Seeking out Australia’s ghost towns: Farina, South Australia

With our planet now almost completely mapped out and explored, there may be a feeling that there is little left to discover on Earth, but that's not entirely accurate. Though the advent of GPS and sophisticated technology allows us to virtually zoom practically anywhere around the globe, there's still a little something to be said for actually getting out there and exploring the world yourself.

Australia is a country built on its wealth of natural resources, with miners working tirelessly through the day and night to extract precious coal, gold and other such treasures from the bowels of the country. Towns boomed under the mountains of money that such industries brought in, but what happened to these settlements once the pits had run dry?

Just as the coal did, money ran out, so families upped sticks and left in search of better things. Towns were left abandoned to the elements, many were demolished, and others were repurposed – but some remain standing today, just as they did all those years ago. Fascinating to take a walk around, Australia's ghost towns attract a great deal of attention from intrigued explorers, so why not fire up your East Coast Car Rentals vehicle and seek out these absorbing wonders? 

Set your sat-nav in the direction of Farina, South Australia … if it can find it!

Farina, South Australia  

Established way back in 1878, the once-bustling South Australian town of Farina is the very epitome of what a ghost town should be. It was believed that the surrounding lands of Farina were richly fertile, setting the new town up perfectly for a long, prosperous farming life. This was initially the case – Farina was comparatively wealthy before the turn of the century, with a population of 600 making their home there. The town also had its own bakery, general store, hotel, post office, church, school, and even a brothel on its list of amenities. 

Farina's problems started when the rains failed to fall. The grounds dried up, nothing grew, and the local denizens moved away. When the mines closed in 1927 and the busy Ghan railway line was redirected away from the town, the writing was on the wall for poor Farina.  

Before long, the place was completely deserted, leaving nothing but buildings. Those houses, banks and breweries still stand today, shells of their former selves, but standing nonetheless. The South Australia government is now looking to restore Farina to its former glory, so be sure to explore its eerie empty charms before it becomes a thriving community once again.