Attractions in Onslow
Old Goods Shed Museum
Attractions in Onslow include The Old Goods Shed Museum. It also houses Onslow Visitor Centre and it’s worth spending some time here. There is an amazing collection of old machinery, rolling stock and memorabilia.
The first building in the old Onslow townsite was a goods shed, warehouse and store. In 1904, this building burnt down and a replacement structure was built and connected to the sea jetty by tramway.
The new shed included a Bond Store, and a lookout tower was added in 1910. In 1925 the building was dismantled and transported by camel train to the new townsite. When reconstructed at Beadon Point the Goods Shed was extended, with a further extension in 1953. After severe cyclone damage in the 1960s, the store was refurbished.
Today, the goods loading platform houses a display of railway rolling stock. It includes the 1928 petrol locomotive, which was part of the Onslow tramway system. More rolling stock is located in the railyard alongside the Goods Shed and inside you will find fascinating displays. These depict Onslow’s early years and important events in the town. Amongst these are the many cyclones that have hit this stretch of coast, and the bomb that fell on Onslow during WWII.
Address: Old Goods Shed Museum, 52 Second Avenue, Onslow, WA
The Onslow Heritage Trail
South of Onslow you will find the remains of the original townsite at the mouth of the Ashburton River.
The most prominent ruins here are the stone remains of the gaol, the courthouse, the police station and police quarters.
Some of the old town’s buildings and artefacts can be seen at the Onslow Visitor Centre and Goods Shed Museum. They where they were moved upon the establishment of the current townsite.
Heritage trail maps for a self-guided walk around the old townsite are available from the Onslow Visitor Centre.
Onslow was gazetted in October 1885 to serve the port which exported wool from the sheep stations of the Pilbara. It was named after the then Chief Justice of Western Australia, Sir Alexander Onslow. In the early days of settlement, good pearls were found in Exmouth Gulf. The town then became home port to a fleet of pearling luggers.
From the outset, the situation of the port created difficulties. During Wet season, the Ashburton River carried such a volume of water that safe mooring for ships was not always possible. Also the claypans near the townsite often flooded. Three jetties were constructed to try to alleviate these problems. The first was destroyed in a cyclone in 1897, and the second and third jetties were affected by silting. This led to the construction of a new jetty 18 kilometres away at Beadon Point and ultimately, to the relocation of the town in 1925.
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