Fabulous fortunes, shocking tragedies, mystery and excitement surrounding Western Australia’s many ghost towns are being unveiled.
In an ambitious, six-year project, FamilyHistoryWA has launched a project called The People of Western Australia’s Ghost Towns.
“This is to ensure that these individuals and locations are not forgotten,” says project manager, Tracie Mulvey.
The target completion date, June 2029, coincides with the joint celebrations for the Western Australian Bicentenary of European settlement and the society’s 50th anniversary.
“We have identified 555 ghost communities with some having alternate names,” Tracie said.
FamilyHistoryWA vice-president Christine Harris said: WA’s size, vast distances, boom and bust and unforgiving climate have left us with many places where once there was life that now has gone or almost gone.
“What remains may only be a crumbled down structure or grid patterns of a few streets which have now all but gone back to the bush.”
No central source existed with all the available information of our ghost communities.
Information gathered by ghosties (volunteer team members) will be published on an online website and index.
The Western Australian Genealogical Society trades as FamilyHistoryWA, the State’s largest family history society. Formed in 1979, its 1100 members promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge of genealogy.
Ghosties have uncovered remarkable, true stories about our unique ghost towns.
A 1927 murder in Mid-West railway siding, Bowgada, (previously known as Chubble and Koolanooka) mixed with CWA meetings, sports and fancy-dress parties.
Bernard Patrick Leslie’s outback walk from Northam to Hannans Find, the future Kalgoorlie, was among his exploring of places like White Feather and Broad Arrow during the gold rush.
Alluvial gold was discovered in 1895 at Feysville. By 1897 the town had a debating club, cricket team and its first hotel (1898 population, 90 males, seven females).
Timber mill town, Woop Woop, near Wilga, boasted six huts for single men, two houses, a boarding house, an office and the mill.
Nugadong settlement grew-up around a railway siding on the Wongan Hills to Mullewa Railway in 1913.
Cossack (originally Tien Tsin) was the hub of WA’s pearling industry. The area’s traditional name is Bajinhurrba. By 1950 it had become a ghost town but the remaining buildings have been restored.
Marrinup, in the Murray shire, was a timber town. But in 1943 it became the Marrinup No.16 prisoner-of-war camp for German and Italian POWs. The town was destroyed in the 1961 bushfires.
Asked about ghostly, ghost town stories, Tracie said: “Our project is about celebrating the lives of the people who shaped these communities, not just focusing on the spooky or supernatural aspects often associated with ghost towns.
“The project is providing a richer, more human connection to these places.”
It would focus on Indigenous customs, beliefs, and values that might have been misunderstood or misrepresented in the past.
“By highlighting women, children, First Nations peoples, immigrants and internees, the project is ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of history.
“But it is also giving voice to communities whose stories are often overlooked or marginalised in traditional historical narratives.”
The project involves connections with individuals, community groups and regional family history and historical societies.
“There is a significant interest and eagerness to exchange information, photos and stories about ghost town communities,” Tracie said.
Stories, information or photos welcome. See partners at ghostswa.au/.
The project is seeking donations to complete the important project, with gifts of $2 or more tax deductible. Donations to the FamilyHistoryWA website.
