Old Gaol
In the Museum complex in Francis Street, Pert. A Georgian style stone building (designed by R.R. Jewell) and a good example of colonial architecture. Build in 1856 it was Perth’s original prison until 1888, and an important building during the convict era. Today the Old Gaol has been extensively restored, and visitors can see reminders of Perth’s early days.
Photo courtesy: theslowdrive
Westonia
Just off Route 94, the small town of Westonia 310km cast of Perth gained its name from Alfred David Weston, a sparetime prospector who stumbled across gold in 1910 while on his way to the Goldfields.
Weston’s discovery sparked a rush of prospectors, and the ruins of just one of the many gold mines, the Edna-May can be seen 1km outside the town.
The historic Edna-May Tavern is Westonia evokes the simple architectural charm of an earlier age.
Sandford Rocks, one of the many granite outcrops throughout The Golden Way, is a popular picnic stop just east of Westonia.
Visual source: jocom
Laverton
If anywhere typified the rip-roaring image of the gold rush, it was the Laverton district at the turn of the century.
Such was the wild behavior of the miners in the district, it was reckoned that at one stage the only person buried in the Burtville cemetery who had died from natural causes was a six-week old baby.
Laverton declined after the surface gold was mined out in the early 1900s, but revived in the 1970s following the discovery of nickel at nearby Windarra.
The giant Windarra mine, centerpiece of the fabulous Poseidon nickel boom of the early 1970s, can be viewed by visitors although the mine itself is not open for inspection.
Visitors can use Laverton as a base to explore the many ghost towns and abandoned gold mines in the district, including Burtville, Gladiator, Heffernans and Just in Time.
Laverton, 360k north of kalgoorlie, is the end of the sealed section of the Warburton Range Road. It is also accessible by air from Perth and kalgoorlie.
Visual source: theplancollection
The stone spectacle of Wave Rock is one of the natural wonders of Where the Rivers Begin. Thousands of tourist have stood in awe beneath the “lip” of the 15-meter high wave frozen at the point of breaking.
The feature actually consists of two rocks. The wave effect has been created over 2,700 million years by the weathering of an overhanging wall attached to the northern side of a granite formation known as Hyden Rock.
The colors which streak the face of the rock, adding to its wave-like character, are the result of chemical deposits washed from the rock.
There are also other attractions including Aboriginal hand paintings and distinctive rock formations within walking distance.
At Anderson Rocks, north of Hyden, there is a granite formation with the unusual feature of 3 gnamma (water) holes.
The rural town of Narembeen, 54km north of Kondinin, gained its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “Emu Hill”. History of the district is traced in the Old Church Museum and Outdoor Museum, while a well which was used by the pioneers is still in use at Emu Hill to the west.
The farming district of Kulin, 23km south of Kondinin, is a convenient stopover for travelers between Perth and Esperance.
Near Kulin are the spectacular Jilakin monolith, the sculptured Buckley’s Breakaway and Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve.
Photo courtesy: ggpht
The Avon Valley’s nearest town to Perth, Toodyay, lies amid a tranquil rural setting, easily accessible from Perth by car or in the comfort of Westrail’s “Prospector” train. Toodyay is ideal for picnics with Duidgee Park and the Lookout Reserve being the most popular spots.
Originally constructed 5km away on a site which proved to be flood-prone, the town grew in it’s present setting from 1860 and was known as Newcastle until 1910, when it reverted to the original name. aboriginal word “duidgee”, meaning place of plenty. Among Toodyay’s many outstanding examples of well-preserved historic buildings is the Old Newcastle Gaol.
Built by convicts in 1864 to replace the original Toodyay lockup, which was further downstream and across the river, it is now a fascinating museum where visitors can examine colonial-era artefacts and try their hands at brick-making or bottle-rubbings or take part in a mock trial.
The three-storey Connors Mill, built in 1870 as a steam-driven flour mill and later a power house, houses the Toodyay tourist center and an exhibition devoted to Moondyne Joe, Western Australia’s most notorious bushranger.
Moondyne Joe roamed the rugged, bush-clad hills around Toodyay in the 1860s. Among his many exploits was a daring escape from the Old Toodyay Lockup. Moondyne Joe’s colorful deeds are remembered in April each year when Toodyay celebrates the Moondyne colonial and Convict Festival.
The annual Western Australian Folk Festival is also held in Toodyay each September. Also close to Toodyay are the historic Coorinja Winery and the Hoddy Well Archery Park, where beginners of all ages as well as experts stalk targets along natural bushland trails. A short distance off the road between Perth and Toodyay is the inspiring Avon Valley National Park, with its impressive winter waterfall. Railway travelers get outstanding views as the train follows the river through the park.
Photo courtesy: static.flickr
Norseman is the eastern gateway to Western Australia, the first major town encountered by travelers crossing the Nullarbor from the Eastern States. The town, set amid woodland of slender eucalypts dotted y shimmering salt lakes, owes its existence to pastoralists, gold miners and a horse! Surveyor John Septimus Roe first explored the area in 1848, pastoralists followed him, and the discovery of gold in 1892 brought the first prospectors.
Then in 1894, prospector Laurie Sinclair’s horse, Norseman, stumbled over a large gold nuggets, discovering the first of a series of rich quartz reefs. To commemorate its important part in Norseman’s history, a statue of the horse now stands near the center of town. The Norseman area is second only to Kalgoorlie’s Golden Mile in the volume of gold produced, and mining continues.
Nearly a century of gold mining has given Norseman its most striking feature—a 40 meter-high, flat-topped “mesa” on the edge of town made up of mine tailings. The tailings are estimated to contain some $50 million worth of gold. Tours of the central Norseman Gold Corporation’s spectacular open-cut and underground mine are available, while many old mine workings can be inspected around the town. Visitors who hope to find their own gold (and perhaps emulate the horse Norseman) can get a Miner’s Right and advice from the Mines Department on where to go fossicking amongst the old mine workings. Fossicking for gemstones is also popular with visitors and locals—permits are available from the Tourist Bureau.
Beacon Hill Lookout, on the outskirts of Norseman, gives a sweeping view of the mines, ancient salt lakes, surrounding gypsum hills and the Jimberlana Dyke, reputed to be one of the oldest geological areas in the world. Norseman, at the junction of The Golden Way and the Eyre Highway (National Route I), lies approximately halfway between Perth and the South Australian order. Highway I continues south from Norseman to the coast at Esperance. Daily coach services from all State capitals pass through Norseman. There is also one flight a week from Kalgoorlie and Esperance.
South-west of Norseman are the Peak Charles an Frank Hann National Parks, both of which features attractive wild flower displays in spring. Peak Charles, a highly weathered granite mountain, gives panoramic mountain, gives panoramic views of the surrounding bushland from its lookout—other parts of the peak are popular with experienced rock climbers. Bothe national parks have minimal facilities, and travelers need to be totally self-sufficient.
Photo courtesy: flickr
About 59km south of Kalgoorlie, Kambalda is a mining ghost town that died with gold and came back to life with nickel. The town was born in 1887 with the discovery of gold and the establishment of the Red Hill mine, near the shores of the giant salt pan. Lake Lefroy. But the gold ran out by 1907.
Nearly 60 years later, Western Mining Corporation announced the discovery of a massive nickel deposit and the establishment of Australia’s first nickel mine at Kambalda.
Viewed from the modern mining town, with its twin centers 4km apart (after geologist found further nickel deposits in an area set aside for future growth), it is in marked contrast to the gold mining ghost towns so common in the area.
The original gold-mining town is Hunt’s Well and the graves of early pioneers in the cemetery are among the few reminders of the original town.
Daily coach services between Perth and the Eastern States pass through the town.
Photo courtesy: abc.net
Cervantes is a thriving fishing and resort town. The town’s name derives from an American whaling ship wrecked off the coast in 1844. The coastal lands surrounding Cervantes features intense displays of wildflowers, particularly from August to October each year.
Just 29km south of Cervantes in the Nambung National Park, is one of Australia’s most striking natural features,- The Pinnacles. A formation of limestone outer crops standing in a small sandy desert. The Pinnacles create an eerie atmosphere. Dutch sailors who spotted the columns from the sea prior to European settlement thought they were seeing the remains of an ancient city. Nambung National Park also features colorful displays of wildflowers and wattles.
Cervantes is 245km north of Perth via the Brand Highway (turn off at Bibby Road). Half-day coach tours of The Pinnacles are available from Cervantes, and full-day tours depart from Perth.
Photo courtesy: k43 pbase
