Anna Plains Station facts for kids
Anna Plains Station is a very large cattle station in the Kimberley area of Western Australia. A cattle station is like a huge farm where cattle are raised.
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Where is Anna Plains Station?
Anna Plains Station is located on the coast of Western Australia. It is about 250 kilometres (155 miles) south of the town of Broome.
Size and Location Details
The station is part of the Shire of Broome. It is also within the Dampierland ecoregion, which is a special natural area. Anna Plains Station covers a huge area of 3,600 square kilometres (1,390 square miles). That's bigger than some small countries! Over 20,000 cattle live on the station.
Nature and Wildlife at Anna Plains
Anna Plains Station is next to Eighty Mile Beach. This beach is super important for migratory birds, especially waders. These are birds that feed in shallow water.
Important Bird Area
Eighty Mile Beach is so important that it's listed under the Ramsar Convention. This is an international agreement to protect important wetlands. Part of the station that floods often is also a special place for birds. It's called the Mandora Marsh and Anna Plains Important Bird Area. This area is 3,337 square kilometres (1,288 square miles) big. BirdLife International has identified it as important because many waders and waterbirds live there.
History of Anna Plains Station
The land where Anna Plains Station is located has been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The traditional owners of the northern part are the Kardjari people. To the south, the Njangamarda Kundal and Njangamarda Uparuka peoples are the traditional owners.
Early Ownership and Challenges
In 1903, the station was owned by partners named Percy and Felde. They later had a legal disagreement about selling the station in 1905.
In 1928, the MacRobertson Expedition visited Anna Plains. They noted the station was over 1 million acres and famous for its shorthorn cattle. The expedition's wireless radio was very interesting to the Indigenous workers at the station.
Dealing with Diseases and Weather
In 1933, the owner, Mr. F. S. McMullen, wanted to sell 10,000 cattle. He hoped to switch to raising sheep instead. He couldn't move his cattle north because of bush ticks. New rules also stopped him from moving them south due to diseases like pleuro-pneumonia and buffalo fly.
In 1934, heavy rains caused floods that covered hundreds of miles. A passenger plane flying nearby had to land at the station because of the storm. Later that year, 800 cattle were moved to Meekatharra for sale. They were the first cattle in the state to be tested for pleuro-pneumonia before being sold. At this time, the station had about 10,000 cattle.
Impact of Cyclones and Droughts
A cyclone hit in 1936. The station manager found many dead animals, including 7 mules, 49 horses, and 102 cattle. They had been swept into the sea and drowned. The storm also blew over several windmills and damaged part of the homestead.
In 1945, a drought caused many cattle to die because of the very dry conditions.
Cattle Transport and Modern Times
In 1948, a drover named Georg Solvay moved 1,100 cattle from the station to the railway at Meekatharra.
In 1954, 1,200 cattle were loaded onto a LST landing craft called Wan Kuo at Eighty Mile Beach. This was the first time cattle were shipped from Western Australia this way. The cattle were sent to Manila.
Talgarno Village
In 1959, a village called Talgarno was built on land taken from the station. This village was part of a British government project. They wanted to test the accuracy of Blue Streak Rockets fired from Woomera. Talgarno had houses, a hospital, swimming pools, and even a cinema.
In 2010, the Anna Plains Cattle Company Pty Ltd. leased the station. John Stoate was the manager at that time.
On December 28, 2017, Cyclone Hilda hit Anna Plains. It was a Category 1 cyclone.
