Shell Beach at Hamelin Pool, Western Australia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381760)
Rockingham, Australia
October 21, 2020 5:52pm CST
From Carnarvon, we travelled south to the tiny caravan park at Hamelin Pool. The beach is composed entirely of tiny shells. These have also consolidated to form solid masses. There is a shell quarry where blocks of this compressed shell were cut out and used as a building material.
The tiny shells are the remains of the Cardiid Cockle (Fragum eragatum) which have been deposited on the shore over many years. Small quantities of calcium carbonate within the shells dissolves in rainwater then dries to become a white crystal which binds the shells together. These consolidated shells form a soft limestone called coquina.
Early settlers in the area had few sources of timber or brick so coquina provided a solution. The blocks were excavated with a crosscut saw and used to construct many buildings including several station homesteads and the church in Denham. Today, shell blocks are taken only to maintain historic building in Shark Bay.
Can you see the tiny flower in the top right photo?
9 people like this
9 responses
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
23 Oct 20
@JudyEv The beach I was on did. I used to live in Lincolnshire and that seemed to mainly muddy, except for the holiday spots which did have sand. Not that I've been to that many of Lincs. beaches. On the spots I have visited in Yorkshire, they were certainly rocky
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
22 Oct 20
lovely lil purple blossom 'n most fascinatin' info 'bout those shells. most ingenious fer 'em to use such fer their buildin'. e'en better that now such's jest fer preservation.
so delighted to read 'f y'all's 'dventures, y'ave sure covered some ground 'n the areas so diverse.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
22 Oct 20
@JudyEv i knew i should'a snuck o'er there 'n hitched a ride with y'all! my kind'a road trip fer certain. aint 't 'mazin' how the lands change like that? reminds me 'f out here'n places. oh, i'm 'yond pleased!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Oct 20
@crazyhorseladycx Sometimes we spent several hours with really nothing to see but the same old, same old then it might change a bit and be a different 'old'. 
That's a piece of car body in the foreground.
That's a piece of car body in the foreground.1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
22 Oct 20
How cool is that! This would be quite interesting to see. Yes, I see the flower.
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@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
23 Oct 20
@JudyEv I understand. Still very cool.
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@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
22 Oct 20
Looks beautiful; so with the lone lavender flower.Is it hyacinth?
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@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Oct 20
The flower would be a week I think. Nothing else is tough enough to live there.
