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There are thousands of towns in Western Australia, but these days not all of them are as ‘alive’ as they once were.
The gold rush of the late 1800s has a lot to answer for when it comes to WA’s many ghost towns, as do the agriculture, pearling, and telegraphy industries. These industrial booms saw workers and their families from across the world pour into towns across the Pilbara, Mid West, and Goldfields. But when the booms went bust, population numbers dwindled.
It’s no secret that there are many supposedly haunted places in WA, and these living ghost towns just add to the list of eerie—and hugely historic—locations across the state.
Here are ten of WA’s spookiest ghost towns worth a visit.
Cossack, in Australia’s vast North West region, was once a thriving pastoral, pearling, and gold rush port at the mouth of the Harding River. A 20-minute drive north of Roebourne, this living ghost town is filled with National Trust-listed architecture, mangroves, and plenty of old ruins and buildings to explore. The notable Jarman Island Lighthouse is a highlight, though you’ll need a boat to reach it. It was one of the most endangered lighthouses in Australia until recently, when the local mining industry and council funded its restoration and preservation.
If you’re visiting today, there’s a helpful Cossack Heritage Trail you can follow to tick off a few of the town’s significant sites, including the wharf, the courthouse, the schoolhouse, a transit camp, police barracks, and more. The trail is three kilometres long, and it's best to complete it between May and September, as there are limited facilities in the area in summer.
When it comes to haunted figures, there are more than a few skeletons in the Cossack closet. Many people perished in a cyclone that hit the town in 1898. And, there’s a patch of land adjacent to Cossack that served as a quarantine reserve in 1910. Before 1925, this ‘leper camp’ was described as inhumane, having no protection from the heat or sun, so the Medical Department took it over, and a new site was constructed.
All that remains of the old mining town of Goldsworthy is a row of trees. Thirty minutes south of Pardoo, the ghost town was once home to 700 people and the 132m-high Mount Goldsworthy Mine; it was the first town built specifically for iron ore workers. Mining exploration began here in 1962 and ceased in 1982, however, the town continued to operate as a support base for nearby towns until all its buildings were demolished in 1992.
If visiting today, stop at the mine, which is now a filled-in pit. It has been left virtually intact and holds a considerable quantity of water, even though it’s in an arid region. The water is a striking cobalt blue against the rugged red cliffs that frame it.
Big Bell was a vibrant place during the 1900s when the Big Bell Mine was in operation. It was also home to a hospital, cinema, first-class hotel, and a range of retail outlets. A 25-minute drive from Cue, the now-derelict town closed its doors in 1955, though mining at Big Bell continued until 2003.
The ruins of the town are pretty impressive. The Big Bell Hotel, which reportedly housed the longest bar in Australia during its heyday, is a brilliant example of the architecture of the time. Though very few other buildings remain today, road markings are still prominent, and the town’s layout is visible from an aerial view.
Twenty-five kilometres from Geraldton, Central Greenough was a thriving agricultural hotspot during the 1860s. However, a combination of drought and floods led to a steep decline in the town’s economy and, as such, its population. Once the town was deserted, its many buildings were left in a state of disrepair.
Today, the Central Greenough Historic Settlement comprises many historic buildings, most of which the National Trust manages. Expect to see former churches, schools, homes, and courts, as well as a currently operating visitor centre, pub, and cafe. Sit down for a coffee and you might even meet the resident llamas.
If you’re hoping to visit spooky sites, locals believe the doctor’s centre is haunted. The town’s doctor was said to be a drunkard, and when treating a man with gangrene, he accidentally chopped the wrong arm off a patient named Andy, who then died. Andy the ghost is said to haunt the area to this day.
The Sons of Gwalia Ltd gold mine operated from 1897 to 1963 and was once one of the largest gold mines in Australia. There was a settlement of over 1,200 people living around the mine in its heyday.
The first manager of the mine was Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st President of the United States. During his tenure, he oversaw the design of the expanding townsite and recruited numerous workers from Italy. He departed the mine in 1898 before commencing his presidency in 1929.
Today, there are 31 buildings within the ghost town of Gwalia, including a guest house, hotel, general store, and a miner’s hut. A stop at the Gwalia Museum is a great way to get your bearings and pick up a map of the town’s abandoned homes and businesses. You can even stay overnight at the Hoover House B&B, the house where its namesake Herbert Hoover stayed during several of his visits to the area after he departed.
In the early 1900s, Kookynie was a prosperous mining centre, boasting banks, hotels, and even the region’s first public swimming pool. There were well over 3,500 residents living in Kookynie, and four trains a day arrived from Kalgoorlie.
Nowadays, a handful of residents still populate this living ghost town, and the original Grand Hotel is still trading. The hotel also houses a collection of historic photographs and memorabilia about the town’s rich mining history. Many of the town’s other ruins are still relatively intact, and you can see them on a short walk. The Old Miner’s Cottage and Cosmopolitan Hotel are highlights.
Kookynie is also home to a spooky mystery: a lonely grave site in the town bears the inscription “This is a grave site. A mother and her two children”. Two Perth men dubbed the ‘Outback Grave Markers’ have put a call-out on Facebook to anyone with information on those who were laid to rest here.
Another notable attraction near the town is the Niagara Dam, which you’ll pass if travelling to Kookynie from Menzies. This famous dam was built by C Y O’Connor and is a popular day trip destination for caravanners or campers, particularly when heavy rains fill it with cool water to swim in.
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In a scenic coastal region 200 kilometres east of Esperance, the Israelite Bay heritage site was a prominent telegraphy location from 1877 to 1927. The site today contains the ruins of the National Trust-classified post office and telegraph station as well as graves, a jetty, an old cottage, and a fishing shack. For a short while, the telegraph station, originally built from wood in 1876, was a vital part of Australia’s national communications infrastructure.
Today, Israelite Bay is best known for its rugged natural bushland, camping and fishing sites, and impressive four-wheel drive track. You’ll need a four-wheel drive to access the bay from either Esperance or Balladonia, though the track may be impassable if wet. The beach is a notorious bogging spot, so take extra care and check the tide charts before attempting to cross it. As it’s a very remote location, you’ll need to be well-prepared and fully self-sufficient. Bring drinking water, a first aid kit, spare parts, ample fuel, and two-way communication devices.
Fourteen kilometres outside the new townsite of a similar name, Old Halls Creek is just a shadow of its former self. The site of the very first gold nugget discovery in 1885, and the catalyst of the state’s consequent ‘gold rush’, Old Halls Creek is one of the most significant ghost towns in all of WA. Though it was once a thriving settlement with a hospital, post office, police station, stores, and a hotel, there’s now little left to show for it.
After the gold reserves were depleted and a new highway was built through the area, the decision was made to relocate the town centre to what is now Halls Creek. All that remains of the former town are sections of the old post office, the Pioneer Cemetery, and the foundations of the old mine shaft. It’s still worth a visit for its historical significance, plus, you can even try your hand at gold panning, just like the gold rush days, at the old mine shaft.
Along Albany Highway, between Williams and Kojonup, the small Arthur River settlement tells of a time when this pastoralism region was well and truly thriving. All that remains of the town’s heyday is a police barracks and jail, the Mount Pleasant Inn, and St Paul’s Church. But there was much more to Arthur River in the late 1860s. It was once a major centre, with a post office, doctor, blacksmith, and a trading post, too, servicing the pastoralists who’d been granted land within the region.
By the time the Great Southern Railway came about in 1889, the town had fizzled, with most residents leaving for alternative settlements along the railway. It’s left Arthur River as a shell of its former self, more a rest stop for travellers on their way to the Great Southern than a thriving country town. Call in to see the old church and jail, and stop by the Wild Woolery—inside the former inn—to see a little slice of history.
This is one destination you can literally say is in woop woop. Hidden deep within the state forest north of Boyup Brook, all that remains of the former timber milling settlement of Woop Woop are a handful of house stumps, the old saw pit, and some rusted metal. However, during the three years the mill was operational, from 1925 to 1928, it was a bustling, football-team-sized community comprising six single huts, two houses, a boarding house, an office, the mill, and a horse grazing yard.
The settlement was dismantled in 1928, when all the usable jarrah in the surrounding area had been depleted. Now, you can only reach the ruins by four-wheel drive or on foot, should the track be compromised for any reason. Even if there isn’t all that much left to look at, it’s still a great glimpse into industrial history in the area, and a fantastic day out in the forest.
