Explore Yalgoo, a ghost town near Geraldton. Image: Australia's Golden Outback
When you think of Western Australia, you picture endless coastlines and the vast outback, but did you know, hidden across the state are forgotten ghost towns from time gone by? Once thriving communities filled with miners, railway workers, and dreamers chasing gold, these ghost towns now sit silent, their stories written in rust and red dust.
If you’ve ever wanted to explore WA’s spooky side, grab your camera and sense of adventure and discover the ghost towns of WA.
Between Geraldton and Mount Magnet, the town of Yalgoo rose from the gold rush dust in the 1890s. Although a small community still lives here, much of Yalgoo feels frozen in time.
Crumbling stone ruins and the historic convent chapel designed by priest-architect Monsignor Hawes still stand proudly against the desert horizon.
It’s the perfect place to explore if you’re looking for a day trip from Geraldton, or if you’re on a wildflower hunt. The native wildflowers blanket the fields as far as the eye can see, revel in the everlastings that will transform the horizon of this ghost town.
The eerie sensation of forgotten lives permeates the ghost town of Gwalia. Image: Australia's Golden Outback.
Just outside Leonora lies Gwalia, one of the most hauntingly beautiful ghost towns in Australia. Established in 1897 during the gold rush, Gwalia was once home to over 1,000 people and a bustling hub of life and industry. But when the mine closed suddenly in 1963, everyone packed up and left, almost overnight.
Today, you can wander through perfectly preserved homes, an abandoned school, and the old State Hotel, still furnished as though the townsfolk might return at any moment. It’s eerie, fascinating, and full of history.
For travellers crossing the Nullarbor, one of the spookiest towns you can find on your travels would be Cook. A working railway station that is also home to the longest stretch of straight railway in the world (478 kilometres), it is an isolated town located in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain.
Discover Big Bell, a ghost town in the middle of the Desert. Image: Australia's Golden Outback.
About 24 kilometres west of Cue stands the remnants of Big Bell, another ghost town that rose and fell with the gold rush. Home to the grand Big Bell Hotel, the town was abandoned by the 1950s.
Today, the hotel’s haunting façade still stands against the desert sky, surrounded by traces of old streets and railway lines. Visit at sunset for incredible photography and that unmistakable “someone’s still here” feeling.
Nestled at the edge of the spectacular Karijini National Park, Wittenoom carries the tragedy of being one of Australia’s deadliest towns. Home to one of the largest blue asbestos mines, the deadly asbestos killed over 1,000 residents and miners. When the health risks of asbestos finally became known, the mine and the town were shut down.
Today, Wittenoom officially doesn’t exist with it’s name removed from maps and road signs. Nature has reclaimed much of it, and while the area remains closed due to contamination risks, it stands as a powerful reminder of WA’s industrial past and the resilience of its landscapes.
The grand stone buildings you can find in Cossack. Image: Australia's North West.
Once the bustling heart of WA’s pearling industry, Cossack near Roebourne was established in the 1800s and boomed with the arrival of fortune seekers from across the globe.
When the pearling fleets moved north and storms battered the coast, Cossack was abandoned, leaving behind a handful of beautifully preserved stone buildings.
Today, it’s one of WA’s best-preserved ghost towns, offering self-guided walking trails, a museum, and a sense of the otherworld that hangs over the mangrove flats.
Located nearby to Norseman, Dundas was the original settlement in the region that saw a flurry of activity from gold hunters in the 19th century.
The town of Dundas grew quickly and saw the building of a post office, shops and hotels, but when richer gold was discovered a few kilometres north, the town was quickly abandoned.
Today, interpretive signs guide you through the old townsite as part of the Norseman Heritage Trail, providing a fascinating glimpse into the early days of WA’s gold mining frontier.
Once home to 12,000 people, Kanowna near Kalgoorlie is Australia’s largest ghost town!
Today, the once bustling town has all but disappeared with only the stone foundations of old buildings and the town’s haunting cemetery to be found. Wander through and you’ll find headstones dating back over a century, some with stories that end abruptly, much like the town itself.
Follow the interpretive signs of the Kanowna Heritage Trail and learn about the stories of the past like the scandalous Sacred Nugget hoax!
It’s easy to recognise the spirit of community and grit that stood out in these people that lived in these towns before they were abandoned.
Exploring WA’s ghost towns is like opening a time capsule, each one filled with stories of ambition, hardship, and dreams that faded into the desert wind.
