As a WASG member in the late 60s-early 70s, this was a site for regular training in the abseiling/ladder climbing/rock climbing skills often needed when caving. There are a few photos on Flickr from my days too..... Don't recall investigating the quarry infrastructure though, so Thanks Brendan!! 👍 I recall hearing quarry blasting regularly from my childhood home, but that was more likely from the Gosnells end, I think??? The Scar on The Scarp was very visible from my home in Carlisle anyway! RjB
I worked there in 1995 on a work for the dole program. We built a toilet block, steps from the bottom to the top. We also built a gazebo and steps down into the pond. On our lunch break we sat in the old crusher. There is a lot more graffiti now days. Great place to work and taught me a lot of skills
In 1996 or 1997 I saw a First Nations dance troupe use the quarry as an amphitheatre/backdrop at sunset. It was part of the then, Festival of Perth. Loving these videos and the local history, thanks Brendan.
Your videos are interesting. As someone who has grown up in Perth I love all the historical information you provide. As for your camera work. SLOW the sweeping panoramic shots down. You move your camera too fast. As you talk, slowly pan your camera so we get a clear look at all the interesting things you are filming. Its like being on a choppy ocean....
Curtin's geology department uses this quarry for field trips. I lived around and went to school near here but had never known it was there until I went on the field trip. Quite a fascinating place to learn about the geology of the Darling Ranges and was great for putting theory into practice.
I literally went to that old structure with mates to mess around. And also did abseiling at the quarry for school camp. Didn’t actually know how important that place was!
There were many car club cruises that did a run down the zig zag in the early 2000's with some questionable driving. It was also used for Targa West in uphill form. You would often see a fogged up car or two parked along the side of the road at night as well. The view is still sensational though
Yeah cars used to get fogged up windows a lot. I don't think the window demisters were very well designed back in the old days. Oh, do you mean while parked ? Yeah I guess, might be another cause for the fogged up windows, I guess !
Great vid, thanks. I did an abseil course up there in 1987. It was a fun day with an ex-SAS guy and my friends. There was a flying fox on the north end that went from the top across and down maybe 50 or 60 metres, pretty hairy. Cheers.
Reminds me a little bit of Ellis Brook Valley Reserve old quarry!! I had a good friend in primary school in Kenwick whose last name was Statham and it is pronounced Stay-Thum.
Hi Brendan Another great piece. FYI the embankment of a railway line is called a “formation” and the rail line and formation is referred to as the “per-way”.
Wow. You've done a lot of research. Thanks heaps. We've been to this quarry a couple of times, once from the zig zag and once from the road in front. The video and details you've given were very interesting.
Super interesting! I live close to the primary school mentioned, our kids went there, and in winter it's a great walk up to the top. Oh, and our Labrador loves swimming in that pond when it's go any water in it!
I lived in Helena valley as an early teen. Just down the road from the quarry. Easy walk. Me and a mate hand climbed up the huge cliff to the left of the main sheer cliff. The more jagged one. No ropes ha ha. Also used to do abseiling there when I was in army cadets. Very cool spot
Yep driven pass the quarry plenty of times and never thought to go have a look, there's other old quarries in the hills, theres a hidden one at Parkerville, which was used for the railway, at the corner of Riley Rd and Kintore Rd.
Love your videos man. I grew up in Gooseberry Hill and know Stathams Quarry well. We used to abseil and rock climb there in high school. I also make content mainly an the Armadale Train Line upgrades.
I grew up down the road and spent many days cruising down (and UP) the zig zag. My brother and I used to walk to the opposite side and watch sun rise over the scarp We often did some Abseiling and rock climbing.
One of those really interesting places I've driven past a hundred times but somehow never visited. Compulsory 'Small Perth' moment: I knew Frank Mansfield, back in the 90s. :)
Back in my day we used to casually drive up the zig zags late at night and then race to the bottom. Much rubber and dominos were consumed at the scene. If you listened carefully on a quiet night at the bottom you could hear both tyres and girls squeeling in the distance May the algorithm do it's thing and help you keep growing mate!
Great videos bro. Been in a few of the old quarries around Armadale Gosnells hills area etc. Its just a hole or chunck out of a hill but its strange almost creepy. Gosnells gun club site is one. Nothing whatsoever about gun club just the hole. On your train vids as a kid there was no Armadale rd just a raised Clay wall On whats now the centre medium strip That had train rails
Good to see these sights and thankful for your efforts , but if you slow your video panning down a quarter, we might be able to focus on the scenery that you are attempting to show us.👍
Thanks for this, I grew up playing here as a child and also attended the Helena valley school it was one long building with an office splitting up the two class rooms. Both class rooms had a fire place hung on each fire place was our school creed and a picture of the queen in her very early days.
My grandfather ran several perth quarries when he was young, and also in Kalgoorlie. Interestingly, he built many roads in Kalgoorlie, and afterwards they found gold in one of his quarries, so the streets of Kalgoorlie are literally paved with gold! (Well, not really)
I love your videos.as I also am a proud west aussie & love to learn more about our state. However one small request, could you please not turn around so quickly when filming as the images flashing past are not at clear & a lot of information is missed. Keep up the great work I love it.
We tried to do the trail a few weeks ago, but got lost at the start (despite printing out the guide) and ended up doing 7.2km overall. Take care at the start just after you leave the Zig Zag tarmac.
the track/road you mention , well, i used to drive my Fairmont wagon down there to the bottom, and then walk my Labradore upto the quarry, this was in the early 1980s.
Thanks for this. I only live 15kms away and have driven down the Zigzag many times and had no idea this was there. Guess where we’re off to this weekend 🙂
@@stevencuenca1980 wow! Say hi from me. It was probably 25 years ago, we both worked in the same industry and used to bump into each other. He may well have forgotten me of course 🙂
Interesting but it's 'DARbyshire', not DERbyshire. Went abseiling there with The Boys' Brigade in the mid 70's and drove my [2WD] car up there somewhere around 1980.
Karragullen was the lumber train line joined with Pickering Brook was the fruit line through Bickley Brook to Kalamunda then to the Zig Zag. The train built Fremantle wharf Perth and most of the Perth metro
You can access this of ridge hill road You can park and walk down yhe drive then up to the quarry. Abseilers use this quarry and get car access from the shire council
Same! I saw the quarry in the opening and was like, omg that's where i used to go abseiling as a young teenager. It looks identical to how it was back then.. and that was over 20 years ago! I can even vividly remember what each side was used for, south was the beginner 'sloped' line, west was the intermediate 'vertical' line and east was the advanced 'overhang' line.. going down that face forward was an adrenaline rush like no other! I had no idea about the ruins there though or that it was so close to the zig zags.. i didnt know about them until i was a bit older and had a car, so up until now i thought they were two entirely different locations 🤣 Man I'm getting so old i have a growing number of back in my day stories... urgh! 😛
Fifteen shillings and six would have been a huge daily wage,maybe a good weekly ? My father carted crushed "blue metal" from there in the 50/60s,the hard climb out was tough on trucks.
@@bushratbeachbum would be 1995 maybe hmm but went there with Mum and dad, i am a short bloke 5"4 time I was there they had chicken wire but only in few spots was not maintained at all, had rebar hammered in, so I started to climb it not thinking about anything, was easy till about 2 story's up the rebar came further apart and further away, stupid me I pulled myself up then grabbed one by that point my arm where fully out stretched I had no upper body strength left my feet came off the bar and I was hanging there, I could not get my feet back on the rebar I was free hanging, Dad started climbing and I was slipping. He manged to get to me and I have no idea how but got me back down to the bar, he a giant to me 6 foot. From that point on i get light headed and freak with height's. I was about to drop of that bar 0 thoughts in my head just fear. I found out later from my uncle that was a park ranger that people have died climbing that tree. In fact way back then they where going to close it, odd says no one has fallen and died googling but was told two from memory did. I not been back there since, I really need to go and just look. I wondered if they fixed and changed it to the rebar days.
Go do the complete train line. Behind Karragullen church is the beginning. Go visit some of the families of Karragullen and Pickering Brook. I would love to catch up and have a good chin wag with you. I lived in Karragullen for 40 years
@@tangiers365 nope. It doesn't have to. It's the lowest form of expression. It serves nobody but the child scribbling and harms communities in many ways. People need to have more respect for their surroundings and the people they share them with.
The only Perth Historian on TH-cam??? Hope you go big mate
As a WASG member in the late 60s-early 70s, this was a site for regular training in the abseiling/ladder climbing/rock climbing skills often needed when caving. There are a few photos on Flickr from my days too..... Don't recall investigating the quarry infrastructure though, so Thanks Brendan!! 👍 I recall hearing quarry blasting regularly from my childhood home, but that was more likely from the Gosnells end, I think??? The Scar on The Scarp was very visible from my home in Carlisle anyway! RjB
I worked there in 1995 on a work for the dole program. We built a toilet block, steps from the bottom to the top. We also built a gazebo and steps down into the pond. On our lunch break we sat in the old crusher. There is a lot more graffiti now days. Great place to work and taught me a lot of skills
Thanks for your post buddy. Interesting to hear that. Cool to hear you got some useful skills from it too.
If I may respectfully suggest that you make your pans much slower and pan in one direction instead of back and forward.
Ha, yes. This video was early days for the channel. Everything is shot from a tripod now!
In 1996 or 1997 I saw a First Nations dance troupe use the quarry as an amphitheatre/backdrop at sunset. It was part of the then, Festival of Perth.
Loving these videos and the local history, thanks Brendan.
Your videos are interesting. As someone who has grown up in Perth I love all the historical information you provide. As for your camera work. SLOW the sweeping panoramic shots down. You move your camera too fast. As you talk, slowly pan your camera so we get a clear look at all the interesting things you are filming. Its like being on a choppy ocean....
Curtin's geology department uses this quarry for field trips. I lived around and went to school near here but had never known it was there until I went on the field trip. Quite a fascinating place to learn about the geology of the Darling Ranges and was great for putting theory into practice.
Love these videos. So much historical stuff right in front of the door. Thank you for sharing, pal.
I literally went to that old structure with mates to mess around. And also did abseiling at the quarry for school camp. Didn’t actually know how important that place was!
There were many car club cruises that did a run down the zig zag in the early 2000's with some questionable driving. It was also used for Targa West in uphill form. You would often see a fogged up car or two parked along the side of the road at night as well. The view is still sensational though
Yeah cars used to get fogged up windows a lot. I don't think the window demisters were very well designed back in the old days. Oh, do you mean while parked ? Yeah I guess, might be another cause for the fogged up windows, I guess !
@@KiwiCatherineJemmaProbably enjoying some Dominos with the view. The hot, steamy food always fogs up the windows.
You talkin the view in through the foggy windows ?
@@MrOlgrumpy They're just parked, enjoying the view of the city while eating Dominos
Great vid, thanks. I did an abseil course up there in 1987. It was a fun day with an ex-SAS guy and my friends. There was a flying fox on the north end that went from the top across and down maybe 50 or 60 metres, pretty hairy. Cheers.
Great video. Learning lots about Perth 👍
I used to play here in the seventies. No graffiti back then. People used to push cars over the edge of the quarry
I live in nsw now and finding TH-cam videos for local history in my home state is gold. Really well done and very interesting.
@@tanker7757 I know …WA is my “home state”…🙄…I can access TH-cam videos living in NSW of my “home state”.
I've driven past this so many times and had no idea about any of this. Pretty dope to learn.
Reminds me a little bit of Ellis Brook Valley Reserve old quarry!! I had a good friend in primary school in Kenwick whose last name was Statham and it is pronounced Stay-Thum.
I've walked my dogs there a few times and your video answered some of my questions and gave some detailed history of the area. Thanks !
These videos are amazing. I love that he narrates live in the spot! Some serious natural talent there!
Wow, what a stroke of luck that you had a key for the gate 😂 and you did the right thing and locked it behind you 😂
@rolly4x4 Must have been under the mat.😄
Thanks for the video and information; another site of interest close by is in Kalamunda, Whistle Pipe Gully.
Hi Brendan
Another great piece.
FYI the embankment of a railway line is called a “formation” and the rail line and formation is referred to as the “per-way”.
Thanks for the info!
Very nice Brendan! Fascinating history.
Local Perthie who needs to get out more. Subscribed! ☺️
thanx!. these things need archiving. it's even better with the overgrowth and graff
Wow. You've done a lot of research. Thanks heaps. We've been to this quarry a couple of times, once from the zig zag and once from the road in front. The video and details you've given were very interesting.
This is great ❤😂
I live in Byford and there are some really wonderful places around the hills.
I'm fascinated by local history .
Good for you .
Super interesting! I live close to the primary school mentioned, our kids went there, and in winter it's a great walk up to the top. Oh, and our Labrador loves swimming in that pond when it's go any water in it!
What a excellent video. I'm living in Perth and I'm very interested in its history
I lived in Helena valley as an early teen. Just down the road from the quarry. Easy walk. Me and a mate hand climbed up the huge cliff to the left of the main sheer cliff. The more jagged one. No ropes ha ha. Also used to do abseiling there when I was in army cadets. Very cool spot
Yep driven pass the quarry plenty of times and never thought to go have a look, there's other old quarries in the hills, theres a hidden one at Parkerville, which was used for the railway, at the corner of Riley Rd and Kintore Rd.
Love your videos man. I grew up in Gooseberry Hill and know Stathams Quarry well. We used to abseil and rock climb there in high school. I also make content mainly an the Armadale Train Line upgrades.
Cool video, Will definitely check this place out. Thank you!
I grew up down the road and spent many days cruising down (and UP) the zig zag. My brother and I used to walk to the opposite side and watch sun rise over the scarp We often did some Abseiling and rock climbing.
One of those really interesting places I've driven past a hundred times but somehow never visited.
Compulsory 'Small Perth' moment: I knew Frank Mansfield, back in the 90s. :)
Good on you Brendan .. Great topics along with narration.
I love this channel I love watching the videos when im stoned
Well done, keep it up. Thanks 👍
Back in my day we used to casually drive up the zig zags late at night and then race to the bottom. Much rubber and dominos were consumed at the scene. If you listened carefully on a quiet night at the bottom you could hear both tyres and girls squeeling in the distance
May the algorithm do it's thing and help you keep growing mate!
I had a very modified Mini and drove backwards down the Zig-Zag on a dare. Ever heard a mini redlined in reverse?
Name @ 11:48 I suspect the name is Giacomo Guidice. In which case if you said Yukk-omo Jew-de-see you would be close.
The amount of Billy’s I’ve smoked in that bunker hahahah
Nice work. Very interesting.
Many thanks a place for us to explore on our mountain bikes. Mic O’D Albany
Great videos bro.
Been in a few of the old quarries around Armadale Gosnells hills area etc.
Its just a hole or chunck out of a hill but its strange almost creepy.
Gosnells gun club site is one.
Nothing whatsoever about gun club just the hole.
On your train vids as a kid there was no Armadale rd just a raised
Clay wall
On whats now the centre medium strip
That had train rails
Been here many times but had no idea of the history, thank you!
This is awesome Brendan,
Been here many times, keep it up
Good to see these sights and thankful for your efforts , but if you slow your video panning down a quarter, we might be able to focus on the scenery that you are attempting to show us.👍
Thanks for this, I grew up playing here as a child and also attended the Helena valley school it was one long building with an office splitting up the two class rooms. Both class rooms had a fire place hung on each fire place was our school creed and a picture of the queen in her very early days.
Swan State Emergency Service did rescue exercises there in the early 1990s, well they did when I was with them
My grandfather ran several perth quarries when he was young, and also in Kalgoorlie. Interestingly, he built many roads in Kalgoorlie, and afterwards they found gold in one of his quarries, so the streets of Kalgoorlie are literally paved with gold! (Well, not really)
He ran "Perth quarries" in Kalgoorlie somehow and single handedly built many roads in Kalgoorlie? Sounds too good to be true.
@@ryan266846 luckily I didn't say anything like that, but you do you.
Excellent.
Awesome video! Have you ever been caught going into abandoned places like this? 😬
Ha nah but I've set off a few battery powered alarms
I love your videos.as I also am a proud west aussie & love to learn more about our state. However one small request, could you please not turn around so quickly when filming as the images flashing past are not at clear & a lot of information is missed. Keep up the great work I love it.
i did a surveying prac at zigzags and did not know that this was even here!
cool video, i live in perth but have never seen this part of it
The track you walk in on is called a "formation".
Hope to check out that bushwalk one day
We tried to do the trail a few weeks ago, but got lost at the start (despite printing out the guide) and ended up doing 7.2km overall. Take care at the start just after you leave the Zig Zag tarmac.
Hey I found your video a few days ago and it inspired me to go to the quarry today it was amazing thank you keep uploading
Very interesting ✅
There's a road into the quarry from the bottom road just along from the zigzag exit, and you can drive into the quarry if they have the gate unlocked.
the track/road you mention , well, i used to drive my Fairmont wagon down there to the bottom, and then walk my Labradore upto the quarry, this was in the early 1980s.
It’s called formation. I’m going to have to go and have a look around there. Great video! 👍🏻
Mate, great vids and history content, i have subscribed👍
I remember reading about poor Lina in the news at the time - didn't know it was later upgraded to suspected homicide 😢
Thanks for this. I only live 15kms away and have driven down the Zigzag many times and had no idea this was there. Guess where we’re off to this weekend 🙂
Haha same here grew up in swan view near old swan view train station and never knew about this old structure..I'ma going soon 😊
@@stevencuenca1980 Used to know a Tony with your surname. Any relation?
@@tonynekrews yeah, I used to know him..he's my Dad..
@@stevencuenca1980 wow! Say hi from me. It was probably 25 years ago, we both worked in the same industry and used to bump into each other. He may well have forgotten me of course 🙂
@@tonynekrews I haven't seen him since my younger brothers funeral years ago .. if we ever cross paths it won't be intentionally..
More great content. Thank you.
🛋 wild Perth hills
Engagement comment!
very interesting cheers!
Nice work keep it up
Allow old photos to stay up a bit longer during video
Interesting but it's 'DARbyshire', not DERbyshire. Went abseiling there with The Boys' Brigade in the mid 70's and drove my [2WD] car up there somewhere around 1980.
Love the video and the included history.
I love your website!
Brendan's Odyssey goatlife !!
A Perth historian is a surprise to be sure, but not unwelcome!!
Karragullen was the lumber train line joined with Pickering Brook was the fruit line through Bickley Brook to Kalamunda then to the Zig Zag.
The train built Fremantle wharf Perth and most of the Perth metro
Great video
Amazing to see the jaw crusher sitting in the pond in the old pic near the end of the video.
This is gold
Great stuff!
Dolorite I believe. Also used by Aboriginal craftspeople to make their kodj (stone axes)
You can access this of ridge hill road
You can park and walk down yhe drive then up to the quarry.
Abseilers use this quarry and get car access from the shire council
Good content. Panning is too frequent or too fast. Makes me giddy!
Yes, it was hard to edit, too. I've reduced these in more recent videos
I've repealed off that rock when i was army cadet, back when they did cool stuff
Hey man, great to see this video, if you ever need a drone pilot, hit me up
wicked stuff !!!
Abseiled and climbed here a few times with a few groups. I don't actually remember the ruins though
Same! I saw the quarry in the opening and was like, omg that's where i used to go abseiling as a young teenager. It looks identical to how it was back then.. and that was over 20 years ago!
I can even vividly remember what each side was used for, south was the beginner 'sloped' line, west was the intermediate 'vertical' line and east was the advanced 'overhang' line.. going down that face forward was an adrenaline rush like no other!
I had no idea about the ruins there though or that it was so close to the zig zags.. i didnt know about them until i was a bit older and had a car, so up until now i thought they were two entirely different locations 🤣
Man I'm getting so old i have a growing number of back in my day stories... urgh! 😛
@@sirtra I climbed up one of those faces with a shattered finger joint, the finger is permanently crooked now 🤣
Hey mate, do you have any photos of the old map?
www.brendansodyssey.com/youtube-videos/stathams-quarry-supplying-perths-first-roads
Did you ever get a chance to explore the Claremont Asylum, was a cool spot before it was renovated and put back in to use
Fifteen shillings and six would have been a huge daily wage,maybe a good weekly ?
My father carted crushed "blue metal" from there in the 50/60s,the hard climb out was tough on trucks.
i just fund you an love it man hec i love my home town an sate an be more then happy to be your camera guy
Maybe you can do a video on Blackboy Hill Camp, used in WW1 to train the first AIF.
that fence was full of holes 😶🌫
There was a Statham's brickyard.
Did a lot of absailing there in the late 80s and early 90s
abseiled of that in high school, long before my Gloucester tree accident that left me afraid of hights
What happened at the tree?
I think i heard they're closing one or two of them.
Shame, it's a beautiful view from the top
@@bushratbeachbum would be 1995 maybe hmm but went there with Mum and dad, i am a short bloke 5"4 time I was there they had chicken wire but only in few spots was not maintained at all, had rebar hammered in, so I started to climb it not thinking about anything, was easy till about 2 story's up the rebar came further apart and further away, stupid me I pulled myself up then grabbed one by that point my arm where fully out stretched I had no upper body strength left my feet came off the bar and I was hanging there, I could not get my feet back on the rebar I was free hanging, Dad started climbing and I was slipping. He manged to get to me and I have no idea how but got me back down to the bar, he a giant to me 6 foot. From that point on i get light headed and freak with height's. I was about to drop of that bar 0 thoughts in my head just fear. I found out later from my uncle that was a park ranger that people have died climbing that tree. In fact way back then they where going to close it, odd says no one has fallen and died googling but was told two from memory did.
I not been back there since, I really need to go and just look. I wondered if they fixed and changed it to the rebar days.
Was there any gold found at that quarry
seeing this is making me want to climb short circuit again
Go do the complete train line. Behind Karragullen church is the beginning. Go visit some of the families of Karragullen and Pickering Brook.
I would love to catch up and have a good chin wag with you. I lived in Karragullen for 40 years
I used to go here and blow shit up, good times!
Would have made Thomas Statham proud!
Cool
Kinda sad we live in a time were you wish there's not cars 😢 not safe out these days
Stath Ham there is a lot you missed including his wife - there are a number of connections with other listed sites
I used to explore these remains in the early 80s, before there was fences or ugly graffiti.
Graffiti is only ugly if you have no eyes
Graffiti is art. Better than a flat grey wall.
True graf is art, tagging is ridiculous childish idiocy.
@@bushratbeachbum how do you get the beautiful pieces? It all starts with a tag
@@tangiers365 nope.
It doesn't have to.
It's the lowest form of expression.
It serves nobody but the child scribbling and harms communities in many ways.
People need to have more respect for their surroundings and the people they share them with.