Big Bell, Western Australia

Big Bell is a ghost town in Western Australia near the town of Cue.

Mining ceased in 2003 and the plant was deconstructed and transported to the Westonia minesite in 2007.

It is a former railway branch terminus in Western Australia's Murchison Region. The first train arrived in Big Bell on 6 January 1937, however the line was not officially opened until 12 August that year. Services ceased from September 1944, but were revived the following year when the war in Europe was winding down and the gold mine reopened. The line finally closed on 31 December 1955 ["The Big Bell Branch Line" Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December 1999 pp452-457]

The Big Bell hotel reputedly had the longest bar in Australia.

In 1902 Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was a company representative at the Big Bell open cut gold mine. [ [http://trails.heritage.wa.gov.au/ht_pdf/Cue.pdf Cue heritage trail] ]

References

Further reading

* O'Sullivan, Mardie."The Big Bell Hotel, 1937-1987" , 1988
* Warne, L. "Big Bell 1904-1954 : some historical notes of interest". [Big Bell, W.A.] : Big Bell Historical Committee, 1954.

External links

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/AS/8/Big_Bell.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 487m (Red dots are closed railways)]