Editing Ghost town (section)

===Oceania===
[[File:Ruins at Farina.JPG|thumb|After many years of drought and dust storms, the town of [[Farina, South Australia]], was abandoned.]]
The boom and bust of gold rushes and the mining of other ores has led to a number of ghost towns in both Australia and New Zealand. Other towns have become abandoned whether due to natural disasters, the weather, or the drowning of valleys to increase the size of lakes.

In Australia, the [[Victoria gold rush]] led to numerous ghost towns (such as [[Cassilis, Victoria|Cassilis]] and [[Moliagul]]), as did the hunt for gold in [[Western Australia]] (for example, the towns of [[Ora Banda]] and [[Kanowna, Western Australia|Kanowna]]). The mining of iron and other ores has also led to towns thriving briefly before dwindling. The town of [[Wittenoom, Western Australia|Wittenoom]] was abandoned and demolished due to the health hazards posed by [[asbestos]] mining in the area.

In New Zealand, the [[Otago gold rush]] similarly led to several ghost towns (such as [[Macetown]]). New Zealand's ghost towns also include numerous coal mining areas in the South Island's [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast Region]], including [[Denniston, New Zealand|Denniston]] and [[Stockton, New Zealand|Stockton]]. Natural disasters have also led to the loss of some towns, notably [[Te Wairoa (village)|Te Wairoa]], "The Buried Village", destroyed in the [[1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera]], and the Otago town of [[Kelso, New Zealand|Kelso]], abandoned after it was flooded repeatedly after heavy rainstorms. Early settlements on the rugged southwest coast of the South Island at [[Martins Bay]] and [[Port Craig]] were also abandoned, mainly due to the inhospitable terrain.