On 15 May 1943, Onslow became the most southerly town in Australia to be bombed by the Japanese in World War 2, when a single plane bombed the airfield. However, there was no damage or casualties.
The Onslow salt field occupies 90 sq km of salt flats, with seawater pumped by three pumps at a maximum rate of 4,000 L/s each for approximately 18 hours per day depending on tides. Onslow Salt Pty Ltd is capable of producing nominally 2.5 million tones of sodium chloride per annum. The project has handling facilities to transport, process, store and load salt into ships for export. The jetty is approximately a 1.3 kilometre steel trestleway and is situated off Sunset Beach.
The port facilities on the Ashburton were silting up by 1925 and a decision was made to relocate the port around 18 kilometres east to Beadon Point where a deep water harbour could be established.The old Onslow townsite is now in ruins, with the police station complex (1893; 1906/1907) the most substantial remaining structure.
(Click on a photo to enlarge)
Onslow
Old Onslow Camp
Great shots Steve, I camped there on the banks years ago and walked out onto the saltwater/freshwater wall with a bucket on a rope to have a bucket shower (bathers on of course). I caught a large catfish on my fishing line which I had left tethered overnight outside my tent. Brings back some great memories. The old cemetery at Old Onslow was rather sad with all the early deaths in those days. Vic41
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