["Onslow's Claim To Attention", The Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA), Saturday 04 September 1909, page 2]
ONSLOW'S CLAIM TO ATTENTION.
OUR Ashburton and Onslow neighbors, if they wish to secure proper shipping facilities at the latter place, should make a strong move during this session of Parliament. Without saying that Onslow requirements should be subservient, it is as well to point out that heavy expenditure at other Northern ports – such as a new tramline at Carnarvon, railway at Port Hedland, new tramline at Point Sampson, and new tramline at Broome – has been authorised, and with the exception of the Port Hedland railway the work has been carried out. Other pressing wants which the ports stated may possess are purely of a local nature. But at Onslow the welfare not only of the town, but of one of the largest districts in the State hinges to a large extent on the facilities provided for conducting trade. Since the establishment of the town, and at the present time, these have been and are of a primitive description. In the early days of pioneering, when the stability of the industries commenced is open to doubt, there is strong justification for cautiousness in spending money on permanent work. But the Asbburton has many years ago emerged from its nonage stage. It is improving in richness each year, and from a pastoral point of view runs the Gascoyne district a close second for pride of place. Not only has it rich pastoral areas, but as a mining field we firmly believe it will become one of the most noted districts in the State. Gold, silver, and base metals exist over an immense tract of country, but to make copper or lead mining pay it is essential that working expenses should be reduced. Proper shipping facilities at the port would be a big step in that direction, and no doubt subsequently a good case could be made out for railway communication with the back country. From a pastoral point of view the district is also handicapped greatly through lack of proper means of shipping wool and of receiving goods. This must perforce be done by means of lighter at present, the expense of landing goods or shipping wool being consequently greatly augmented, whilst stock-shipping, except for small lots, is hardly known. The surplus stock from the district is either travelled overland to southern markets or shipped at Carnarvon. Though this is of benefit to the latter place, in all fairness to our Northern neighbors it is time their misfortune should be alleviated. The matter has several times come before the Onslow public, and the general consensus of opinion there is that a new jetty should be built nearly opposite to Parkes' Reef. By carrying such jetty out a distance of 900 feet a depth of three and a half fathoms of water could be obtained, which would be ample for vessels trading up this coast. To give communication between the town and jetty a bridge would have to be thrown over the Ashburton River, which at the most suitable crossing place is about a quarter of a mile wide. There is nothing in sach a programme which should frighten our State Treasurer; nothing but what any impartial person most say Onslow is entitled to. And from a financial aspect the Government would find the proposition a good one. Firstly, it would result in the sale of many additional township blocks; secondly, it would give increased income in the way of wharfage dues; and thirdly – perhaps the most important point of all – it would greatly assist in the expeditious development of some of the State's richest mineral and pastoral areas. The Onslow people have good and sufficient reason to formulate another request for such a jetty, and we would suggest to them that they request their member to bring the matter forward in Parliament, and that as a further preliminary step the Government be asked to send an engineer to Onslow to draw up a report and estimate of the cost of a scheme such as is above outlined.
AB notes:
September 1909: The Northern Times makes the case for a new jetty at Onslow.
Jetty improvement important everywhere, but critical to the future of Onslow.
