Air balloons, art trails, and architectural wonders: Welcome to Northam

Follow Myke Bartlett as he explores the top things to see and do in Northam

There is no better start to getting to know Northam than peering down on it from around 5000 feet.

The Wheatbelt town might not have much in the way of high-rises, but it’s a hot air ballooning hotspot, with two companies offering visitors the chance to spend the morning floating above the vibrant hills and fields of canola.

Lift-off requires getting up very early and heading out to the Northam Airfield, where your fellow aviators will gather in a small shed decorated with framed images of past adventures — including a cheeky snap from a 1980s flight that touched down unexpectedly in a nearby nudist resort (a Northam destination you won’t find on this itinerary).

From the airfield, you’ll be driven to one of several possible departure points — the chosen location will depend on weather conditions — and then it’s all hands on deck to get the balloon in the air.

Where you touch down is another matter. One of the reasons hot air ballooning is such a liberating experience is that it’s incredibly low tech. There is no steering, no brake, no safety harness. You are standing in a wicker basket, held aloft by nothing more than hot air and a few hundred feet of canvas.

The pilots need to navigate through the air currents, so it’s best to just enjoy the stunning early morning vistas and assume you’ll end up somewhere the ground crew can come and find you (before escorting you to a champagne breakfast back in town).

Arts and architecture

Northam isn’t without spectacle at ground level, of course. Since 2015, the town has been the starting point for the WA Public Silo Trail, which winds its way from here across the Wheatbelt and then down to Albany, taking in half a dozen industrial silos decorated with colourful street art.

The Northam CBH Group silos were the first in Australia to be adorned in such a way. Located on the busy Northam-Toodyay Road, the silos aren’t easily accessible (this is still a working site) and pulling over can be a little precarious. But even viewed from a car window, they make for a striking sight.

Back in town, the Northam Flour Mill offers another large-scale example of street art by Perth artist Amok Island. This bright and gigantic tribute to the white swans introduced to Northam by settlers (this stretch of the Avon River is the only place in WA you’ll find them in the wild) is easily and safely viewed from the footpath across the road. You’ll find a number of other examples of street art — mostly murals and painted hot air balloons — dotted around the town centre.

For a town of its size, Northam offers a surprising array of architectural styles, from colonial through to art deco and brutalist. In fact, the town is second only to Fremantle in having the state’s largest concentration of significant heritage buildings. Although you can take a self-guided 90-minute stroll around these buildings, the best way to explore them is with help from a local historian, who can be found at the Northam Visitor Centre.

In telling the stories of the town’s buildings, a walking tour will introduce you to the town’s histories and characters — with an appealing sprinkling of gossip — and encourage you to look up above the Fitzgerald Street shop fronts for ghosts of the past or, less fancifully, some beautiful brickwork.

You’ll pass the town’s oldest tearooms, long-extinguished brothels, temples to the Temperance movement, and statues remembering notable Northam inhabitants (fun fact: the town has produced more Premiers than anywhere else in WA). These walking tours aren’t actively promoted, but can be arranged by getting in touch with the centre ahead of a visit.

The improbable highlight of this tour is down the far end of the high street. Northam Public Library and former council chambers were built in 1971 by Czech-Australian architect Iwan Iwanoff out of concrete blocks, putting them in stark contrast with the more extravagant gold rush architecture elsewhere. These brutalist structures aren’t to everyone’s taste but have become a major drawcard for those interested in more offbeat buildings.

Country collectables

Those who prefer to explore the main drag by window shopping might want to start at the Northam Second-hand store, where it is too easy to lose a couple of hours in its labyrinth of retro delights. Occupying multiple rooms, the store is a passion project for a family of collectors. Whether you’re after antique furniture, colour-coded crockery, ancient vinyl, classic comic books, or vintage clothing, there is something here to waylay every sort of collector.

Just next door, The Fiction Room is a family-run and owned affair, on a mission to rescue books from landfill. This bookstore’s small nook is packed with a mix of popular and left-field titles — all of which can be quickly found on the cramped shelves by the knowledgeable staff.

Further up the street, Zac and Co offers a range of crafts, gourmet food, beauty products, and giftware, many of them made locally. It’s a great spot to pick up a gift for loved ones, children, or even your dog. Order a coffee while you shop, or sit down to rest your weary feet over a tasty wrap or slice of homemade cake. Other menu favourites include apple pie with cream, frittata, and chicken toasties.

Once refreshed, it’s a short walk to the Avon Descent Start Tower, from where a thousand eager paddlers launch on their annual race downstream, and from where you might spy one or two of those white swans. You’ll also get a good view of the suspension bridge. Built in 1975, it’s believed to be the longest pedestrian bridge of its kind in Australia.

Local cultural insights

The town side of the bridge lands on the shore by Bilya Koort Boodja — the Northam Centre for Nyoongar Culture and Environmental Knowledge. Designed in consultation with the local Nyoongar community and its elders, the extraordinary interactive space allows Northam and the Ballardong Region’s first people to share their stories via museum exhibits and creative video installations.

It’s a chance for visitors to gain a firsthand insight into a culture and history about which many of us still know little. Tours can be self-guided or led by one of the staff, who will be able to give a personal insight into that history. Of all the reasons to come to Northam, this really deserves to be at the top of anyone's list.

To end the day with a different perspective, take a short drive to Mount Ommaney Lookout. From here, you can look back at Northam clustered around the river and beyond to the rolling hills and fields you might have glided across in the early morning. The view is no less stunning come sunset. There’s also a small walking trail in case you need to work up an appetite.

Dinner options are plentiful — with gluten-free pizzas and pasta available (at a reasonable price) at Terra Mare by the river. But for a quiet evening drink, it’s hard to go past the Temperance Bar. Housed in the beautiful Farmers Home Hotel — a local icon recently restored to its full 1856 glory by the team that owns Dome Café — the bar has an appealingly urbane and upmarket feel.

On tap is a choice selection of craft beer and an array of Western Australian wines from Chardonnays to Pinot Noirs. Fridays bring live music but every other night it’s an ideal spot to finish a busy day with a quiet drink and some share platters.