Most remote abandoned

Aahh, Weburbanist has abandoned places in truly far-flung locations, the mystery is less about why they were abandoned – it is how there were people there in the first place. Examples of human stubbornness in the face of extreme environmental conditions, from one temperature extreme to another.

This one is also interesting for the names of the places, the first is St Kilda, no not the Melbourne suburb, but St Kilda, Scotland in the Outer Hebrides

It has been inhabited continuously for 2,000 years – ending in 1930 (even has a lighthouse)

St Kilda ruins

Then there's Ballarat,the second Ballarat near Death Valley in California, named after the Victorian goldrush one, but not faring as well. It used to have about 500 people, now only 2.

To the other extreme - South Georgia in the South Atlantic, was the home to a number of sealing and whaling stations. It was famous for Shackleton's traverse of the island after the Endurance was crushed, he was buried there in 1922.


And finally the Australian entrant - the town of Cook in South Australia. One of numerous towns (named after famous figures in Australian history) established on the Indian-Pacific rail-line. Now with less reliance on local railway gangers maintaining the line, Cook boasts only 4 residents and is the only scheduled stop across the Nullarbor Plain section of the line. All supplies, including fresh water, arrive by train.