When we visited there back in 2009 you could camp in any of the 'town's' streets. We camped in front of the old hotel (which was filled with mining equipment). And we were stalked by an emu every time we left our motorhome!
Don't miss Lake Ballard (out of Menzies) if you haven't been there.
A whole town, shop and all, furnishings etc just disintegrating
in the little houses still standing.
Most interesting day in years for me!!
A good camp there too.
B
Absolutely fantastic place to visit. Many of the buildings have been brought in from other areas to re-create a complete town, and there is a working mine visible from the museum. Free camp at museum although I didn't stay as I was in the Roadtrain!
Well worth a trip from Kalgoorlie, with a nice van park in town (Leonora) if you need power and water etc. Good pub. Cheers
My Grandfather used to run the State Hotel in Gwalia, as well as the Weeloona Hotel in Wiluna, Big Bell Hotel and Reidy Hotel all in the gold rush days............very interesting.
My Grandfather used to run the State Hotel in Gwalia, as well as the Weeloona Hotel in Wiluna, Big Bell Hotel and Reidy Hotel all in the gold rush days............very interesting.
Hi Bob, Only 2 weeks ago I visited Big Bell. Amazing!
For a town that existed for fewer than 20 year there certainly is some history there.
Only ruins of the pub, walls of a church and bits of one house left .
Pub had the longest bar in Australia, and there even was a convent which was dismantled and shipped to Geraldton.
Hi Bob, Only 2 weeks ago I visited Big Bell. Amazing!
For a town that existed for fewer than 20 year there certainly is some history there.
Only ruins of the pub, walls of a church and bits of one house left .
Pub had the longest bar in Australia, and there even was a convent which was dismantled and shipped to Geraldton.
Tough Old Buggas back then! Cheers
Yeah, tough alright Chris.
We did a goldrush / old pub tour back in 2016, with the neighbours from Bridgetown.
All those places mentioned, plus Broad Arrow, Ora Banda, Menzies, Niagara Dam/Kookynie, Leonora, Laverton, Leinster, Sandstone, Mt Magnet, Cue etc etc,
even went to the Wiluna Shire and found directions to my Great Grandmothers grave in the old cemetery.
Cheers Bob
Yes Bob, been to all those places except Laverton, which I will visit when I travel the Great Central Road, probably next April.
Was going to leave a month ago but had friends travelling from overseas to visit me in Perth, so getting a bit late now.
Broad Arrow pub has good free camp, Menzies is great to spend a day wandering around, Niagara has HUGE free camp areas with toilets, Kookynie Pub was a disappointment. Bluddy horse stands in doorway to bar and Old lady publican has no PR skills, possibly caused by Hubby being very ill. Pub is on market for $500,000 but interesting ruins around town. Worth a visit but not overnight.
Ora Banda was great, as were Siberia, Davyhurst and Bullfinch which was the only one where I saw anybody, although there are mines in the area.
Leonora is no more than a mining town, but has a great El Cheapo campsite and huge meals at the mine's canteen.
Sandstone was a disappontment. Been there twice, and both times NOTHING was open mid-afternoon. Pub, cafe and General Store all closed. Never again.
Mt Magnet is a great old town with a lot of history, although most shops now are vacant and the only place for meals during the day is the servo. Old miners cottage is great, and there is a gravesite for an unidentified Mother and Child who died in the Typhoid plague of 1908. Lennonville was a town of 3000 but existed for only 7 years. Now all that remains is the Railway platform and a graveyard.
Cue certainly is worth a stop and has a big free camp near the main street. Lots of history, and well worth half a day to walk around, exploring old buildings and imagining life 'way back'. Population has dropped to 178 from a peak of 10,000! Whole main street is empty shops. The Indian chap at the servo cooks absolutely fantastic Aussie meals at a great price.
Big Bell is a short travel North and well worth visiting. Road down to Yalgoo is all good dirt, but I went that way to get a look at Dalgaranga, an abandoned homestead and farm buildings? Excellent, and well worth the detour.
This is a fantastic part of WA and highly recommended if you like exploring "The Bush". Cheers
