Off to Halls Creek today, the date being Friday the 13^th, a ‘Black Friday’ in 2018.  Once again we had been told “That you don’t stay in Halls Creek”.  We have found no reason to not stay in the town!  The caravan park is not five star, but it is comfortable enough for one or two nights.  It is within walking distance of the very nice Kimberley Resort Hotel, where we enjoyed our evening meal.  It was Friday night so why not go out to dinner!  The cost of the caravan park was $42.00 per night.  

Pete had consulted our ‘Camps of Australia’ book at breakfast and had decided where the morning tea stop should be.  It was Ngumban Lookout, which did provide great views over the ranges and valleys.  The group were impressed.  We stopped at Mary’s Pool, a popular free camp spot and the caravans were rolling in just after 11.00am.  We had a stretch and walked across the old Mary River crossing.   I managed to convince everyone to come together for a couple of photo shoots and John captured Dorothy and I doing star jumps, but Dorothy’s star jump is far more elegant than mine!  John says "I was just over exuberant"  and he is right!  The Mary River flows into the Fitzroy River.  I have shared as I'm the one always behind the camera.  Thanks John for the snap!

We decided the departure time for the afternoon excursion was 2.00pm.  First stop was the Visitor Centre to ensure that we headed the right way to China Wall and Old Halls Creek.  As it is Naidoc Week there was an event in progress in the park.  It seems that Friday the 13^th was all about recognising indigenous women and women were being invited to the stage to tell their story and inspire others.  We had noted at Fitzroy Crossing that there was a special event advertised for women. Peter and I spoke later in the day about the fact that there is the push to work with the indigenous women and build their confidence. We believe it will be through educating and strengthening the women, that the greatest changes in the lifestyle of the indigenous will be seen. 

 

We walked around the park in the main street of Halls Creek and took a few snaps of decorated rubbish bins, the event that was taking place and of the gold rush icon Russian Jack.  Russian Jack was a gold miner and famous figure of the 1885 gold rush, whose real name was Ivan Fredericks. In 1885, while working in the Halls Creek goldmines, he pushed his sick friend in a wheelbarrow 300 km through the Great Sandy Desert to Wyndham, the nearest town with medical help.  

Then it was out to China Wall.  China Wall is a natural vein of sub-vertical white quartz rising up to 6 metres above the surrounding country in places. This striking formation transects the country for many kilometres, rising high out of the ground and then disappearing back into the earth again.  It acquired its name because it is reminiscent of the Great Wall of China.  It is definitely worth the 7 kms or so drive from town. 

Onwards for another 8 kms to what remains of Old Hall Creek.  We all expected to see more than we did, but when there was time to read the information booklet, that Peter had been given at the Visitor Centre, there was never very much at the town.   The town was established in 1885 and it was the first gold rush settlement in Western Australia.  The gold rush did not last very long at all. Charles Hall  found a huge 28 ounce gold nugget at the edges of the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts in remote North West Australia in 1885 and men soon streamed into the interior in search of gold.  Halls Creek is the site of the original gold mining community and the first discovery of payable gold in WA.  It was the beginning of a short lived but important gold rush.  The gold rush might have been short lived, but it was important to the establishment of the Ports of Derby and Wyndham and men and mining equipment came from as far away as California. The rock memorials at Old Halls Creek have been built to recognise the families of this district.  A cover has been put over the top of what remains of the original Public Offices built in 1888.  There was post & telegraph office, courthouse, quarters, detached kitchen and Stables.  At its peak there was a hospital, police station, two stores and a hotel.  By 1954, old Halls Creek was all but abandoned as people moved to the new town site.

We all had a good walk around even walking up to the Pioneer Cemetery. The afternoon was pretty much done, so we decided not to go to Caroline Pool and the Old Stone Hut.  We feel sure that Caroline Pool would be very nice when things weren’t as dry and dusty as it was this afternoon.  We would be driving back into the sun and the dust was so fine and just hung in the air!  

The Yarliyil Arts in collaboration with the Shire of Halls Creek have initiated a new public art project.  The yellow rubbish bins have been replaced with hand painted bins expressing the diverse history and culture of the people that make up the community.  More than twenty recycled car bonnet with directional signage have also been painted by a variety of artists.  The car bonnets depict landscape and indigenous painting styles and have been placed at strategic locations offering visitors information and an insight into the culture of the area.  Murals have also been painted on the walls of buildings around the town. Halls Creek also boasts having 'The World's only Car Bonnet Post Box'.  I did my best to post a letter in the box, but it is not at the Visitor Centre at the moment, as was advertised in the tourist brochure.  I got up early to write the letter too.  Never mind it has been stamped with a special stamp.  Hope it gets to someone special by the date I wish!