The Stone Huts of Lake Austin

Written By Brendan Meharry

15 minutes south of Cue, you can find "The Island" on Lake Austin. A gold miners and prospectors dream since the 1890s, the Austin township was also established along the modern-day Great Northern Highway. While quite small compared to nearby towns such as Cue and Mount Magnet, it's believed to have survived until the 1960s.

While there isn't much of the townsite to see these days (although we'll certainly look) the real drawcards are the ironstone huts found on the surrounding ridges and hillsides. These were built by the miners using locally sourced stones, usually right next to their mine workings. Many survive today and are believed to be unique to Western Australia. While mining and prospecting are still prevalent on the island, these structures are certainly a hidden gem within the Murchinson goldfields.

Brendan Meharry
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