Part 4—The Wheatbelt by Steve

After leaving the old gold mining area of Paynes Find we headed in a southerly direction until we were about 35k north of the town of Wubin where the first wheat farms began to appear, though in this northern area of the wheatbelt they appeared to us as if they would be marginal. We had already decided to head south rather than take the shorter route towards Moora in case the road was still not fully passable due to the recent rains. We certainly didn’t want to get bogged. Thus we stopped for the night at Jibberding Nature Reserve and had a wonderful walk where we came across the historic well (caged off for safety reasons) and Jibberding Rock. The sun was shining on something a couple of hundred metres away so we walked over to see what it was. Someone had put up a memorial to their father, using a blue Truck Parking sign, an Australian flag, a painted rock and an old truck wheel. It would appear that this fellow had been a truckie. Before we went to bed we had everything ready, including the stabilisers tucked away and the gas turned off, just in case the rains came during the night and we needed to make a quick exit so we didn’t get bogged.

Campsite, Jibberding Nature Reserve

 

Well, it didn’t rain that night, but we had an early breakfast and were away by 9.00 am. That’s rather early for us. We stopped at Dalwallinu for a coffee and, by the time we had finished, there were dark clouds building ominously towards the south and west—the direction we were heading. The wind, which had been with us from a northerly direction since the previous day, picked up in intensity, though still from a northerly direction, which was good for us as long as the road kept heading south. However, we hadn’t gone too far down the road passed the township of Pithara when the rains belted down. We were able to pull off into a parking bay and rode out the worst of the rain and wind, which didn’t last too long. I was quite confident in the ability of both vehicles to withstand what was happening around us and so we set off once again, though at a slower pace as I was mindful of wind and rain. We turned off the Great Northern Highway at Miling so we could make our way to Moora for Saturday’s parkrun. There is an RV spot behind the Council Chambers at Moora at which you can stay for up to three nights if you have a fully self-contained RV, though we only wanted to stay until after parkrun and a coffee with the locals. It continued to rain, quite heavily at times and we could hear the water running into the drains within the parking area.

After parkrun and coffee we headed towards Badgingarra driving through a variety of country—from farms to bushland. There were many small, rolling hills to drive over and, usually, at the top of each hill there was a wonderful vista opening before our eyes of farmland and bushland. The farms were showing the benefit of recent rains and those that had already been sown were certainly green. On a dead tree a Goshawk was sitting on a branch, but we couldn’t stop for a photo because the road didn’t give us that opportunity. Likewise, we weren’t able to pull over for the wildflowers beginning to show. Just before reaching Badgingarra we stopped at the Vern Westerbrook Nature Reserve for a cheese, tomato and lettuce sandwich before wandering slowly along the track—slowly because we were still sore and tired from this morning’s run. We couldn’t find any orchids but yellow, red, pink and white wildflowers were beginning to show. After the recent rains there surely will be a great display in coming weeks. We discovered why there had been so many WWII army camps around Moora. Because the Japanese were our allies in WWI and had been escorting our vessels they knew the area and had even used Jurien Bay during WWII for their submarines to recharge their batteries. The concern was that the Japanese would attack Jurien Bay during WWII so a number of army camps, with some 20,000 troops, were set up and in this Nature Reserve machine guns had been set up in slit trenches, the remains of which can still be seen. 

Sculpture of Machine Gunner, Vern Westerbrook Nature Reserve

Grass Tree, Vern Westerbrook Nature Reserve

After completing our wander we drove into Badgingarra, booked into the Tourist Park and met up with Ian Cowdell, as we did 5 years ago. Val had a coffee while I had a lime milkshake and a chilli beef pie. As we were going back to the van we saw a white peahen—I didn’t even know that they existed.

White Peahen, Badgingarra Road House

Flora, Badgingarra NP

Flora, Badgingarra NP

Panorama of Badgingarra

Flora, Badgingarra NP

Banksia, Badgingarra NP

Leaving Badgingarra, after having walked through part of the Badgingarra NP, we drove further south. The road for quite some distance was lined with the most beautiful Banksia trees with their pink flowers that had a white tip. We decided to make for the little community of Wannamal and stay overnight in their free camping spot on the site of the old school. We had paused here five years ago on our way to Mt Magnet. As there had been no churches anywhere where we were today we missed out on meeting with some of God’s people. As night fell, Val really found it to be very cold.

The next morning we followed the Wannamal Walk Trail looking at all the historical sites. Apart from some markers and a bit of foundation work in some places, next-to-nothing remains of the majority of what had been on these sites. But it was so interesting to walk the trail and examine the different sites. What struck me was the Old Wannamal Cemetery. Situated on four acres of sandy land it was gazetted in 1912, but is now closed. I found it strange that it was divided into six religious areas, even though there was no mention of a church building in town (though the Church of England did hold services in the old hall). Between 1912 and 1920 six people were buried there (three of whom were children, one a visitor from Italy, the schoolmaster from Mogumber [born 1881 in Scotland, he drowned leaving a young widow and five children, the youngest being just six weeks old] and one other person). However, the exact location of each of these plots is today unknown. For most of them, the funeral service was read by the local school teacher and it is presumed that that was because they had the status of being the only government employee in the area. The Cemetery Committee last met in 1954 and in 1997/97 the Wannamal community re-fenced the area and placed granite boulders within on which to mount memorial plaques to commemorate former residents, soldiers killed in war and those known to have been buried there.

The next morning, after writing a note of thanks to the community of Wannamal for the provision of the rest area and making a $10 donation, we headed north to Mogumber and then east towards Yerecoin. However, we had a longish stop at New Norcia to further explore this unique monastic town. This time, however, after looking over some of the buildings; spending time in the cemetery; purchasing a loaf of bread and a Boston bun; having a coffee in the hotel; we, after a bit of hesitation, took the River Walk, along the banks of the Moore River. What a great decision that was. It was well signposted with distances and times to the various points of interest that were part of the community. I was particularly interested by the fact that the monks put down some 200 wells in what had been regarded as an arid area. The result was a magnificent farming community, and we admired the wonderful farms from that point on as we made our way eastward. A sad fact about the cemetery was that the Aborigines who lived and worked at the mission had their graves marked with a simple wooden cross (nameless as far as I could see) in contrast to those of non Aboriginals. 

Cemetery, New Norcia

Aboriginal Graves, New Norcia

Graves of Abbots, New Norcia

We then made our way to Yerecoin where we stopped in town for lunch, followed by a walk over the road to get a hot chocolate from the local shop that had near-empty shelves that bore testimony to the smallness of the community and their shopping needs. It was then on through rolling hills until we arrived at the town of Wongan Hills, where we booked into the local caravan park for two nights. We so loved this place that we booked a further night as well, giving us the opportunity to explore the area in greater detail. We wandered along the Christmas Rock Walk Trail and through the Gathercole Nature Reserve. Both of these were wonderful places to walk. One of the surprising things I learnt from our walk on our last day in Wongan Hills when we drove up to Mt O’Brien Lookout was that during the 1999/2000 season there were 832,854 tonnes of wheat harvested in the Wongan Hills Cooperative Bulk Handling District, which could make a staggering 1,686,527,325 loaves of bread.

Sunset, Christmas Rock Walk Trail, Wongan Hills

Eucalyptus, Gathercole NR

Echidna, Gathercole NR

Echidna, Gathercole NR

Sundew, Gathercole NR

Sea-urchin Hakea, Gathercole NR

Everlasting Daisy, Gathercole NR

Fungus, Gathercole NR

Red-capped Robin, Gathercole NR

Farming from atop Mt. O'Brien Wheatbelt Lookout, Wongan Hills

Lake Hinds (Neakarling) from atop Mt O'Brien Wheatbelt Lookout

Wongan Valley from Mt. Matilda Walk Trail

Matilda Trig, Mt. Matilda Walk Trail

Part 3 - The Northern Goldfields by Steve

Our time in the Northern Goldfields, stretching from Kalgoorlie-Boulder northwards through Menzies, Niagara Dam, the ghost towns of Kookynie and Gwalia, Sandstone, Mt Magnet and Paynes Find, was an amazing eye-opener, even though we had seen some of this on previous visits.

Our first port of call on this wonderful trip through the Northern Goldfields was at the twin towns of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. There were magnificent old buildings that have stood the test of earthquakes while other buildings have been damaged and are in the process of being restored. There were, of course, pubs aplenty as was the case with all mining towns.

The Australia Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Public Building, Kalgoorlie

The Super Pit was so amazing.

Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

 Boulder was a different story to Kalgoorlie as the wealth seems to have deserted that town. It was a tired looking place. Many shop fronts were boarded up and some people, at least in the main street, seemed to be just hanging around with nothing to do. What a sad end to a once prosperous business district.

Cornwall Hotel, Boulder

Closed Shops, Boulder

A trip to the Old Boulder Cemetery was a sad occasion. The following is an extract of the historical information about this cemetery:

Both neglect and vandalism have led to the present state of this cemetery, though the council has now erected a fence around the property to prevent vehicles entering and causing more damage. The first burial was in the Church of England section on 9^th September, 1899. The first Methodist burial was on 4^th October, 1899 and five days later a burial took place in the Roman Catholic section. The Presbyterian section was first used on 19^th December, 1899 and over the next four and half years there were almost 800 burials, which averages one burial every second day. Because of the excessive cost of grave digging the ironstone sections and the inadequate road access, a new cemetery was established closer to Boulder, with the last burial here being on 30^th May, 1904, when this cemetery was officially declared “closed”. Of the 797 burials the following statistics are available: Methodists 36%, Church of England 28%, Roman Catholic 24%, Presbyterian 8.5% with the Baptists, Disciples of Christ and general accounting for 3.5%. An interesting fact is that following its closure there were 46 removals to other cemeteries. Only 62 graves, which is barely 8%, had any monumental work, which indicates the economic circumstances of the early Boulder families. In the Methodist section, Block 21 was opened as a Children’s Section (for still-born babies through to about 12 years of age) and over the two years from its opening, 73 children were buried here. The Methodists, with 289 burials, were the largest denomination and this has been traced back to the early preaching of John Wesley in the mining districts of Britain where many in Wales and Cornwall were converted to the truth of Jesus Christ. Though the Presbyterians were the smallest of the four main Boulder denominations, the Scots brought many of their traditions with them so that with their Caledonian Societies, the Highland Pipe Bands and their kilts they were a prominent part of life in both Boulder and Kalgoorlie. Their Caledonian sports, first run in 1896 and held annually for many years, drew large crowds to watch events like running and cycling and the ‘tossing of the caber’. The first Secretary of the Boulder Cemetery Board was Rev. Stanley S. Read, minister of St George’s Presbyterian Church in Boulder. Though only arriving in Boulder City in 1899, and quickly becoming popular with his people, he applied for leave of absence in 1900 so he could accompany the West Australian contingent to the Boer War. He was granted permission to go, only to be killed in action in the Transvaal in October 1901.

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Methodist Children's Section, Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

Boulder Pioneer Cemetery

A trip to Mt Charlotte Lookout, the end of the Perth to Kalgoorlie pipeline, was a must. This pipeline, an engineering marvel in its day, brought fresh water to the city for the mines and nearby residents a distance of 560 kms from Mundaring Weir. Without it the mines and residents could not have survived. Mining still takes place in Kalgoorlie as was evidenced by our visit to the Super Pit Lookout where we stood in awe at the amazing engineering feat of open cut mining for gold. It was absolutely staggering in its size, making the dump trucks inching their way up the inclines look like large ants. But it will soon end and then what will be the future for Kalgoorlie-Boulder? 

From Mt Charlotte Lookout, Kalgoorlie

Palace Chambers and Palace Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Paddy Hannan, Kalgoorlie

Leaving Kalgoorlie we made our way towards Lake Ballard, which is west of Menzies. Over 100 years ago Menzies had a population of over 10,000 people with thirteen hotels, three banks, a Post Office with a staff of 26, a school with 205 pupils, a public library, 4 churches, breweries and cordial factories. When gold production faltered the town quickly declined. While most of the old buildings have long since disappeared there are still a few and the town has interpretive signs at significant places to tell people what was originally on that site. But, more importantly for me, there is also a series of interpretive signs relating the Aboriginal experience in Menzies in the difficult transition years. Imagine the confusion and inability of aboriginal people to transit from a traditional indigenous lifestyle to a Western capitalistic system. Yet they were expected to do so in a short space of time whereas the Europeans had taken centuries to get to the point they expected our Indigenous people to adapt to within a few short years. We were able to drive to Lake Ballard as the road was open and what a spot it was. There are 51 sculptures that are part of a trail on the lake. Each of these sculptures is derived from laser scans of inhabitants of Menzies. Because of some earlier rain we began to slip and slide across the clay underneath the salt that had uncrystallised in the water. Stretching across the lake were the stumps of an old fence line. There were some large salt crystals lying on the bed of the lake that had not dissolved. We climbed the hill I had run up yesterday and admired the stunning view. After a couple of nights here we drove back into Menzies and I went to inspect the old railway station, though it was fenced off. It had been “specially designed” by the Public Works Department and comprised a Station Master’s Office, clerk’s office, ticket office, parcels room, luggage room, luggage entrance, public and ladies waiting rooms and toilets. These facilities were criticised was being an “unmindful extravagance” while the latrines and lamp rooms were considered “far too costly and extensive”. However, the opening of the railway has been described as the greatest day in Menzies’ history and freight and men poured through this town on their way to the far-flung goldfields further north.

The old Post Office, Menzies

War Memorial, Menzies

War Memorial Mural, Menzies

Silhouette honouring Underground Miners, Menzies

Silhouette picturing Aboriginal Children taking food to the train for travellers.

Achievable Outback Cafe, formerly the Menzies Hotel

The "Red Light Lady's" Invitation

Originally the "Pioneer Newsagency", Menzies

The old General Store, Menzies

The old General Store, Menzies

Lake Ballard, Menzies

Statue, Lake Ballard, Menzies

Campsite, Lake Ballard, Menzies

Silhouette honouring Railway Workers

Then it was on to Niagara Dam, which is now nothing but a free camping area in the middle of what was once a mining community. Yes, the old dam still exists, showing the need for water for the emerging townships that rapidly developed when gold was discovered and were just as quickly abandoned when the gold petered out. We enjoyed our time there as we did both the walk around the Breakaways and the Dam. We found the Breakaways amazing with their colours and shapes and enjoyed our wander over and through them. One of the amazing things about the dam was the Debris Filter that was there to trap dead animals, logs, trees, boulders, etc that would be swept along with the raging torrents on those occasions when there had been a solid downpour.

Campsite, Niagara Dam

Niagara Dam

The following day, after I had a fast 10k run, along the Niagara Dam Road and then towards Kookynie, we took the gravel road to Kookynie which had a few little slippery patches but nothing that was of concern. Kookynie is a living ghost town in that it has largely been deserted but some people still lie there. We stopped on the side of the road to wander through part of the old township, pausing to read the interpretive panels that described what had been there. It was all so interesting. I’m sure that there were more abandoned and rusty old cars lying around than there are inhabitants of that town today. We could have spent a lot more time there than we did but, because we had a deadline of being in Mt Magnet for Sunday morning, we cut our time short and left off our exploring that place.

National Hotel, Kookynie

National Hotel, Kookynie

Abandoned Vehicle, Kookynie

Abandoned Vehicle, Kookynie

Cosmopolitan Hotel, Kookynie

Old Building, Kookynie

Death and Decay abounds in Kookynie

Old Building, Kookynie

Abandoned Mine Shaft, Kookynie

We left the main road at Malcolm to view the town site but all we could experience were our worst lot of corrugations that shook us around a bit. So we headed along the road, through Leonora, to the ghost town of Gwalia. The old State Hotel, now owned by the mining company, stood vacant and in a bit of disrepair. I did ask Val if they served spirits there. Ha ha ha! Most of the buildings had disappeared over time but some decades ago an enterprising woman decided that the history of Gwalia should be preserved and managed to encourage others in her quest to have the remaining buildings restored as much as possible to their original condition. The houses the miners and their families lived in were rough and ready indeed and those inhabitants put up with so much just for the sake of gold. What a stark rebuke to us in our easy way of life that expects everything and hates hardships. We had a coffee in Hoover House, which was the built for the Mine Manager, Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31^st President of the United States. There was some controversy about its construction because, at £600, it cost six times as much as other quality houses. He had a lot of materials imported from the States. It certainly is an impressive building, and in stark contrast to the Miners’ Cottages down the hill (though it has been modernised for accommodation). The “Leonora Hearse” on display in the Museum was originally a horse drawn buggy that underwent a number of changes, the most “recent” being when it was fitted onto the back of a 1927 Chevrolet Four body. Beside it was the electric tram that ran between Gwalia and Leonora between 1908 and 1921. Again we couldn’t stay to explore the rest of the town, which was never gazetted as a town so we pushed on. Each of these places, and those we didn’t visit, would require a full day to explore and enjoy. I’m certainly loving the Northern Goldfields. Heading further north towards Leinster we passed a lonely grave but couldn’t stop for it.

State Hotel, Gwalia

Lock Up and Pub, Gwalia

The Pink House, Gwalia

The Pink House, Gwalia

The Pink House, Gwalia

The Pink House, Gwalia

Pub, Gwalia

Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Newspapered Wall, Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Sons of Gwalia Mine, Gwalia

The Leonora Hearse, Gwalia

The Leonora Hearse, Gwalia

Electric Tram, Gwalia

Mine Manager's Residence, Gwalia

Mine Manager's Residence, Gwalia

Mine Manager's Residence, Gwalia

Mine Manager's Residence, Gwalia

Newspapered Wall, Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Floorboards, Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Laundry, Miner's Cottage, Gwalia

Mechanic's Shed, Gwalia

Hospital, Gwalia

Hospital, Gwalia

 This was followed by a brief stop in Sandstone, another gold mining town—but one that has continued to exist and which takes great pride in its buildings.

National Hotel, Sandstone

We stayed for a few days in Mt Magnet so we could spend time with Surendra and May (Surendra is the minister of the small church there; chaplain at the local school; and PIM padre following in the steps of Rev John Flynn). John Flynn, through his commitment to the isolated people of the Outback, spread a mantle of safety over the interior through the development of the Australian Inland Mission which sent men out to travel vast areas to take services and render practical help to those living in these isolated regions. Through him and those working with him there was the establishment of bush hospitals and nurses to staff them; the pedal radio which allowed stations to contact outside help; and the establishment of what later became known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

From there we drove down to the old gold mining township of Paynes Find. Mining still takes place in the area but there is not much to see apart from the Road House/Tavern. A couple of the older surviving buildings are in the grounds of the Road House and up the road is the old Gold Battery, to which we walked, though it won’t reopen until the school.

Caravan Park, Paynes Find

The old Butcher's Shop, Paynes Find