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Established in 1863 this historic town was once the administrative centre for
all activity north of the Murchison River in the Pilbara. In fact the town is
the oldest on the Pilbara coastline. Many stone buildings date from around this
time and have been restored and are now classified by the National Trust.
Originally established around the "Withnell" homestead on the Harding River it
was also used as the centre for the North West Gold Rush during the 19th
century. Gold and copper were the mainstay of the town for many years. When the
mines were finished the population drifted to other areas. Today the township
serves as a great stopover point for the many national parks in the area and
access to Wickham and Point Samson which was originally established as the
Roebourne's port.
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