|
Sandfire Roadhouse is located about half way between Port Hedland and Broome in the state's north west.
The story goes that in 1970 a petrol tanker broke down in the area and the demand for fuel from passing motorists was so great that a roadhouse was eventually established but
that story isn't true.
The roadhouse owes its existence Eddie and Kath Norton who originally got the project going and ran the establishment for some years before retiring to Broome.
Eddie was almost 60 years old when he suggested to his wife that they move into the desert and try to make a living selling fuel to passing travellers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Kath supported the idea and Eddie set about trying to get government permission to use some land between Hedland and Broome.
At first they offered him some land half way between the two towns but this just happened to be in the middle of a salt marsh that was subject to flooding. When this was pointed out,
they sensibly allowed Eddie to select his own block and he chose 10 acres 296 kilometres from Port Hedland and 314 kilometres from Broome.
Eddie and Kath moved out to the location with their three teenage children. The site chosen was up on a hill with access to good bore water just 70 feet down.
The first fuel sale was made on Good Friday 1970, with fuel being siphoned from 44 gallon drums with a hand pump. Payment was made in the form of a carton of beer.
The family lived in a caravan and it was some time before the operation was anything more than a rough bough shed and the van.
The first permanent building was ready for business in December 1970 and gradually the roadhouse took shape. A tavern was opened in 1974.
Kath was a keen gardener and the area around the buildings became a green oasis.
By 1981 the road between Port Hedland and Broome was sealed and life at the roadhouse started to become less harsh as more facilities became available.
The name Sandfire apparently comes from one of the last entries in Ludwig Lichardt's diary about the sand being so hot it appeared to be on fire.
Eddie Norton died in 1991 aged 81. His roadhouse remains and has continued to thrive.
There is a pleasant rest area next to the roadhouse with tables nestled under shady trees and surrounded by bougainvillea and palm trees. There is a flock of peacocks resident
at the roadhouse which are quite tame and seem to relish the attention of travellers and their cameras.
Tall tales and True : The Sandfire Sleazy Sleeveless Shirt Club.
The tradition began on the 28th of May 1981 when mates of truckie Tom Sheehan decided to forcibly trim the sleeves of his rather ragged shirt. Somehow this one prank evolved into a
way to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
You could become a member by cutting off a sleeve and pinning it to the roof.
For the privilege of destroying your item of clothing and to join the 'club' you paid a $10 fee. If you also cut off your other sleeve, you got an $8 discount.
By 1986 over $2000 had been collected for the R.F.D.S. and the roof was decorated with over 800 sleeves of varying types.
How long this tradition went on for remains a mystery but it probably ended 2007 when there was a disastrous fire that saw a great deal of the building severely damaged.
It is probably safe to assume that all the shirt sleeves hanging from the roof contributed to the fire. The roadhouse was re-built but in 2009 it was damaged again.
The roadhouse continues to operate and is open 12 hours a day from 7am to 7pm.
Contact : 08 9176 5944
Check out our other VIDEOS
NEW **** CLICKABLE VIDEO MAPS **** NEW
|
