Wittenoom - The Abandoned Blue Asbestos Mine Ghost Town & The Residents Who Refuse To Leave

[@danozism]

The story of Wittenoom is very sad. This film was made in 2006, when there were 8 people living in the town. A year later in 2007, Wittenoom was wiped off the map and officially degazetted, with the power, phone-lines and all other utilities disconnected. All signage for the town was removed. The WA Government offered a buy-back scheme for all remaining residents to sell their properties, which some people accepted. By 2016 the population was down to 3, and it pretty much stayed that way until late 2022/early 2023, when Lorraine Thomas, who features in this film (now 80 years old, former proprietor of the gem shop, and Wittenoom's last remaining resident) was forcibly evicted from her home of over 40 years. Personally, I think Lorraine should have been allowed to stay and see out her final years in the town, but that's just my personal belief. In mid 2023 all the remaining buildings in Wittenoom were finally demolished, and now the only physical evidence that remains of the town are some faded old streets and tracks. RIP Wittenoom; 1950 - 2023.

[@yvonneost12]

I used to live there and our friend Bob used to play the drums in the pub LOL we left around 65 - 1966 ? my dad was a miner there and yep lost him & my brother from asbestos.

[@lilchicken8273]

My dad has his own business and he does asbestos removal and demolition and when I started getting interested in wittenoom I was able to go to him and a lot of my teachers I have had didn’t even know about this and I was REALLY surprised

[@TheLostNedKellyGun]

The old digger with the vintage LandCruiser - LEGEND!

[@MountainBouncerVideos]

I worked in the mill at Wittenoom Gorge packing asbestos fiber into bags. The mill was a cloud of dust and we were supposed to wear those flimsy little dust masks as if that would do any good. When I made enough money to move down the track, off I went. The place sure looks different now. The video brought back lots of memories of my youth.

[@ColeWolfsson]

Mountain Bouncer how old are you now

[@elonmusket3707]

How old are you?

[@bigtodd6609]

How old are you bro?

[@mrhizes]

no response ? sorry He's dead lmfao!

[@michaele7172]

Lies

[@KurtisPape]

Wow, the guy at 8:03 went deep, nature contact is more precious than human contact. That is so true my friend.

[@WildWarriorBill]

cheers mate, hopefully i'll go up there next year to revisit

[@richardgray115]

@@WildWarriorBill well Bill, have the U been yet ?

[@zooltpool8204]

Where's Mario? Just got back from Wittenoom first time vistit, probably one of the best experiences I've ever had!! It changed my perspective 180, not what the government perceives it to be!! this place really gets you thinking...

[@dougaldmactaggart990]

How is it different from what the government says?

[@danozism]

I could be wrong, but I believe Mario has relocated to Southern WA, near Albany.

[@silvanastephan4379]

Just finished watching another small documentary on this place and only one guy living there, he is not featured in this doco

[@Austinniya.]

I just watched that doco before this one. Yeah, where is Mario; who claims that he's lived there for 30 years - since abouts 1989.

[@zunezvenzon1748]

From Wiki: " The Wittenoom steering committee met in April 2013 to finalise closure of the town, limit access to the area and raise awareness of the risks. Details of how that would be achieved were to be determined but it would likely necessitate removing the town's remaining residents, converting freehold land to crown land, demolishing houses and closing or rerouting roads. By 2015 six residents remained; in 2017 the number dropped to four[5] and to three in 2018. In 2019 there is ONE resident remaining: Mario.

[@silvanastephan4379]

@@Austinniya. I know right

[@i_am_quirky]

Very fishy. Maybe the 8 locals didn't take too kindly to him because he was a immigrant?

[@oxmate]

i just watched it too and maybe all these ppl in this video are dead now? cause it looks pretty old video from the last one

[@sjdtmv]

Jan 2020, One Hungarian bloke with he's golf buggy doing the weather station stats by satellite phone back to Perth airport at 9am and 3pm, seems the last resident

[@hanzhenry5818]

makes me think the white suit reporter was lying?

[@RTK171]

Correct

[@VK-qo1gm]

I watched that doco on the weekend. Strange for only one person to live there alone, at least he doesn't have to fight with any neighbors or even turn down his radio :)

[@Random_videos0909]

@@VK-qo1gm Lol

[@samwillee4197]

I think he is/was Austrian but yep.

[@detectorist1690]

I visited Wittenoom last year on the 27th December (2022). A bushfire (lightning strike) had gone through the day before we arrived, a couple houses had been burnt down but most were still standing. Camped out front of the old Doc Holiday Cafe. The town was scheduled to be fully demolished in January this year however I'm not sure if this went ahead due to the bushfire.

[@nathanrykers4577]

Oh wow that’s interesting to know , I wondered if there was anything still left.

[@detectorist1690]

@@nathanrykers4577 yep there's still a few houses but not much. If you can it's worth a visit before they knock it down.

[@danozism]

@@detectorist1690 The saddest thing about the fires last December was the destruction of the old church hall. Such a unique building. All the buildings in Wittenoom have now been demolished, sadly. Here's a link to some drone footage of what it looks like now, taken in May 2023. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJKVfmVmjqpmb8U

[@tyrantwitness2482]

As someone said you have to be special to live here! Yes very special !

[@huyghesvanessa6468]

very very intersting doc!!!!! i have been at wittenoom in 1992 great memories thrue people....thrue life....australia the best....

[@conradquilliam6076]

Perhaps one of the most amazing and interesting stories of modern day Australia. A fascinating collection of stories and photos - many thanks. It's now March 2019, I wonder what the population is now.

[@willowwithin]

Apparently they are moving to evict the rest of the population, soon it will be completely empty.

[@leesawford]

News today shows one person left - and he’s not in this documentary

[@meichong8278]

x elijah pink yeah hes an Austrian says hes been there 30 years there is a documentary

[@AChannelFrom2006]

elijah pink: Is it that Austrian guy?

[@meichong8278]

The new documentary with the Austrian was released 25th December 2019 the channel that released it is called FREE DOCUMENTARY Titled Australia's ghost town: the contaminated city wittenoom|free doc bites |free documentary

[@ruthbirtwistle1109]

I visited Wittenoom in March 2021 when I worked at Auski Roadhouse. I had the pleasure of meeting Lorraine as we went out to fix her phone antenna. She seems happy with her lot and hopefully, she's allowed to stay as long as she wants. I think there were 3 people living in town at that time.

[@canmateya69]

unfourtanetley i researched yesterday and i found out Lorraine was the last resident and she was evicted in september 2022 and in may of 2023 all the houses were sadly demolished

[@returnofthenative]

I used to run a roadtrain. The last time I recall being out that way was 2012 to 2014 when I was running from Perth to Solomon, the FMG mine located at Wittenoon Gorge itself, & smack bang in the middle of Karajenie National Park. I'd turn off the Gt. Northern Highway at Auski Roadhouse & camp up at Wittenoom Township, ready to run in to Solomon first thing in the morning. The town was abandoned by then, no one was allowed to live there, & the foul coersive methods the State Govt. employed to remove thee unwanted people were appalling. By then only a handful of hardy old folk lived there anyway, & life out there was already difficult. I just don't see why they couldn't just have been left alone to see out their declining years in peace & serenity. It wouldn't have been any skin off anyone's nose, & the oldies would have been spared all that grief. I stopped going to Solomon because I boycotted the mine. Its massive, people don't realise just how big it is, & don' quote me, but I'm thinking 40 x 70 kms? Big anyway, & its the most beautiful piece of country you ever did see, that's why it was one of our most famous National Parks, & it is all being blasted with high explosives, bulldozed down & carried off to china. Its totally destroyed now, of course. So many roadtrain operators boycotted it that it became a massive problem for FMG, & they had to pay through the nose to the less scrupulous in order to be able to keep going. I personally never returned. We boycotted for a combination of reasons, that being just one. Another being that of all the mining companies, FMG was by far & away the worst. I suspect that we were treated so badly for political/idealogical reasons. Twiggy Forrest being far left, whilst truckies are conservatives. Anyway, it was made very plain & obvious how they felt about us, & it was the same at Cloud Break & in fact all FMG sites. Lastly, for me, it was the corruption. I cannot stand anything less that stand up honest, integrity, & FMG was anything but.

[@benkells3919]

Really enjoyed this, this is a doco a real one

[@tinahachey454]

I love the crystals beautiful like the town if your all happy that's the main thing thank you for sharing 😀❤️

[@noneedtoknow6098]

Great video thanks for sharing much appreciated good luck to all Wittenoom residents.

[@shadowfang3272]

i have worked in demolition for 10 years and have to deal with asbestos on a daily bases i cant believe from my experience why someone would want to live here, im from the uk and heard about this town today on an asbestos awareness course, seriously it is bad shit

[@WildWarriorBill]

Thanks Mate, yes it is deadly, many have never heard of it and are being exposed to it everyday, it is a big cover up.

[@leesawford]

‘It’s a very attractive place for a lot of people ‘...well eight people to be precise!

[@Tarix819]

Don't enter the blue sky mine.

[@applesucks2633]

I took my wife there!

[@simonscott1121]

I cant think of anything better than driving around Wittenoom in a 40 series landcruiser. When I visited in ~89 I was amazed at the place. The kerbing would crumble and turn to dust. @4:48 Im pretty sure that's a Commodore monitor. If anyone happens across the computer that went with it, throw it my way :D

[@davidanderson8381]

Great film - thanks for the introduction to Wittenoom.

[@WildWarriorBill]

Your welcome mate, it is beautiful country up that way

[@dolores.t.hodgkins3140]

"This place is my home" and home is where your heart is, 😀🙋

[@brinjoness3386]

My friends dad did 2 weeks work experience there. He died from mesothelioma.

[@SaGrassman]

Thanks for sharing. Wow is that from just his 2 week visit there?

[@shenysys]

@mad ass Dr Karl once gave a very simple reason as to why asbestos causes cancer - the body tries to break down the asbestos and can't. So due to constantly making more white blood cells to attack asbestos . Eventually you get a bug in the code (DNA) which causes that cell to go rogue and become cancerous.

[@jayden793]

Did he work in the mine

[@brinjoness3386]

@@jayden793 office job.

[@CRBAnalyseServiceGmbH]

Thank you for this very good and important article! Unfortunately there is still a lack of education about the possible uses of asbestos in many parts of the world. Whether in floors, screeds and leveling compounds, electrical installations, in tile adhesives and joint compounds, the mastic of windows and doors, as well as in many other materials in and around the house - there are countless possible areas of application of asbestos when it comes to housings. Particularly in the case of renovation and refurbishment work, the following therefore applies: Exercise the greatest caution and play it safe! Even a small material sample is sufficient to determine in a professional test procedure whether a suspicious material contains asbestos. If the commissioned analysis confirms the suspicion of asbestos, have any work on it carried out exclusively by service providers with the necessary certificate of competence. This is the only way you can be sure that there will be no accidental contamination of your living space or clothing with asbestos fibers. Stay healthy!

[@paulpaul5606]

And now only one man a dog and rabbit remains

[@holdenbrougham1056]

Great video and great people interviews, now in 2023 are any remaining people or buildings, , so sad I reckon if you wish to stay it's your personal choice and nobody else should make the decision for you

[@Emma.1993]

He sounds very Essex/ London (man in the Caravan)

[@LesBelltexas]

a great but truly sad video

[@WildWarriorBill]

+Les Bell thanks Les, where are you located mate? Australia?

[@thomasshelby9958]

Right now there is a guy named MARIO from Austria, living there all alone to keep weather data

[@BugbugAdventures]

5 others live there

[@Adrian-hu7xz]

@@BugbugAdventures I read that Mario left couple weeks ago. That's what said in a comment on another video about this town

[@applesucks2633]

I’m interested in housing there… Court judgment requires me to buy my ex-wife a home

[@keeslogman9368]

Her own mine perhaps

[@Philthebrush]

Buy two and move her parents in

[@applesucks2633]

starquant WTF?

[@Philthebrush]

starquant why do you assume the male fked up and not the wife ,?,

[@Philthebrush]

starquant ,you obviously know all about divorce, I don’t ,so thanks for the education, ,but was still funny untill you attacked

[@irishgoldstacker8018]

Good video. Interesting. I'd like to live outside of society at large. Seems like a great place to me.

[@yako0000]

beauty of a landcruiser mate

[@simonscott1121]

That's what I noticed too, wonder what happened to it. On google maps there's another shorty forty laying idle in a yard, long gone now I guess.

[@LI4MW00DLAND]

This is like watching an interview of people who refuse to evacuate a from a wildfire or hurricane. Just too daft to recognize its a 30 year delay effect hurricane.

[@kellychase4365]

They only got 3o years of living left anyway

[@yvonneost12]

I'll correct you there it took 40 years to take my brother

[@jayden793]

@@yvonneost12 where did your brother work

[@yvonneost12]

@@jayden793 we were kids when we lived in Wittenoom , we left the town when he was around 10 yr old back in 1965/66 .

[@greyjay9202]

Governments can't care. Only people can care.

[@nathanrykers4577]

That’s probably the most real statement I’ve ever heard.

[@menninblack3558]

Phrase to stubborn for your own good comes to mind

[@joshuaberlin9419]

Agreed!

[@LikaLaruku]

"Listen to it. How do you ever get sick of that?" ::Cuts to screeching cicadas & ear-piercing zebra finches::

[@johnnydavies1970]

Some people hear screeching, some people hear peace.

[@bensonvincent1485]

where's Mario the Austrian weather guy?..

[@elainedalton2068]

who the hell would wanna live there

[@Philthebrush]

And those who can’t afford a shithole in any city

[@andrewwalden2nd984]

I would for privacy (which is exactly why the gov doesn't want people living there). Plus the air looks much cleaner than many cities I've been in. Beautiful scenery too.

[@andrewsmith3636]

Practicing retiree lol,love it.

[@Spacekriek]

3:13... Words that ring true even more today, who needs a government when people can look after themselves ?

[@walterkersting1362]

Ahhh, hermitude... this morning I fired my cannon for a couple hours into some vacant houses, had some lunch and set them on fire. Then I played my electric guitar on eight in the front yard all afternoon, called it a day.

[@krisb3429]

2016 the town pop is only 3.

[@chrisj7205]

it really is a wonderful place to visit. go often for swimming and camping. majestic and magical.

[@WildWarriorBill]

hopefully one day in the near future I will return mate and get up there and do some awesome videos, maybe mid this year when it cools down weather wise!

[@misstinystockman792]

Where is Mario and his dog? Thought he was the only one there. The hell???

[@WildWarriorBill]

Video Taken from here: In outback Wittenoom, life is becoming increasingly insular. The government claims this ex-asbestos mining town is polluted, attempting to shut the town down by bulldozing buildings and cutting off power. Now nature is taking over. Yet eight determined residents of the once boom-town remain. Directed by Caro Macdonald Sound Recording by Elizabeth Hoyle Stills Photography by Tobias Titz Wittenoom vimeo.com/27845713

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

Why has there not been a Chernobyl style miniseries made about Wittenoom?

[@TimonSuricata]

can't wait to move there, the places should be cheap, or free, the gov won't even go there anymore, ill bring solar power for all!

[@bigboppa17]

Yeh n grow dope cops won’t go there ,ohs

[@brucesherborne408]

I just watched the other doco as well just 1 man left so what happened to all these folks?

[@matt7775]

Have a guess

[@jandrake6628]

They are all dead now 😥

[@tobycameron2830]

@@brookinghouseof9457 lol

[@aussie7772]

You used to have some bloke about the Australian law? Played we not gonna take it.. Who was it, I have lost a lot on this thing updating Thankyou Billy 😊😇 God bless you

[@LikaLaruku]

On the bright side, no water or power bills to pay. On the dark side, it's a long drive to work. 12:34 He looks awfully young to be retired.

[@sbug2705]

What year was this short documentary taken?

[@nicoleparry5103]

A beautiful piece of country, scared ground, the government should be ashamed, the outback is so peaceful and beautiful, so much nicer than the filthy cities

[@bensonvincent1485]

10:52 a town of 8 and they're still serious about privacy 🤔.. probably got a few bodies in the garden like Wolf Creek 🤣

[@benjaminc8789]

Very peaceful, generator thumping away in the background

[@walterkersting1362]

I have a nightmare where I am mowing the lawn naked; here you could actually do that…

[@FogartyAvenue]

This was an amassing documentary I can't wait until i'm old enough because i'm going to go to Wittenoom and it is going to be great. Room for improvement: don't use the default imovie font.

[@WildWarriorBill]

it is truly a beautiful region of Western Australia ... The Pilbara

[@FogartyAvenue]

I can not wait to visit!

[@WildWarriorBill]

I think the whole town is basically locked out now mate, no one can go there, around 20 miles from the town is locked gates... but I may be wrong... personally I would not go there, that is to the actually town. But the surrounding area is beautiful, don't forget Australia is a massive country full of beautiful everywhere, especially in the Northern Regions.

[@FogartyAvenue]

I don't care if the is a fence I am going at all costs it's on my bucket list. >:)

[@CamilleonProductions]

+Adventures With Wild Kooda Bill Nope, it's been taken off the map and there's warnings everywhere but I believe you can still enter the town. Last time I checked, 3 people were still living there. It's estimated about 30 tourists pass through there a day, and some still camp in Wittenoom Gorge

[@djpuffthethird]

Very interesting and moving Mini Doc Billy . Wonder if there's less or more people now ? The region so desolate and Nature taking over again. With the Asbestos Risk label , is this area protected forever . Or when the residents are no more . Will it just become pure nature or will the Government use the location for Who knows what ?

[@WildWarriorBill]

+djpuffthethird I'd say some of these people are pushing up daisies now mate see info on wittenoom here tinyurl.com/zjl5pw5 As of 2015 the population is now 6 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittenoom,_Western_Australia One day I will go back there

[@danozism]

I think the evil witch Gina Reinhardt has plans for a mine in the area.

[@TheLostNedKellyGun]

I enjoyed that very much, thanks for the upload. Heartening to see these strong-willed people developing an even stronger love for their town, despite (and probably because of) ..the government's attempts to erase it from the map. The powers that be even bought the pub just to demolish it!

[@BassGoesBoom1]

Heard there was only 3 left there now

[@arefriendselectricc]

BassGoesBoom1 yes i heared that one died from the abestos

[@davo8955]

BassGoesBoom1 sadly I hear none left now. Government got their way.

[@dcampbell4585]

@@davo8955 damn thats sad

[@Conceptualcreatures]

Sounds like paradise

[@walterkersting1362]

No neighbors? Paradise!

[@ladylaois8184]

This is absolutely fantastic. Very interesting. I’d take a chance especially at the moment in my sharia law totalitarian county

[@loulou4148]

Im with you 💖

[@asabovesobelow7981]

How sad.. 😔

[@WildWarriorBill]

I am hoping to go here this year Tracey.

[@michaeldesilvio9980]

I noticed that every episode of Scooby Doo had a villain that was trying to scare people off the land.👻

[@BRETTYZCAR]

Stonko at the Fortescue.

[@zunezvenzon1748]

This Movie is from 2006

[@DetectingArizona]

That would be an awesome place to camp out and metal detect and bottle dig, for a week. Have you ever been there Bill?

[@WildWarriorBill]

+DetectingArizona Yes mate, I have been there in the late 90's / early 2000 and it was truly amazing...one day I will go back and yes it would be a massive treasure trove of relics, coins... you name it...EVERYTHING! Imagine detecting that old pub site! My beautiful Uncle worked on the Blue Asbestos Mine there ... and it killed him from mesothelioma

[@DetectingArizona]

i doubt its ever been hit by a coil to much, it would be something else, i had family members working in the Coal mines in West Virginia, USA die from black lung, and other crap they breathed in while working in the mines.

[@maurogomez1585]

Make Wittenoom Great Again. The place is BEAUTIFUL. I want to live there and create NEW COMMMUNITY.

[@SuperRoo_22]

Too late. The WA government hve just given the approval to completely wipe it off the map.

[@barkeeper7887]

3 Years later Everyones dead

[@PS-bu2ir]

That is untrue, Martina has an inster account she posted just today. @naturesartmelbourne.

[@KatherineSparkes]

Wittenoom needs to be cleaned up and returned to its traditional owners. If they are interested in a Land Rights or Native Title claim on the area.

[@oxmate]

this must a old video

[@walterkersting1362]

Peter practicing retiree; keep at till you get it right.

[@kijilaovere2078]

The guy is wearing a no fear tshirt no wonder 🤣

[@bennyjbenham]

Think about how great this place was to visit when your lugging round an oxygen bottle

[@mrhizes]

Rofl

[@SeriousSchitt]

Phark yeah Steve, that's what I'm thinking!

[@yvonneost12]

@ 13.25 that guy looks like ivan malat LOL

[@brianwinner2249]

Where's Mario?

[@toddross7507]

Wittenoom has been degazetted for a little while now.

[@AssemblyBanditChannel]

6:58 "I've been to Wittenoom and lived!!" That's a really appropriate magnet, pretty sure they're all dead!

[@porkercrackler]

1:10 practising retiree? how to you practise to retire.....

[@AussieAF]

A week ago, 08 Sept 22, marks the complete death of the town with the resident being forcefully removed.

[@TranHongHoang]

the most easies country to live is Vietnam i'm almost beacause of the Asbestos i remarked Jesus cries i'm finish

[@59bulldogman]

Soft in the head, maybe?

[@WildWarriorBill]

It you went to the town, I am pretty sure you would understand their decision to live there... that is if you like pure peace and tranquility of the beautiful outback australian desert.

[@59bulldogman]

Yes. I hope they don't pick up any illness though. Cheers.

[@sr633]

Any country that can take their peoples guns can strong arm anything. I like Australia.

[@tcbgarage2845]

2022 update. Population is zero.

[@Blackheathenly]

Of course, these people know better. LOL.

[@seenthelight2times]

2:06 = FLATEARTH

[@WildWarriorBill]

Yep, we live in a mysterious world... the flat earth theory has me baffled, especially what may lie in Antartica... maybe another world, civilisation, dinosaurs and it is being hidden from us.

[@godfreypoon5148]

Except you can see the curvature...

[@gezzapk]

That is a desert in Australia, not the entirety of Earth.

[@nicholas9900]

Delusional people

[@Jim-i4j]

Tuff people, if they want to live their and they are ok let the poor people be.

[@Jim-i4j]

I must say the guy in the dark is a little bit out there 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Jim-i4j]

And there it is , he’s a little bit out there because he’s from the city 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂