The following commentary and photos have been kindly supplied by our roving reporter Harry Willey:
“The town of Halls Creek moved 12 km west from its original location in 1949 when the then new Great Northern Highway bypassed the original town which then became a ghost town. Initially a gold mining town, the area now Old Halls Creek was named after prospector Charles Hall. Who had discovered gold there in 1885, creating the first gold rush in Western Australia.
Some gold mining is still carried out by local prospectors, I visited this town for the first time in 1993, when the advice given by fellow travellers was to just drive straight through and not stop at Halls Creek. We stayed for four nights while we explored the surrounding area, although the town got a bit noisy after dark, we at all times felt safe and secure within the park.
Things are different now; since the passing of an act that banned the sale of take away alcohol from the hotel in 2009 there has been a dramatic change.
While some travellers bemoan the lack of a good covering of grass in the Caravan Park during the dry season, without remembering that they are in a arid area of the country.
We found the staff very friendly and eager to help us enjoy our visit.”
