Three Forgotten Micro Towns in the Southern Flinders Ranges

Take a drive and walk with me around three forgotten and quiet towns in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. We'll take a look around the landmarks and historic icons of these lesser known and lesser visited micro towns. Along the way we see signs of improvement coming to these once ghost towns. Are they on the comeback?

A big thank you to Tom for joining me on this adventure and for his local knowledge.

Music:

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

Further reading and sources:

forgotten towns, urbex, urban exploring, ghost towns, urban exploration, urban decay, ghost towns Australia, quiet towns, micro towns, outback towns, abandoned Australia, abandoned places Australia, abandoned outback, abandoned explorer, Hammond, Morchard, Willowie

#urbex #abandonedexplore #abandonedexplorer #southaustralia #ghosttown

[DrewsAdventuresGo]

Which town would you choose if you were to live in one of the 3 featured here? 😀

[naturalfarmerguineith]

I live at an old townsite on a 20 acre farm, in Northern Country, Victoria. There's nothing here now of the old town. It was a Gold Rush town and at its peak, had a population of 60, 000 people! It's harsh living out here. I have water tanks, so I'm okay, but I can hardly imagine how such a huge number of people lived here! The creek near my land now mostly runs dry, but was a permanent water source until about 1998. I am working on my catchment using Permaculture methods, swales, "beaver dams" etc, so perhaps we'll get the old girl flowing again, downstream from my place?

We'll see...

Thank you for showing us these old towns.


It's an important part of our history!

[shaggytrails]

Your videos are great! It is good to see someone who keeps his eyes open whild exploring the old places. Some of the things you find aren't really marvelous or exciting but they tell a story about the towns i, e the old petrol pump mount and the boot cleaning bar. Most would overlook these things.

[kirkc]

Thank you for showing us the beautiful church in Hammond. I taught in a one teacher school in the lower Flinders Ranges 8n 1969, no town, just a school on a hill.

[ianwhite]

Thanks for this. My uncle, who passed just before Christmas, lived in Hammond. I had never been there and can't believe that he lived out there. So isolated.

[tgb]

The small white building in Morchard was the original Methodist church, eventually used as the Sunday school. I went there in the 1970s. We buried my maternal grandmother in the Hammond cemetery in 2009. I also used to play golf on the 9 hole course, which was situated around the south eastern corner of town too. Thanks for the memories.

[Gough-jfzf]

Seems South Australia has a higher proportion of abandoned (or nearly) towns than other states. The flatness of the terrain & general lack of features seem to make the old buildings more dramatic. Rising up starkly against the sky...
Even on a major road, you drive thru one empty, decaying town after another. It's very sad, they were once communities, usually with active social lives. Folk who knew each other.
Glad to see many haven't been vandalised or been stripped too much.
The arid conditions, lack of trees, vast distance makes you realise how tough life was. You have to admire the people who stuck it out for generations.
Love the vernacular SA architecture.
Thanks for your efforts in filming and presenting.

[mccoymccoy]

Awesome mate
Quite passionate about these old towns
They did it hard in those days
I own the old Methodist church in Nelshaby just out of port Pirie
Trying my hardest to save this 1909 building
Has the old school house attached to the back built in 1936 I believe
Was completely vandalised when I got it 2 yrs ago
Been living here for nearly 2 yrs and love it
Ocean views and the range’s just behind me never get sick of the views there breathtaking
Been a struggle but wouldn’t change anything
Just trying to save some history
Love your work

[nationalparksprincess]

Beautiful little towns, I enjoyed the look around at all of them, Drew. 😊

[AdventuresUnseen]

What a great video Drew. Very much enjoyed the look around. 🤗😊

[baabaabaa-El]

Thanks for putting this together mate!
Imagine what these places wdve been in their heyday!!
Every town had a pub.. but shops, tennis courts!?!
They'd be boiling in summer and bloody cold in winter out that way!

My grandad was born in Quorn, but l never been to Willowie etc..

Thanks again mate.

[rumdriven]

My house in Hammond is the one made out of railway sleepers. If I'd have known about you and your channel i would have invited you in.
Thanks for this vidoe.
Regards Marko.

[AbandonedAngel]

Bloody marvellous my friend - I will probably never get here, but your video will be here forever...such a beautiful walk about...loved the church! Well done Drew 💪🏽✅️🧡🌸🥳😍🇦🇺

[Famo]

Just goes to show how people went out in the outback to hopefully make a living.!! Only to lose everything..!!
Thanks for sharing this.
Cheers

[greggrichards]

Thanks for the video. We visited Hammond over 30 years ago. There was then a old bank which was used as holiday accommadation, and a building (blacksmiths from memory ) full of items collected from around the area. They where the row of buildings in the video.
The owner of tbe bank told us then that the pub and a lot of the buildings where being purchased by people from Adelaide back then.

[craigjones]

I’ve never been to Hammond but they tell me it’s lovely this time of year.

[rickg]

Thank you for your work in producing and posting these videos which I enjoyed immensely.

[andrewburns]

Wonderful videos, Drew. You must be a good person: you still indicate when there are no other vehicles within eyesight!

[Just_daniel_]

I love your channel Drew. I want to book a tour with you when I’m back in Adelaide next.

[christianmclean]

Town 1 DREW by a mile
can't beat those SA stone and brick places.
Kills all the Angular Stainless steel rubbish nowdays. ❤👍