire, leaving a heap of ashes as a marker.

For “old time’s sake,” Greaves shared the location of the Cordelia with Colreavy, the man he had met earlier on the trail. Shortly after, Colreavy announced a discovery at a place he called Golden Valley, which Greaves insisted was his Cordelia mine. Colreavy received a government reward; Greaves did not.

The Path to Coolgardie

Perhaps the most poignant part of Greaves’ story is how close he came to discovering Coolgardie. While at Enuin, an Aboriginal woman named Maggie told him of a place called “Coolgoon,” where she claimed there was “plenty of similar stuff”.

Greaves intended to investigate, but his health failed him. After multiple operations and being forced to wear a “leather waistcoat” for support, he attempted to return to the field but was too weak to continue. He was forced to turn back just as Bayley and Ford—who were eventually guided by native locals—made the find that would “stagger the world”.

Legacy of a Prospector

Richard Greaves never achieved the immense wealth that his discoveries generated for the state. He eventually found a quieter life as the caretaker of the James-street school and gained a reputation as a champion rifle-shot.

He died in 1916, but his 1903 book detailing his experiences ensures that his role in the Yilgarn—and his hand in the first reef found in the Eastern Goldfields—remains a matter of historical record. For history enthusiasts and casual readers alike, Greaves represents the thousands of “forgotten” miners whose persistence built the foundations of modern Western Australia.

Editor’s Note: This story was taken from an article that appeared in The West Australian on 2 July, 1936.¹ If it interests you, then I recommend that you read the story in full on Trove.

(1936, July 2). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), p. 14. Retrieved January 27, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3691361 ↩︎

Russian Jack

Author: Colin Judkins (Colin’s Facebook Profile), 11 January 2026

His name was “Russian Jack” although his real name was Ivan Fredericks, but that wouldn’t do in the Aussie outback, would it!!

He came from the mostly frozen city of Arkhangelisk (located on the north coast of Russia), not far from Siberia. In the early 1880s he decided to head for Derby in the far North West of Western Australia. You could hardly find two locations more different and further from one another in the whole world.

Those who knew him described him as “a magnificent specimen of a man” he was said to be just under 7 feet tall and weighing a lean 18 stone in weight. He was believed to be “the strongest man in Australia” at that time.

He loved his food, consuming enormous amounts in a single sitting. Three pounds (1.5kg) of steak, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread and a pound of butter (and that was just his entree!!). He supposedly liked emu eggs. “There was a lot more eating in them” he would often say.

In the small town of Derby, Jack constructed an abnormally large wheelbarrow, with shafts/handles over 2 metres long. A specially carved wooden (wide) wheel made it easier to negotiate both soft soils and the rough country of the outback, areas where he went searching for gold.

The long low wheelbarrow with straight shafts resembled a sled and it would most likely have been easier to pull than to push. With the friction on the wooden wheel, the average man had difficulty in moving the barrow at all, even when empty! Russian Jack would often push loads well in excess of 80 kilograms, and at times loads far greater than that!! (as you will see).

A pic of Jack later in his life with one of his trusty “Wheelbarrows”. It shows the wheel to be a cut section of a thick log,
bored through the centre, around a foot thick.

When he and a mate were halfway to the Kimberley country, his companion fell ill. Jack loaded his mate’s swag and stores, on top of his already laden wheelbarrow, allowing the sick man to walk alongside.

Having travelled over 60 kms, his friend became too sick to walk any further, so Jack put him on top of the load and wheeled him along the track, sadly not long after that his mate died. He buried him beside the track and continued his journey alone.

“His feats symbolise the mateship and endurance of the pioneers of the region, then lacking all the amenities of civilisation.”²

During one of his early overland trips, Jack came across two elderly prospectors who were too exhausted to carry their swags and gear any further, they were resting in the shade of a tree waiting for death to end their suffering. He loaded their gear on to his wheelbarrow and helped them get to the nearest settlement some 50 ks further on.

On another occasion Jack saved another stricken gold prospector, (all of this rescuing must have been a real pain for him, but due to his kind nature, he just couldn’t leave anyone in need).

This man was called Halliday, he was found lying semi-conscious beside a lonely track in the Kimberley near Fitzroy Crossing, a victim of typhoid fever. Jack helped the sick man on to his wheelbarrow and pushed him and their combined camping gear across a few hundred kms of rugged country to the tiny township of Halls Creek. (Old Halls Creek, not where Halls Creek is today), there the sick man was given medical treatment and lived to tell the tale.

Old Halls Creek
Duncan Road, Ord River
Lat/Long: -18.24854484895759, 127.78225683864191

One other recorded event was when Jack and a mate were returning from an unsuccessful prospecting venture inland when their food supply ran really low. His mate decided to chase a Roo on foot, tripped and broke his leg. In typical fashion Jack lifted his injured mate onto his wheelbarrow and pushed him to safety.

When they arrived in town, one of the locals mentioned that Jack must have travelled over a particular rough track, one that had heaps of pot holes and gullies along it. Jack told the admiring on-lookers, “I pushed him over a hundred miles (160 kms) in that damn wheelbarrow.” his mate with the broken leg, still sitting on it remarked drily, “Yes, and I’ll swear he hadn’t missed a rock or hole on the whole track.”

Jack was one of the first arrivals on the Murchison goldfields and at Cue, (roughly 700 ks north of Perth. The police “station” was just two tents and a rough enclosure for their horses. It was decided to get a large tree stump or log from some distance away, and transport it back to Cue on a wagon.

The log was set up near the police tents, they then fastened a strong chain to it and that became the Cue Gaol.

Jack was prospecting in the area when he came into town for supplies on one occasion. Prior to returning to his camp about 12 ks out of town, he decided to stop at the pub for a beer or three!! His enormous wheelbarrow was loaded with all his groceries, a bag of potatoes, drilling gear and a wooden box full of explosives. On top of that was casually placed a tin of 50 firing caps (extremely sensitive objects) particularly dangerous sitting on top of sticks of dynamite!!!

With the slightest jolt the firing caps could easily have caused a major explosion. Jack didn’t mind for when he left in the early evening he was happily drunk. He effortlessly took up the shafts of his great wheelbarrow and headed off, but being a bit under the weather (so to speak) he weaved all over the track trying to push it in the right direction towards his camp.

A policeman saw that he’d had a “few” so decided to help him get safely out of town. He then spotted the firing caps sitting precariously on top of the load. For his and everyone else’s safety the policeman wanted to detain him so he could sober up a bit.

He was unsure how to do it for Jack being so big and strong, he had to be handled cautiously at the best of times. His continued staggering all over the road whilst loudly singing a song in his raucous, booming voice had the “Copper” a tad nervous!! As they drew near the police tents he got his police mates to help stop Jack, they suggested quietly and diplomatically that he should re-pack his barrow.

By this time Jack was thirsty again so agreed to sit down quietly for a spell. As Jack rested, he dozed off and fell asleep. The police re-packed his barrow properly then handcuffed him to the huge log, wanting to restrain him until he had sobered up, he could then (hopefully) make his own way back to his camp in the bush the next morning.

Overnight the policemen were urgently called out of town to a disturbance. Somehow they completely forgot about Jack being chained to the large log near the police tents. Later the next day the policeman who had detained him suddenly remembered that he had left Jack secured to the log back at Cue.

Riding quickly back to town the policeman was stunned to find that Jack was gone, AND SO WAS THE LOG!! It would have taken four men to lift it so he reasoned that some of the residents had moved the log and Jack to a shady spot out of the sun.

The policeman conducted a quick search for him finding him quietly sitting at the bar of the open air pub. He was having a beer and a chat with the owner, the log was beside Jack, who was still chained to it!!

Apparently Jack woke up during the night with a terrible thirst, he could see a water bag hanging near one of the police tents and called out for a drink. There was no response so heaved the great log up on to his shoulder and walked to the tent. He then emptied the water bag and went back to sleep.

When he woke, the hot sun was beating down on him. “Dying” for a drink and not particularly fussed how he got it, he again heaved the huge tree stump off the ground, balanced it on his shoulder and headed off to the nearest pub a half a mile away.(far out, big time)!!

When it opened there was Jack, chained to the log asking for a cool ale to prevent him from dying of thirst. That’s where the policeman later found him saying “I thought I left you in goal, Jack”. “So you did,” he replied, “but it was a low act of you to leave me all night with no drink. Have a drink with me now and I’ll go back to goal.” With the amazed police officer in tow, Jack again shouldered the goal log and strolled back to the police tents where he restored the makeshift “goal” to its original position.

The officer then removed Jack’s chain and put a billy on a campfire and shared a cuppa, The policeman said to him: “You had better go back to your show (goldmine) now but next time you want to have a few drinks, don’t buy explosives at the same time” Later Jack thanked the police for preventing him leaving town with his firing caps unsecured.

He was asked what he would most like to achieve in his life. His reply was, “I would like to retire near a city and grow lots of vegetables, then sit down by myself and eat the lot”

Following Russian Jack’s death in 1904 at the age of 40, (apparently from pneumonia) an obituary in a Fremantle newspaper said: “Russian Jack, if there are Angels in Heaven who record the good deeds done on earth, thou wouldst have sufficient to thy credit to wipe out the many faults that common flesh is heir to.” How nice was that !!.

His death certificate records his profession as “market gardener,” revealing that the big man seemingly fulfilled his life-long ambition to have his own private vegetable supply.

Jack was buried in a paupers grave as he had no next of kin and very little wealth. Around 2015 money was raised and a suitable headstone was placed over his grave, to honour one of West Australia’s and indeed Australia’s most colourful characters and pioneers.

Today 122 years on from his death, Russian Jack’s loyalty to his fellow workers, mates⁴ and even people he didn’t know is still remembered and has become legendary in Australian folklore.

I hoped you enjoyed reading about one of the most remarkable characters to ever live and walk our fair land.

R.I.P. “Russian Jack”, you were a bloody ripper.⁵

Footnotes

State Library of Western Australia, n.d. George Spences Compton collection of photographs of the Eastern Goldfields; 5001B/59. ↩︎
Outside Halls Creek shire offices in the far north-west of Western Australia, this memorial to Russian Jack can be found. It commemorates his feats of carrying those needing assistance on his wheelbarrow. The sculpture cost over $20,000 (a fair bit of dough back when it was unveiled in 1979, it is not to scale as it would have been far too expensive to do so!! ↩︎
Today the Cue Caravan Park houses the old gaol built in 1896. It was a temporary home to prisoners being transported from outback lock ups in the north until its official closed in 1914. It was however, still used as a lock up until the 1930s. (Shire of Cue) ↩︎
One of the those events was the time that he pushed his sick mate over 300 kilometres in his wheelbarrow to Hall’s Creek. In reality it is thought to be closer to 60 ks that he pushed him, (Not sure that lessens the legend of the great man, still a Herculean effort I reckon!!). ↩︎
Peter Bridge has recently published a book called “Russian Jack” it has a wealth of researched information on Ivan Fredericks. It points out that some of the stories and myths about him may have been exaggerated by those telling his story many years ago, (having a little bit of Mao added!). ↩︎

Population of the Northern Goldfields – 1905

Editors Note: This very informative article is reproduced from the Kookynie Press.¹

We [the newspaper] recently obtained fascinating population statistics for the North Coolgardie district, courtesy of Inspector Woods, detailing the population as compiled by the police up to June 30. These figures offer a crucial look at the shifting fortunes of the Northern Goldfields communities.

The Overall Trend: A Net Loss for the Region

Compared to the statistics compiled the previous year, the North Coolgardie district as a whole has experienced a loss of 256 people.

While some centers managed to hold steady or even grow, others saw significant decreases in population. Menzies, for instance, managed to remain the same.

The most substantial population losses were recorded in:

Kookynie, showing a significant drop of 559 residents.
Morgans, which lost 132 residents.
Malcolm, which saw a decrease of 125 residents.

However, the outlook was much brighter for several key towns, demonstrating that growth continues in specific pockets of the goldfields. Towns reporting major increases include:

Leonora, which gained 240 people.
Laverton, which grew by 230 people.
Gwalia, which added 100 people.

Substantial increases were also recorded in the areas of Murrin and Yundamindera.

Detailed Population Statistics by District

The following tables provide the detailed breakdown of the population in the North Coolgardie district as of June 30, 1905.

MENZIES DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Menzies	998	467	379	1,844
Woolgar	144	52	55	251
Comet Vale	11	3	7	21
Goongarrle	60	9	10	79
Mt Ida	94	15	15	124
TOTAL	1,307	546	466	2,314

KOOKYNIE DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Kookynie	1,020	220	175	1,415
Champion	50	15	18	83
Britannia	19	5	10	34
Puzzle	11	2	2	15
Niagara	150	31	22	203
Tampa	30	4	6	40
Yerilla	100	5	4	109
TOTAL	1,390	282	241	1,915

MALCOLM DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Malcolm	250	90	60	400
Webster’s Find	60	20	10	90
Mertondale	240	60	20	320
Dis. gen.	81	15	27	123
TOTAL	631	185	117	933

GWALIA DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Gwalia	585	185	160	930

LEONORA DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Leonora	395	196	140	731
Tower Hill	93	11	3	107
Dis. gen.	337	45	31	413
TOTAL	825	252	174	1,251

YUNDAMINDERA DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Yund’m’n’dra	167	45	48	260
Edjudina	115	23	24	162
Pingin	57	2	0	59
Dis. gen.	85	3	4	92
TOTAL	424	73	76	573

MURRIN DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Murrin	370	33	29	432

MORGANS DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Morgans	665	282	138	1,085
Dis gen.	103	11	8	122
TOTAL	768	293	146	1,207

LAVERTON DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Laverton	205	60	41	306
Euro	8	2	3	13
Craiggiemore	55	17	24	96
Lancefteld	160	20	36	216
Augusta	20	3	4	27
Ida H.	80	22	25	127
Hawke’s Nest	20	0	0	20
Erlston dis.	338	27	16	371
TOTAL	886	151	149	1,196

BURTVILLE DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Burtville	228	42	30	300

SIR SAMUEL DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Sir Samuel	413	100	69	582

LAWLERS DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Lawlers	430	130	110	670
Cue’s Patch	115	16	13	144
Darlot	140	22	14	176
Dis. gen.	308	41	17	366
TOTAL	993	209	154	1,356

BLACK RANGE DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Black Range	92	19	11	122
Dis. gen.	463	24	23	510
TOTAL	555	43	34	632

DAVYHURST DISTRICT

Location	Males	Females	Children	Total
Davyhurst	625	98	125	848
Callion	10	1	2	13
Siberia Soak	6	1	2	9
Mulwarrie	47	12	13	72
Ullaring	19	2	0	21
Mulline	130	24	22	176
Riverina	48	5	10	63
TOTAL	885	143	180	1,208

Sources

Population of the Northern Goldfields. (1905, July 15). Kookynie Press (WA : 1903 – 1911), p. 1. Retrieved December 15, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251123991 ↩︎

Announcement

The People of Western Australia’s Ghost Towns project team are pleased to announce the launch of Phase 5 on 7 December 2025. Phase 5 will add 19 new communities to those already in progress.

Click on the name of the town to find out what we know about it – so far. Our research continues and we will be keeping all our content up to date with our latest discoveries!

The new communities are:

Do you know anything about any of these communities? Do you have pictures, stories, documents, records of any type? Please let us know via the comments panel.

Captured Records at 30 Nov 2025

The total number of records captured during the month of November, 2025 was 11,984 – that’s our best month since the project started. Congratulations to the project team who are working so hard to make this project great!!

The list of captured records now includes ten new communities for which we have found people who are now part of the permanent dataset. These communities are Austin plus The Island Lake Austin, Balkuling, Bila Railway Siding, Haig, Harris, Jindong, Lennox, Old Onslow, and Yaloginda.

List of Communities
Progress Graph

List of Communities

Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].

Community Name (including alternate names for some communities)	Records Captured
25 Mile	4
36 Mile Police Station	52
4 Mile (Menzies)	2
45 Mile	3
90 Mile	319
Abbott’s	58
Agnew	4
Aldersyde	4
Aldinga	53
Anaconda	2
Argyle	1
Argyle Police Station	6
Arrino	2
Austin	3
Baandee	120
Balkuling	49
Bamboo Creek	38
Bandee	76
Bardoc	47
Barton	88
Benjaberring	13
Beria	1
Bernier Island	2
Big Bell	6527
Bila Railway Siding	1
Black Flag	43
Black Range	14
Bonnie Vale	178
Boogardie	1
Boorabbin	4
Bootenal	199
Boyadine	83
Boyerine	309
Broad Arrow	58
Brown Hill	173
Brown’s Mill	23
Buchanan River	5
Buldania	167
Bullabulling	26
Bullfinch	66
Bulong	798
Bummers Creek	15
Bungarun Lazarette	60
Bunjil	25
Buntine	122
Burakin	8
Burbanks	2
Burbidge	3
Burnakura	57
Burtville	41
Butcher’s Inlet	16
Butterfly	1
Calooli	30
Camden Harbour	14
Camden Harbour Expedition	8
Cane Grass Swamp Hotel	11
Canegrass	102
Carbine	438
Carinyah	36
Caron	11
Cashmans Bore	1
Celebration City	1
Chesterfield	1
Comet Vale	70
Condon	3
Coodardy	6
Coonana	91
Cork Tree Flat	3
Corunna Downs Station	17
Cossack	41967
Craiggiemore	9
Cuddingwarra	14
Cue	6002
Culham	180
Darlot	2
Dattening	3
David Copperfield Mine	13
Davyhurst	25
Day Dawn	3457
Delambre Island	2
Derdebin	4
Dinningup	2
Dinninup	1538
Diorite King	8
Dore Island	2
Dowerin Lakes	405
Dudawa	15
Duketon	12
Dundas	1
Dunnsville	1
East Kirup	51
East Kirup Timber Mill	8
East Kirupp	8
Edjudina	40
Ejanding	9
Elverdton	2
Eradu	650
Erlistoun	27
Eticup	7
Eucalyptus	152
Eucla	159
Euro	30
Ferguson Mill	104
Ferguson Timber Mill (Lowden)	1
Ferguson Timber Mill (Yarloop)	2
Feysville	293
Field’s Find	200
Fields Find	650
Fly Flat	5
Gabanintha	876
Galena	181
Galena Bridge	3
Gap Well	3
Garden Gully	9
Garden Well	2
Geraldine	141
Geraldine Mine	293
Ghooli	343
Golden Valley	14
Goodwood	29
Goodwood Timber Mill (Donnybrook)	888
Goomarin	1373
Goongarrie	6409
Gordon	5
Grants Patch	1
Grass Patch	15
Greenough River	492
Gum Creek	8
Gwalia	4685
Haig (Railway Siding)	3
Hampton Plains	7
Harris	6
Hawk’s Nest	53
Hawkes Nest	6
Hawkes Nest Gold Mine	4
Hawks Nest (Laverton)	9
Hearson Cove	1
Higginsville	695
Holden’s Find	2
Holyoake	10
Howatharra	2
Ida H	1
Ives Find	1
Jarman Island	40
Jibberding	158
Jindong	14
Jitarning	38
Jonesville	1
Kallaroo	64
Kamballie	130
Kanowna	12751
Kathleen	8
Kathleen Valley	29
Kintore	16
Kodj Kodjin	46
Kokeby	2
Kookynie	2232
Korrelocking	16
Kudardup	27
Kulja	24
Kunanalling	166
Kurnalpi	60
Kurrajong	8
Kwelkan	11
Lake Austin	178
Lake Darlot	15
Lancefield	8
Lawlers	18
Lennox	3
Linden	2
Londonderry	60
Ludlow	4
Ludlow (Capel / Busselton)	462
Ludlow Bridge	1
Malcolm	767
Mallina	10
Mangowine	33
Marchagee	8
Mark’s Siding	10
Marrinup	4
Maya	35
Merilup	12
Mertondale	5
Mia Moon	68
Minnivale	219
Mogumber	875
Mollerin	3
Mount Ida	2
Mount Jackson	16
Mount Kokeby	140
Mount Malcolm	325
Mount Margaret	25
Mount Monger	5
Mount Morgans	35
Mt Ida	1
Mulga Queen Community	190
Mulgabbie	5
Mulgarrie	2
Mulline	1
Mulwarrie	2
Mundaring Weir	277
Murrin Murrin	531
Nalkain	815
Nalkain Railway Siding	12
Nannine	281
Naretha Railway Siding	9
Needilup	2
Neta Vale Telegraph Station	16
New England	1
Niagara	294
Niagara (North)	5
Ninety Mile	139
Ninghan Station	15
Nippering	6
No 6 Pump Station (Ghouli)	44
Nomans Lake	17
North Bandee	40
Nugadong	766
Nullagine	17
Nungarin (North)	27
Nyamup	5
Old Dowerin	143
Old Halls Creek	3782
Onslow (Old)	27
Ora Banda	162
Paddington	7
Payne’s Find	103
Paynesville	22
Peak Hill	17
Piesseville	35
Pilbarra	30
Pindalup	19
Pindalup Ports No.1 Timber Mill (Dwellingup)	20
Pindalup Railway Siding	20
Pingarning	97
Pingin	3
Pinjin	25
Pinyalling	1
Plavins	15
Port George IV	1
Quindalup Timber Mills	3
Red Lake School	8
Redcastle	12
Reedy	14
Roaring Gimlet	149
Rothesay	42
Rothsay	65
Sandstone	20
Shannon	19
Shay Gap	1
Sherlock	3
Siberia	12
Sir Samuel	1
Smithfield	9
Spargoville	1
Speakman’s Find	1
Stake Well	2
Star Of The East	22
Stratherne	13
Sunday Island Misson Station	44
Surprise	71
Surprise South	5
Tampa	9
Tardun	1
Taylor’s Well	316
Taylors Well	22
Tenindewa	8
The Island Lake Austin	3
Tien Tsin	62
Trafalgar	346
Tuckanarra	17
Two Boys	13
Ularring	327
Ullaring	25
Vivien	33
Vosperton	1
Walgoolan	18
Warriedar	16
Webb’s Patch	1
Whim Creek	2
White Feather	813
White Hope	1
White Well	9
Wittenoom	1
Woodley’s Find	4
Woolgangie	3
Woolgar	318
Woop Woop Timber Mill	305
Wyening	30
Wyola	734
Xantippe	12
Yaloginda	10
Yandanooka	135
Yankee Town	4
Yarri	1
Yerilla	49
Yetna	58
Yornup	73
Youanmi	17
Youndegin	5
Yuba	21
Yundamindera	1
Yunndaga	324
Zanthus	20

Progress Graph

Captured Records at 31 Oct 2025

First of all, an apology. Due to a number of circumstances, we did not publish our statistical report as at 30 Sep 2025. So this report covers our progress for the two months since 31 August 2025.

As previously announced during the month of October, we reach the major milestone of 100,000 records captured by our team. Congratulations to all project team members for a magnificent effort.

The total records captured up to 31 October 2025 is 103,384. During the past two months, about 30 communities have been added to the list of those communities who have any records captured. These new communities are highlighted in the list below.

As at 31 Oct 2025, our Master List shows we have identified 617 ghost towns, plus 833 alternative names relating to 396 of the 617 towns. Our task means that we research and record people associated with all 1,450 of those town names.

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:

List of Communities

Quick Tip: to quickly see if your favourite ghost town is already in this list, press CTRL+f [find].

Community name (including alternative names for some communities)	Records Captured
25 Mile	4
36 Mile Police Station	52
4 Mile (Menzies)	2
45 Mile	3
90 Mile	319
Abbott’s	58
Agnew	4
Aldersyde	4
Aldinga	52
Anaconda	2
Argyle	1
Argyle Police Station	6
Arrino	2
Baandee	120
Bamboo Creek	34
Bandee¹	76
Bardoc	47
Barton	88
Benjaberring	13
Beria	1
Bernier Island	2
Big Bell	6527
Black Flag	43
Black Range	14
Bonnie Vale	178
Boogardie	1
Boorabbin	4
Bootenal	199
Boyadine	83
Boyerine	309
Broad Arrow	57
Brown Hill	173
Brown’s Mill	14
Buchanan River	5
Buldania	18
Bullabulling	26
Bullfinch	66
Bulong	798
Bummers Creek	15
Bungarun Lazarette²	60
Bunjil	14
Buntine	122
Burakin	8
Burbanks	2
Burbidge	3
Burnakura	57
Burtville	41
Butcher’s Inlet	16
Butterfly	1
Camden Harbour	14
Camden Harbour Expedition	8
Cane Grass Swamp Hotel	11
Canegrass	102
Carbine	438
Carinyah	36
Caron	11
Cashmans Bore	1
Celebration City	1
Chesterfield	1
Comet Vale	70
Condon	2
Coodardy	6
Coonana	38
Cork Tree Flat	3
Corunna Downs Station	17
Cossack	38703
Craiggiemore	9
Cuddingwarra	14
Cue	6002
Culham	178
Darlot	2
Dattening	3
David Copperfield Mine	13
Davyhurst	25
Day Dawn	3457
Delambre Island	2
Derdebin	4
Dinningup	1
Dinninup	1533
Diorite King	8
Dore Island	2
Dowerin Lakes	405
Dudawa	15
Duketon	12
Dundas	1
Dunnsville	1
East Kirup	51
East Kirup Timber Mill	8
East Kirupp	8
Edjudina	40
Ejanding	9
Elverdton	2
Eradu	650
Erlistoun	27
Eticup	7
Eucalyptus	152
Eucla	159
Euro	30
Ferguson Mill³	104
Ferguson Timber Mill (Lowden)	1
Ferguson Timber Mill (Yarloop)	2
Feysville	293
Field’s Find	200
Fields Find	650
Fly Flat	5
Gabanintha	876
Galena	181
Galena Bridge	3
Gap Well	3
Garden Gully	9
Garden Well	2
Geraldine	141
Geraldine Mine	293
Ghooli	343
Golden Valley	14
Goodwood	29
Goodwood Timber Mill (Donnybrook)	888
Goomarin	1373
Goongarrie	6409
Gordon	5
Grants Patch	1
Grass Patch	15
Greenough River	492
Gum Creek	8
Gwalia	4685
Hampton Plains	7
Hawk’s Nest	38
Hawkes Nest Gold Mine	4
Hawks Nest (Laverton)	9
Hearson Cove	1
Higginsville	689
Holden’s Find	2
Holyoake	10
Howatharra	2
Ida H	1
Ives Find	1
Jarman Island	34
Jibberding	155
Jitarning	33
Jonesville	1
Kallaroo	64
Kamballie	130
Kanowna	7606
Kathleen	8
Kathleen Valley	29
Kintore	16
Kodj Kodjin	46
Kokeby	2
Kookynie	171
Korrelocking	16
Kudardup	27
Kulja	24
Kunanalling	166
Kurnalpi	60
Kurrajong	8
Kwelkan	11
Lake Austin	117
Lake Darlot	15
Lancefield	8
Lawlers	18
Linden	2
Londonderry	58
Ludlow (Capel / Busselton)	460
Ludlow Bridge	1
Malcolm	749
Mallina	10
Mangowine	33
Marchagee	8
Mark’s Siding	10
Marrinup	4
Maya	35
Merilup	12
Mertondale	5
Mia Moon	68
Minnivale	219
Mogumber	875
Mollerin	3
Mount Ida	2
Mount Jackson	16
Mount Kokeby	140
Mount Malcolm	325
Mount Margaret	25
Mount Monger	5
Mount Morgans	33
Mt Ida	1
Mulga Queen Community	190
Mulgabbie	5
Mulgarrie	2
Mulline	1
Mulwarrie	2
Mundaring Weir	277
Murrin Murrin	531
Nalkain	815
Nalkain Railway Siding	12
Nannine	281
Naretha Railway Siding	9
Needilup	2
Neta Vale Telegraph Station	16
New England	1
Niagara	294
Niagara (North)	5
Ninety Mile	139
Ninghan Station	15
Nippering	6
No 6 Pump Station (Ghouli)	44
Nomans Lake	17
North Bandee⁴	40
Nugadong	766
Nullagine	17
Nungarin (North)	27
Nyamup	5
Old Dowerin	143
Old Halls Creek	3782
Ora Banda	162
Paddington	7
Payne’s Find	103
Paynesville	9
Peak Hill	17
Piesseville	35
Pilbarra	30
Pindalup Ports No.1 Timber Mill (Dwellingup)	20
Pindalup Railway Siding	20
Pingarning	97
Pingin	3
Pinjin	25
Pinyalling	1
Plavins	15
Port George IV	1
Quindalup Timber Mills	3
Red Lake School	8
Redcastle	12
Reedy	14
Roaring Gimlet	149
Rothesay	42
Rothsay	63
Sandstone	20
Shannon	19
Shay Gap	1
Sherlock	3
Siberia	12
Sir Samuel	1
Smithfield	6
Spargoville	1
Speakman’s Find	1
Stake Well	2
Star Of The East	22
Stratherne	13
Sunday Island Misson Station	44
Surprise	71
Surprise South	5
Tampa	9
Tardun	1
Taylor’s Well	316
Taylors Well	22
Tenindewa	8
Tien Tsin	62
Trafalgar	346
Tuckanarra	17
Two Boys	13
Ularring	189
Ullaring	24
Vosperton	1
Walgoolan	18
Warriedar	16
Webb’s Patch	1
Whim Creek	2
White Feather	24
White Hope	1
White Well	9
Wittenoom	1
Woodley’s Find	4
Woolgangie	3
Woolgar	318
Woop Woop Timber Mill	305
Wyening	30
Wyola	734
Xantippe	12
Yandanooka	135
Yankee Town	4
Yarri	1
Yerilla	49
Yetna	58
Yornup	73
Youanmi	17
Youndegin	5
Yuba	21
Yundamindera	1
Yunndaga	324
Zanthus	20

Recorded as Bandee in error. This will be corrected to Baandee in the future. ↩︎
More recent research requires a re-examination of these records. They will be updated once the differentiation between the Lazarettes at Cossack and Derby is fully understood. ↩︎
These records relate to Ferguson Mill school/s. Unable to determine which location. ↩︎
Recorded as North Bandee in error. This will be corrected to North Baandee in the future. ↩︎

Progress Graph

On This Day – 31 Oct 1888

Hubert Burton was having a bad day. The Roebourne Police Court, sitting on 31st Oct 1888, heard four charges arising from offences against a James Edkins all in the course of one day at Yule River. Two charges were for assaulting Edkins. The third charge was for using abusive and threatening language about Edkins. And then to top it all off, there was a fourth charge for false imprisonment – Burton was alleged to have taken Edkins into custody and detained him for a period of three hours.

Burton was found guilty on all four counts. He was fined 20/- or one month’s imprisonment on each charge and ordered to pay £6 1s in court costs.

But what made him do it? Well, here is the twist in the tale…

Having dealt with Burton, the court turned its attention to Edkins. Mr Roderick McKay charged Edkins with assaulting an aboriginal called Jerry, at Yule River, on the same day that the Burton assaults took place. He was found guilty and fined £5 or 2 months imprisonment.

While it would seem that the magistrate was pretty clear about who was the villain of the piece, I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

Author’s note: The report of the hearings was found in the Western Mail – ROEBOURNE POLICE COURT. (1888, December 1). Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32714243

A new school for Coonana

Author’s Note: This report is taken from The West Australian – 15 Aug 1941¹.

Farthest-east School.

“The State Government is about to provide a school for 20 children at Coonana, 100 miles east of Kalgoorlie on the trans-Australian railway. It will be the Education Department’s farthest-east school. The Commonwealth Government is building cottages for its railway employees at Coonana, where there are about 12 married men with families, and the department took advantage of the presence of builders to have the school erected at the same time. It will consist of a wooden classroom (20 ft. square), for the construction of which the tender of Henry Martin and Co., amounting to £627, has been accepted.”

The Coonana Primary School operated from 1942 until 1980². Coonana Siding was named after a nearby hill that was first recorded as Coonaanna by W.P. Goddard in 1890. The possible meaning of the word is “hill of ashes”³.

Sources

NEWS AND NOTES (1941, August 15). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47156702 ↩︎
Wikipedia (2025). List of schools in rural Western Australia. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_in_rural_Western_Australia ↩︎
PocketOz (2025). Let’s Go Travelling: Railway Ghost Towns and Sidings on the Nullabor Plain. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://pocketoz.com.au/rail/ghost-towns-nullarbor.html ↩︎

Burglary or Misstep?

A Curious Case in Higginsville, 1907

In the early days of January 1907, the quiet mining town of Higginsville, Western Australia, found itself at the centre of a curious legal drama. Nestled in the Goldfields-Esperance region, Higginsville had only recently been gazetted as a townsite that same year. Named after prospector Patrick Justice Higgins, the settlement was a modest but active hub for goldfield workers, with a population that hovered around a few dozen. Life in Higginsville revolved around the rhythms of mining, the railway, and the local hotel—often the social heart of such frontier towns.

Criterion Hotel, Higginsville 1908
Photograph in the collection of the State Library of Western Australia¹

It was at this hotel that the alleged crime took place. On the night of January 3rd, Charles Jacobson, a carpenter and long-time resident of the goldfields, was accused of breaking and entering the licensed premises of Hannah Warburton with intent to commit a crime. The trial commenced the following afternoon before the Chief Justice and a jury of twelve, with Crown Solicitor A. E. Barker prosecuting and Mr. F. H. Rickarby defending the accused.

According to the prosecution, Jacobson had been among the last patrons in the hotel bar before closing. Later that night, a disturbance was heard by one of Warburton’s sons, who, along with another man, discovered that entry had been forced through the beer cellar. Jacobson was found inside, barefoot, with his boots left outside the flap—an odd detail that would become central to the case.

The Crown argued that the cellar flap had been opened with force, suggesting intent. Jacobson’s proximity—his camp lay just 50 yards away—added to the suspicion. Though he claimed to have fallen into the cellar and struck his head, the prosecution questioned his motives. “If he only wanted to steal a drink,” Barker noted, “it was a crime.”

Testimonies from Hannah Warburton and her family, as well as Harry King and Constable Finch, supported the prosecution’s narrative. Jacobson, however, maintained that he had no recollection of entering the cellar, attributing his condition to drunkenness and fatigue. He insisted he had returned home to his two young sons after the incident.

The defence leaned heavily on the testimony of Jacobson’s children. Carl Jacobson, aged 11, recounted seeing his father leave the camp after being invited for a drink by an unknown man. He described watching his father from a hole in the tent wall and later witnessing him return, bruised and disoriented. His twin brother, Thomas, corroborated the account.

Mr. Rickarby, in his address to the jury, emphasized the lack of clear intent and the possibility of an accident. Mr. Barker, confident in the simplicity of the case, chose not to offer a rebuttal.

The court adjourned at 4:15 p.m. on 22 March 1907, with the Chief Justice set to deliver his summation the following morning. When proceedings resumed, the jury returned a verdict of acquittal. Jacobson’s story—that he had accidentally fallen into the cellar and had no knowledge of any attempted robbery—was ultimately believed. The case closed not with condemnation, but with a reminder of how easily circumstance can be mistaken for intent.

Author’s Note

This article was prepared from contemporary accounts found in newspapers from Kalgoorlie ², Adelaide ³ and Sydney.⁴

State Library of Western Australia. Stage coaches prepare to leave for Coolgardie. Photograph, 1908. http://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6580636_2 ↩︎
ALLEGED BREAKING AND ENTERING. (1907, March 23). Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90399939 ↩︎
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. (1907, March 25). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), p. 6. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58128560 ↩︎
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. (1907, March 25). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14858266 ↩︎