Ghost Towns of Australia by George Farwell

Ghost Towns of Australia

by George Farwell

Rigby, 1980, ISBN 0727000152, colour and black and white photographs throughout, hardcover, dust-jacket

Very Good Condition, a little edge and shelf wear, a little rubbing to edges and corners, previous owners inscription marked out on front end-paper, dust-jacket shows a little edge and shelf wear with some rubbing, bumping, chipping and small tears to edges and corners (see photographs)

"Every state in Australia has its ghost towns: memorials to roaring days when the sky was the limit and every newcomer dreamed of a splendid future.  A few such towns have experienced a revival, but most of them doze in quiet oblivion, their once-busy streets empty except for perhaps half-a-dozen houses, a store, and a shady pub with a decaying verandah.  Some towns, like Port Essington which once resounded to drum and bugle, have almost disappeared.  Some were outback centres whose importance declined and vanished.  For one reason or another the populations just drifted away, as they did from the gold mining towns, or from Hammond, where the farmers simply gave up in despair.  One township was drowned to make a reservoir; others soared into sudden fame and were almost as quickly forgotten.
In this lavishly illustrated new edition of his famous book, George Farwell describes his visits to ghost towns in many parts of Australia.  he compares their present appearance with their bright, busy past, and with nostalgic affection and many touches of humour he records conversations with old inhabitants and anecdotes of bygone days."