Arcoona facts for kids
Arcoona Station is a very large farm in the outback of South Australia. It's known as a "pastoral lease," which means it's land rented from the government mainly for raising animals. Arcoona Station is mostly a sheep station, where thousands of sheep live.
This huge property is about 28 kilometers (17 miles) northeast of a town called Woomera. It covers a massive area of about 828 square miles (2,145 square kilometers). That's bigger than many cities! Nearby, you'll find other large properties like Wirraminna to the south and Andamooka Station to the north.
Contents
Exploring Arcoona Station's History
Arcoona Station has a long and interesting past. It was first set up before the year 1880.
Early Days and Owners
In 1880, a man named Mr. A. M. Wooldridge owned Arcoona. He had another property called Parakylia. He sold part of Parakylia and kept the rest, renaming it Arcoona.
In 1893, a farm manager named James Gemmell came to take charge of Arcoona. Later, in 1906, a special horse named Discussion was bought for 190 guineas (a type of money back then) and brought to Arcoona to help breed more horses.
New Owners and Many Animals
In 1909, Arcoona Station was sold to John Pick. He was a politician from Terowie. At that time, the station was home to a huge number of animals:
Weather and Changes
Even though Arcoona has a very dry climate, it sometimes gets a lot of rain. For example, in 1919, Mr. J. H. Mules reported 3 inches (76 mm) of rain, which made the local lake fill up quickly. Again, on New Year's Day in 1921, 4 inches (102 mm) of rain fell!
John Pick sold Arcoona in 1920. He then bought another station called Coondambo for £37,200.
In 1930, 2,000 new ewes (female sheep) were brought to Arcoona to help restock the farm. After a very good year in 1938, the sheep had many lambs. They produced 6,637 lambs from 6,977 ewes!
The year 1942 was quite dry. But some small rain showers helped the sheep find enough food. At this time, Arcoona Pastoral Co. owned the station. Mr. R. J. McEwin was one of the partners.
During a big drought in 1944–1945, there were very few animals left on the station because of the lack of water and food.
Arcoona's Big Sale in 1947
Arcoona Station was sold again in 1947. It was bought by Kidman Estates from Adelaide. The price was kept secret, but it was thought to be more than £75,000. The property was even larger then, covering about 1,490 square miles (3,860 square kilometers). It had about 25,000 sheep. The area had also received more rain than usual that year, so all the creeks were flowing, and the lakes were full.
A Plan for Storage and Community Action
In 2003, the government considered Arcoona Station as a possible site to store some special materials that needed to be kept very safely. The idea was to store about 40 cubic meters (1,400 cubic feet) of these materials each year underground.
However, this plan was stopped in 2004. The Polke family, who owned the station then, took legal action. Also, the state government and the traditional owners of the land were against the plan. Because of this strong opposition, the idea was dropped.
Recent Ownership and Operations
In 2008, the Handbury family bought Arcoona Station. They also own another large property called Collinsville Station. Arcoona Station now covers about 3,430 square kilometers (1,320 square miles). It is managed by Andrew Willis. The station currently has about 20,000 sheep and 100 shorthorn cattle.
In April 2013, the government officially named the area of the Arcoona pastoral lease as 'Arcoona'. This means it's now a recognized place on maps.
Images for kids
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See Also
- Pastoral lease
- Sheep station
