The Shire of Carnarvon is threatening to demolish the community of shacks at the Blowholes. In doing so, they will remove an important part of Western Australia's unique cultural heritage and destroy the sanctuary that the shacks have provided for over 70 years.

We urge you to sign our petition, appealing to members of the State Legislative Assembly to step in to preserve West Australia's cultural heritage and 'Save the Blows'.

A little more about The Blowholes Shacks…

'The Blows' as it is affectionately known was gifted to the people of Carnarvon some 70 years ago, so they could escape working life and enjoy a rare piece of coastline with their families on the weekends. It has grown into a small community of 43 shacks which have been passed down through families for generations. Just south of Point Quobba ‘The Blows’ beach is almost constantly buffeted by the prevailing southerly winds. It may not be the nicest beach in the Gascoyne, but it means the world to the community of shack owners that have made this place what it is. 

The shacks are basic structures that nestle just behind the beach, existing in harmony with the natural landscape.  They are necessarily rugged and basic – there is no electricity and no fresh water for 80km. Outdoor campfires offer shared cooking facilities and 1950's bric-a-brac makes up the few inside 'luxuries'.  Every shack reflects a few generations of their owners' own taste and personality. These shacks have withstood dozens of cyclones, daily howling southerlies and punishing summer heat – but they are set to be destroyed by a bureaucrat’s wave of a pen. 

Escaping to the shacks is part of Carnarvon’s culture, and the shack owners have always been careful custodians of the area. They don’t just live in harmony with the campers and caravaners of the area but take care of the space, the landscape and the amenities for the everyone who visits. Over the years shack owners have been called on to rescue people swept off the rocks or from capsized boats, and helped thousands of bogged cars off the beach. They have performed coastwatch duties to protect our precious coastline, and regularly organise busy-bees to clean up the coast. They have erected fencing and barricades for dune protection, installed life rings at the fishing cliffs and ensured safe access to popular areas, all the while donating equipment, materials and time to protect the Blowholes Area.  

Perhaps most importantly, shack owners maintain the stories and the traditions of the place. They make the place different to every other caravan/car park up and down the coast. No one cares about this area more than them and no one knows it like they do. The Blowholes offers such a great sense of community where people just pull together and help out.  When the little Cleo went missing at the site in 2021, shack owners banded together and joined forces with the Police, searching on-foot and with motorbikes and providing whatever support they could to the police during the (eventually successful) search.

The shacks are part of the DNA of Carnarvon and the Blowholes. For three quarters of a century shack owners and travelling campers have lived harmoniously together. The shacks hold generations of memories and friendships. They don't offer 21st century amenities but they have plenty of stories to tell. Perhaps most importantly, they preserve a unique Aussie way of life, embodying the rugged spirit and ingenuity of the local culture. According to the Heritage Council of WA, preserving this uniqueness ought to be the priority of the Western Australian government.

We don’t want to replace this culturally unique community with yet another carpark. Without the shacks, the local traditions of the Blowholes will be lost. The stories, culture and uniqueness of this place will be bulldozed away.

Please do what you can to preserve this little piece of Australian heritage and spread this petition to friends and people who care about preserving unique Australian shack culture.