Roebourne is a small town dating back to the mid 1800s, and is the oldest town on the North West Coast of Australia. Today Roebourne is the gateway to the Pilbara region & has multi million dollar iron ore deposits.
The old Goal is now the Information centre and very informative, Roebourne today is a dry town and a change from a few years ago as it was pretty wild.
5/7. Went out to the old abandoned town of Cossack, this place is Heritage listed, with some very fine old restored buildings - 8 - in all and restored beautifully.
Cossack's Old Post Office after Restoartion. & Sturts Desert Pea.
Before calling into Cossack we went on a tour out to Cape Lambert to see the iron ore stockpile and how it is handled before shipment.
9/7. On a walk this morning Sandra & I met a young Aboriginal girl of about 12 years old who stopped us to say hello, her name was Madeline, poor kid she was lonely as there is not much for her to do in Roebourne.
Waiba nyindagura milbanha warrbangu nhurdu ngarluma ngurra - translated - Hello and welcome to everybody who has come far away to Ngarluma country. The Ngarluma & Yindibarndi people are the Traditional Owners within this region. The Burrup Peninsular area now has been recognised as the most prolific aboriginal rock art site in the world.
9/7. On a walk this morning Sandra & I met a young Aboriginal girl of about 12 years old who stopped us to say hello, her name was Madeline, poor kid she was lonely as there is not much for her to do in Roebourne.
Waiba nyindagura milbanha warrbangu nhurdu ngarluma ngurra - translated - Hello and welcome to everybody who has come far away to Ngarluma country. The Ngarluma & Yindibarndi people are the Traditional Owners within this region. The Burrup Peninsular area now has been recognised as the most prolific aboriginal rock art site in the world.
11/7. Leaving Roebourne for Onslow we had a coffee break at Fortesque River rest area, along the way we saw heaps of Sturt's Desert Pea growing beside the roadway a great wildflower.
Coffee break over we then drove down to Robe River where there is an excellent over night stay - very good we stayed for 2 days, had swims in the river, cold but invigorating, happy hour was spent with other campers Sandie & Harry from Pt Hedland W.A. and Sandie & Rob from Kemps Creek near our old home in N.S.W.
13/7. After a nervous night with cattle bumping into the caravan we were up early for the drive to Onslow 80 Km off the Northern highway.
The original Onslow was proclaimed a town in 1883 it supported the nearby stations that had been established along the Ashburton River and the gold mines that had developed in the hinterland.
In early settlement days good pearls were found in Exmouth Gulf and the town became homeport to a fleet of pealing luggers. These luggers stayed in local waters until World War 11 when most were commandeered by the armed forces or destroyed.
By 1925 the port facilities at the mouth of the Ashburton were affected by the silting up of the river, causing more and more problems in the loading and unloading of visiting ships.
Surveys proved that there was deep water at Beadon Point and so the town was moved 18 kilometres to the east.
Onslow was actively involved in World War 11 with the navy refuelling at the jetty, and the town becoming the furthest town south to be bombed by the Japanese. on the night of May 15th 1943 a solo plane dropped three bombs on the airstrip with no casualties or damage to aircraft.
A War Memorial was erected in Onslow in 2008 depicting the Diggers badge minus the bayonet points. It has been designed for the sun to rise through the centre each and every Anzac Day.
Onslow War Memorial.
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