Seven forgotten Aussie mining towns

These once booming mining towns were built to support workers and their families across the country.

But the ‘gold rush’ soon ended, the explosion of demand for raw commodities from fast-growing Asian economies dissipated and plummeting prices followed, forcing mining companies to close or slash hundreds of jobs in the face of decreasing profits.

Many residents of these once-booming towns have fled, leaving behind abandoned houses and communities which struggle to continue functioning with the small population left behind.

Also read: Entire outback Aussie town put up for sale

Seven near-abandoned Aussie towns

Leigh Creek, SA

Leigh Creek is the most modern-day example of a near-deserted mining town.

This month the South Australian government announced is looking at selling the purpose-built town of Leigh Creek, about 550km north of Adelaide, after a century of coal mining.

Alinta Energy will hand back the town lease by 2018 after it shut its mine and sent its last 200 workers packing late last year.

The project, if realised, could employ 500 people during construction and 150 workers when production begins.

But some locals are worried this would come too late for Leigh Creek, with its population already halved to about 250 people.

Nhulunbuy, NT

Nhulunbuy is a township that was created on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia when a bauxite mine and deep waterport were established nearby in the late 1960s, followed by an alumina refinery.

At the 2011 census, Nhulunbuy had a population of 3,933 with a median age of 32.

The closure of the alumina refinery in 2014 redeployed or made redundant a further 1,100 workers, substantially reducing this population.

Also read: Britain ends mining boom, is Australia next?

Wittenoom, WA

Just over 1,000km north-east from Perth, Wittenoom was Australia’s only supplier of blue asbestos during the 1950-1960s, mining nearly 150,000 tonnes of the material until the town was shut down in 1966 due to unprofitability and growing health concerns about asbestos.

Hundreds of workers later died of asbestos-related diseases and a series of legal cases were brought against the operating company, founded by Lang Hancock.

Population peaked at 500 in 1951.

Today, three residents still live in the Pilbara town, which was degazetted in 2007 and technically doesn’t exist.

Walhalla, VIC

After the discovery of gold in 1862, the population of Walhalla swelled to a peak of nearly 4,000 residents.

More than 125 tonnes of gold was removed from the town’s two mines before the Gold Rush ended and the mines closed in 1915.

By the early 1920s only of skeleton of the "gold-era" Walhalla remained and the decline continued until the 1980s.

Today, the town has a population of under 20 permanent residents, although a large population of houses are owned as holiday properties.

Also read: End of mining boom still leaving its mark

Agnew, WA

At one point the population of Agnew, an old gold-mining town, reached 500 before the mines were closed in 1949, followed by closure of the town school after enrolments dropped to 5 from 30 pupils.

The town’s population then reduced further from 150 to 25 residents.

The Agnew hotel, that is still operating, was built in 1945 amongst a row of shops on the main street and is all that remains today of the town. 

Menzies, WA

An old gold mining town around 700km east of Perth, Menzies was another Australian town built during the 1980s gold rush until the limit of available resources was reached and its residents started departing.

In 1900 the town had two breweries, 12 hotels and a population of over 10,000.

Today only 56 residents remain in the town, although the figure moves up and down as mines in the general area open and close.

Also read: What’s going to drive our economy now?

Silverton, NSW

This tiny town near Broken Hill in the far-west outback of NSW was first settled by Wiljakali Aborigines, and miners flocked to the region upon the discovery of silver.

It quickly exploded blossomed into a busy town of 3000 people before its residents began to leave in the early 1890s in favour of mines in Broken Hill, with many taking their houses with them.

Nowadays less than 50 people remain here, and there are even fewer buildings.