ROEBOURNE

AH, THE JOYS OF NO INTERNET CONNECTION – DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK SPEEDING UP THE CONNECTION, JUST PROVIDE THE COUNTRY WITH THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE!

FRIDAY 20.09.2013: Organised with the Information Centre for a morning tour of Roebourne - $20.00 per person (subsidised by Rio Tinto), plus your lunch purchase. The tour included heritage buildings, a visit to Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert iron ore ship loading facilities and Cossack (Tien Tsin). Madison and Shayden were set up in Poodle Palace in the Information Centre car park - windows open, two fans running and parked under a tree. Went to book in and were advised that it was to reach 38 degrees and would we like the dogs to stay in the Information Centre. Back out to the car park, windows were closed and 'day bags' packed for the children. Of course by the time this was completed we had now kept the group waiting - déjà vu!

Sybil sat with the dogs during the DVD as Madison was whining (should have known). We were advised to tie the dogs to the sinks under the window and someone would look after them. As we left two wailing banshees could be heard through the 117 year old stone prison walls. It is such a feeling of pride in your competent parenting skills when people remark "they sound like they are having their throats slit!" We slunk to the back of the bus and pondered most of the day on whether or not we should have forfeited the outing. Having said that, it was a very informative day, albeit information overload. There could have been more time for stationary photography, but then there were two customers that had disrupted the day's schedule!

Our first stop was at the Cape Lambert Iron Ore ship loading facilities. At 2.7km long and built to a minimum clearance of 17.8 metres above high tide, it is one of the longest and tallest jetties in Australia. Rio Tinto mines in the area transport the iron ore in for processing and shipping.

 

$80,000 PER WHEEL!

Wickham (population 2,000 plus), was established in 1970 by Cliffs Robe River Iron Associates with the aim of creating a processing plant for the iron mine at nearby Pannawonica, a port at Cape Lambert for which to ship the produce and a town to house the associated employees. Wickham was originally a closed company town belonging to Rio Tinto, but was transferred to administration by the Shire of Roebourne in 1980 after which a scheme for public housing was implemented. However, the majority of the residences and facilities in town are owned by Rio Tinto. Wickham is currently undergoing a significant transformation due to a $300 million plus investment by Rio Tinto in accommodation and infrastructure.

We stopped for lunch at Cossack (originally known as Tien Tsin). Cossack was officially declared a town in 1872 and was named after the ‘HMS Cossack’, which brought Governor Sir Frederick Weld to the Tien Tsin Harbour in 1872. Cossack became the port for the pastoral industry. This role brought hundreds of prospectors through the town when gold was discovered in the Pilbara in the 1880’s. Cossack was also a centre for pearl divers from 1866. By the 1870’s over 80 boats were operating – divers from Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and China were regularly stopping here. By 1910 the harbour had become clogged with silt, restricting access to large shipping vessels and pearl luggers, and the once thriving community had virtually become a ghost town.

SCHOOL HOUSE (1896)

TRAMWAY



POLICE BARRACKS, COOKHOUSE
& LOCK UP (1898)



COURTHOUSE (1895)



GAILBRAITH STORE (1890)



CUSTOMS HOUSE & BOND STORE (1897)

 



COSSACK (1897)



Our final stop was at the Tien Tsin Lookout where we viewed Boat Beach and the Jarman Island Lighthouse. In 1866 the lighthouse was ordered as a kit from England. In 1917 it was automated and was decommissioned in 1985.

We returned to find Madison and Shayden tied to a tree outside the building - said it all really. Although polite, you were able to easily tell that unlike Derby we would not be receiving a glowing reference for our two canines!