In a small corner of Western Australia (WA) lies the town of Cossack that sits on a remote stretch of land.

The town has laid almost deserted for around the last 70 years.

Beautiful beaches are just a short walk away from the settlement which sits on the banks of the Harding river.

The Western Australia Government have now decided, along with estate agents LJ Hooker, to invite prospective parties to come up with ideas on how to kick start the derelict town back to life.

They will be looking for Registrations of Interest (ROIs) on how to revive the town using low-impact tourism and the development of camp sites, cafe and small businesses.

Cossack has 12 heritage listed buildings and the small island of Jarman is also included in the sale.

Vincent Siciliano, who works for LJ Hooker, said “Cossack was a pivotal part of WA’s pearling industry, with a history dating back to the 19th century.

Overtime, nearby townships including Port Samson and the employment hub of Karratha assumed the local population base. But Cossack sits in an amazing pocket of the Pilbara.

The townsite is bordered by the azure water of the Harding River.

This campaign presents a developer or entity with a rare chance to deliver a vision and ongoing commitment for a low-impact activation of a piece of WA’s history.” In it’s heyday the town was dependant on the pearling inductry, with more than 1,000 workers employed there in 1895. However, at the turn of the century, residents started moving to the bigger towns and the town was all but abandoned, with just the caretaker, Rhys Osterlund, living there now with his partner Shannon Ervin who runs the cafe. The WA Government are accepting ROI’s until 20th November at which point the town will be sold for an undisclosed sum.

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