Bardoc, Western Australia

Bardoc is an abandoned town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It is situated between Kalgoorlie and Menzies along the Goldfields Highway.

Bardoc
Western Australia
Bardoc
Coordinates30.335°S 121.294°E / -30.335; 121.294
Established1896
Postcode(s)6431
Elevation433 m (1,421 ft)
Location
LGA(s)City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
State electorate(s)Electoral district of Kalgoorlie
Federal Division(s)O'Connor

The town's name is Aboriginal in origin and is taken from a hill close to town. The word barduk means near or close in the local dialect. The town was gazetted on 3 June 1896.[1][2] Alluvial gold was first discovered in the area in 1894, and by 1895 over 400 men were working the area.[3]

Some of the mines that were operating in the area included Zoroastrian, Excelsior and Wycheproof. A telegraph line was established in 1896 and four hotels were known to be open in town. More gold deposits were found in 1896 particularly at the Mount Eva and neighbouring The Australian leases, which were described to have "stone hat exceeds the richness of anything stuck so far in Bardoc". Parcels of ore were being sent to the Mount Burgess battery for treatment.[4]

A police station was constructed by 1897, and in 1898 a coach service to Kalgoorlie was running three times a week.

The population of the town was 206 (170 males and 36 females) in 1898.[5]

The area had received good rainfall and had abundant herbage on the ground in 1900. A 10-head stamp mill was being constructed at the Zoroastrian mine in the same year. A crushing plant at the Nerrin Nerrin mine, which was open for public crushing, and a 20 head mill was in action of the Excelsior lease about 5 miles north of the town.[6]

By 1908 no mines were in operation and the town was effectively deserted.

A drought hit the area over 1911 causing further hindrance to mining. A petition was submitted to extend the branch pipeline from the Goldfields Water Scheme later the same year. The plan was to extend the line to Ora Banda via Bardoc and Broad Arrow.[7]

The police station was closed the same year and eventually relocated to Westonia in 1914.

The area was flooded following heavy rains with the few remaining residents receiving provision from Broad Arrow and fuel being available a Vetters Station.[8]

References
  1. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – B". Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  2. Western Australian Government Gazette, file 4204/95, 3 June 1896, p.917.
  3. "Morowa District Historical Society" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  4. "Bardoc". Kalgoorlie Miner. Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 9 June 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  5. "Population of Western Australia". Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 April 1898. p. 23. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  6. "Bardoc". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 25 December 1900. p. 45. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  7. "Broad Arrow Notes". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 25 April 1911. p. 15. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  8. "Bardoc Supplied From Broad Arrow". Kalgoorlie Miner. Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 28 February 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.