Norseman, Western Australia

"The mountain of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use." John Steinbeck

Gold was originally discovered in 1894 by Laurie Sinclair and the deposit was named after his horse, Hardy Norseman. The subsequent township fluctuated in population until 1935 when Western Mining invested heavily in the town's development. The Norseman Gold Mine, owned by Western Mining until 2002 when it was sold to Croesus Mining, which consists of the Central Mine closest to town and the Harlequin Mine, was sold to Central Norseman Gold/Tulla Group for $60 million in 2007 after being in administration for eleven months. In 2014 the Central Mine was placed into a state of Care and Maintenance. The Central Mine, which is currently for sale is now a waste land of discarded mining equipment and the town remains dominated by a massive tailings slump. It's a bit strange driving past the disused mine as you make your way to the town's lookout, with information boards erected in 2001 promoting the economic viability of the town and its prosperous future. After the closure of the Central Mine and the death of a miner at the Harlequin mine in 2014, many of the residents abandoned the town leaving a current population of only about 500 residents. We also ventured to nearby Lake Cowan, an extensive salt-pan that was impressive to see, before having a dinner of red emperor at the local Norseman pub.