Abbotts, Western Australia

Abbotts Western Australia
Abbotts
Coordinates	26°19′26″S 118°23′20″E
Established	1900
Postcode(s)	6642
Elevation	526 m (1,726 ft)
Location	802 km (498 mi) north east of Perth 31 km (19 mi) north west of Meekatharra 354 km (220 mi) south of Paraburdoo
LGA(s)	Shire of Meekatharra
State electorate(s)	North West
Federal division(s)	Durack

Abbotts is an abandoned town in Western Australia located in the Murchison Goldfields region of Western Australia and 31 km (19 mi) north-west of Meekatharra on the Meekatharra – Mount Clere Road.

The townsite was initially established in 1898 and gazetted in 1900, and is named after an immigrant prospector from Croatia named Vincent Vranjican who had changed his name to Vincent Abbott in 1893.[1][2]

One of the earliest mines to open was the Black Iguana.[3] In 1895 the Black Iguana and the Abbotts mine were both operating ten head stamp mills in the town for processing ore.[4]

In 1902, all of the boarders at Abbott's Hotel were poisoned by eating tinned beetroot; many of the victims were given emetics, which were administered "with much success". No fatalities were recorded from the incident.[5]

The townsite is one of many ghost towns in the area; others include Peak Hill, Gabanintha, Horseshoe and Garden Gully.[6]

References

1. "History of country town names – A". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
2. Murray, Ian (2011), West Australian gold towns and settlements. Volume 1, Hesperian Press, retrieved 19 May 2022
3. "Morowa District Historical Society" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
4. "Batteries at the Murchison". Western Mail. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 4 October 1895. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
5. "Miscellaneous news items". Bendigo Advertiser. Victoria: National Library of Australia. 18 October 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
6. "Sydney Morning Herald - Travel - Meekatharra". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Archived from the original on 31 October 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.