Shay Gap was a mining town east of Port Hedland. It was space age back in the day and revolutionary. That’s just what mining companies did to keep their workforce local.
One of its revolutionary features was an underground umbilical cord trench that contained all the town’s basic services; irrigation, sewerage, power and telephone and television cables. Nothing unsightly sticking out of the ground.
The houses (with as many as four bedrooms) were built in groups of 11 in such a way that people could walk in shade from any part of the town to any other unlike the Radford design of South Hedland back in the 1970s. No resident to walk more than 200 metres to any facility, including the shopping centre, the school and the club. The average distance anyone has to walk anywhere is 40 metres.
Residents are also kept cool with a centralized air-conditioning system based on a communal chilled-water plant. Each house pressurized by a fan coil unit, so pressure inside is higher than it is outside, dust and most insects cannot enter. Another refinement was an the irrigation system, which provides up to 60 inches of “rain” a year. The watering is done at night from high-level misting devices, to develop a green, park-like appearance — an oasis of comfort in a desert. There was a vacuum sewer also.
The building of Shay Gap from the ground up presented a unique opportunity for eliminating the motor car from living areas. The town was completely free of vehicles, yet each house had a lock-up garage. Small electric vehicles were used to provide such services as rubbish disposal. We are not sure how much of this was maintained throughout the life of the town. Sometimes it was more expedient to go back to conventionalism over time.
However, architect Lawrence Howroyd won an Award of Merit in 1974 from the Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design. As is always the common story of mining towns, by 1994 it had been totally demolished and removed.
Now; There is absolutely nothing to remind people that once there was an award winning, experimental town in the desert. Even before Shay Gap, GML were a little maverick in their approach with the geodesic community domes at both Goldsworthy mine and Finucane port in the 1960’s.
Written by a Port Hedland resident, name withheld, 4 February 2021
I’ll never forget working there on construction. First with Lyons and Pierce, water pipeline to town, then GIPP, we layed PVC piping underground. Then I worked on the mine development, on the 988 with 2 dump trucks and a D9 broke the Pilbara earthmoving record twice. I loved that country, always will.
Having worked there on construction with GBC there was an outdoor cinema in the shape of a sailing ship with the movie projected on the sails. The toil.et and waste water system was by a vacuum, there was a half litre of water with every flush. All the panels for the houses were produced on site out of fibro sandwiched with styrene foam and sealed window glass.
I lived there briefly when it was still a drilling camp, before the mine arrived. The wildlife and scenery were magnificent, and I sure hope that mining didn’t wreck them.
Hi there, well l grew up as a kid in the 70s at Mount Goldsworthy WA, as my father worked in the mines..he was a boilermaker by trade..he started working up there on his own, then asked my mum to come up there with the 3 kids..so we packed up and moved from Adelaide to Goldsworthy..
We use to travel a lot to Shay Gap, as my aunty lived there with her family..she use to run the bar at the club..
My youngest brother was born there, well at Port Headland hospital, and my sister died there..she got brain cancer at the age of 3..so mum wanted to leave, so we packed up everything into the car and Dad made his own trailer which he also packed up..
Things l remember as a kid, that it was always stinky Hot 🥵 outside, but for a kid that’s fun..we had these Aircon with outside generator on all the time, no matter the weather or month of year, it was always over 30°.
I remember there was the townships swimming pool and it was free, l remember the outdoor theatre, sling back chairs..l remember the one and only shop there, and if you want any fresh food produce, you had to get there early as it gets sold out..
I remember riding our bikes everywhere, my brother and I..l remember walking the creek everyday with my brother in full sunlight, just a t-shirt and shorts on..no shoes, maybe thongs sometimes..
Those days were the best days of my life, growing up as a kid, hanging out with my brother, one year younger than me..
We as kids were always so excited going to see My Aunty and our cousins in Shay Gap, as their home really looked futuristic and space aged..l do recall the houses were all white from the outside, not brick homes..they had a 2 storey home, as l remember all the bedrooms were upstairs, and us kids use to run around with excitement.. back in the Day 1970s kids use to be free to go anywhere, not like today kids are all just indoors playing video games..
If l find any photos, l have to ask my mother, as she has the original photos..l will post them up.. they’re in colour, but the quality of the photo is grainy..
So that was my Life, it’s sad to know such a great community has lost this town all together.. nothing is left, what a shame..
Thank you Sylvia for sharing your memories of Shay Gap.