Friday 30th January 2026
This was yet another move day, leaving our most pleasant digs for pastures new. Having packed the Toyota we mopped up a few more of the tourist attractions in Norseman we didn't quite have time for yesterday. First on the list was the museum, only open between 10 and 1 o'clock.
The museum was very interesting, situated in the old school building; the classrooms now stacked full with memorabilia of domestic and mining life in the early 1900s. Items taken from the Anglican Church make an appearance and will be installed in the reconstructed church when complete, within the museum grounds. Items also stored come from the Courthouse, which an unknown perpetrator blew up with stolen gelignite in 1977. Clearly someone with an eye to justice. It was such a thorough job, the whole building subsequently had to be demolished. The local policeman reported something hitting the police station roof. Turned out to be a typewriter! The police always get bad press. Local history was slightly at odds with information generally available. One item concerned the cause of the mine closure between 2014 and 2022. The museum contended that this had more to do with someone being crushed in the rock crushing machine, than reduced profit margins. Doubt was also raised that Laurie Sinclair's horse might not actually have found the first gold. However, I'm still with Hardy Norseman on that one. I was just a little troubled with the exhibit concerning the local dentist. Mr Campbell's equipment was on show; chair, drill, and spitting bowl. Mr Campbell was known in town more commonly as 'dippy'. I think I would prefer my dentist not to be called dippy. Oi, dippy, pull this tooth out please!
Before heading off to our next destination, Balladonia, we called into the Norseman cemetery to check for any pioneer graves. We discovered quite a number that related to accidents and in particular, mining incidents. One sad memorial, and reminder of the harsh conditions in the outback, is a grave to a 3 year old who died alone having been lost in the bush for 3 days in 1945!
The 120 miles of straight road passed without incident, despite warnings of possible road infringement by kangaroos, emus, or camels. Camels were brought to this area in the 1890s, by the Afghans, especially for their ability to carry loads, in harsh water-free conditions, outpacing their equine rivals. There was initially debate about their ability to swim when they first came ashore. The only way to test this skill was to shove one out of the boat and find out. Thankfully, the beast rolled on its side and swam ashore. Mercifully, the rest had already been awarded their swimming certificates. Camels were used until 1945 in this region, until the Eyrie Highway was finally completed and someone bought a truck. There are an estimated one million camels now wandering around loose on the Nullarbor plain, and unfortunately they are often accused of causing traffic accidents!
Our motel for the night has in its grounds another of the golf Tees making up the longest golf course in the universe.
ps. The weather forecast today was saying the intense heatwave is moving east. "Over the weekend in Southern Australia, it's going to be much cooler at only 25 degrees. You might want to get a jumper out" the forecaster said with the approptiate Aussie inflection on the final syllable. Wow, what good advice.
pps. Norseman was one of the areas where a lump of the first NASA Skylab came down in July 1979 as it re-entered earth's atmosphere. They'd hoped it might come down in South Africa, but made it instead to South Australia. Well they got the 'South' bit right. There is further reference to Space salvage appearing at our current location too. Debris was evenly, and fairly distributed along the coast to Esperance so everyone got a bit of it.
