A visit to Gwalia.

[ozguy]

"Where & what the fuck is Gwalia????" I hear you ask!

Gwalia is a former gold mining town about 230 kms from Kalgoorlie (where we are currently holidaying) in the Northern Goldfields of Western Australia. It originally developed out of the gold mining boom in the 1890's and became quite a bustling little town by the early 1900's, with a population of just over 1000. Now little more than a ghost town, it is nevertheless a fascinating place to visit, as many of the original old buildings, miners' shacks and houses have been preserved and are now a popular tourist attraction.

A bit of trivia about Gwalia that might be of interest to our American Jubbers, is that a young American geologist who arrived in Gwalia in 1897 to develop the mine and become its first manager was none other than Herbert Hoover, who would later become the 31st President of the USA (1929 - 1933). Hoover's stay in Gwalia was brief, as he was sent to China in December 1898 to develop mines there. The house that Hoover lived in, overlooking the mine operations, still exists, and today operates as a museum and bed-and-breakfast inn. Hoover returned to Western Australia and Gwalia in 1902, 1903, 1905 and 1907 as a partner in Bewick Moreing (a London-based gold mining company) and manager of all their interests in Western Australia.

Anyway, enough of the history lesson .... here are some pics I took of today's visit to Gwalia. Hope you enjoy them .....

[looseliam]

How was it walking around there? I've always had this eerie feeling in old or abandoned towns like that.

[gsdx]

Again, amazing pictures. We don't see pictures like these in travelogues.

A bit of Canada/Australia trivia for you.

The town of Borden, in Western Australia, was named after this guy, Sir Robert Laird Borden:



Borden was Canada 8th prime minister and the last to be knighted. He took us through WWI and graces the front of our $100 bill.

Here's more if you wish to read about him: http://www.canadahistory.com/section...bertborden.htm

[palbert]

Those - I hope - are not gardening pics.

[Scealle]

Interesting and eye opening. Really good pictures btw.

[gsdx]

I just noticed all of the corrugated metal walls. Wouldn't that make the homes a wee bit toasty?

[Just: Mills]

I see such beauty in all of those photos. What seems to be such simplicity, and basic rationing, in all the photos, all draw me in, and keep my mind ticking, full of questions that I'd want to know, about the area etc etc.. Nice little eye-opener.

[gsdx]

in all the photos, all draw me in, and keep my mind ticking, full of questions that I'd want to know

Me, too. Such as, in the second-last photo, is that a bathtub?

[pat grimshaw]

Dear ozguy, I haven't visited your part of our country yet but your wonderful pictures remind me of this book—



I'm not sentimental but I found this book to be powerful,scary and heartwarming.

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Just don't ask for the Texas Chainsaw Mascara at the local videostore.

[Just: Mills]

Me, too. Such as, in the second-last photo, is that a bathtub?

My thoughts too.

[ozguy]

.... in the second-last photo, is that a bathtub?

Yep, it is. And the cylindrical object next to it is a wood-fired water heater.

[gsdx]

^ I thought that was a chimney. Very rustic.