Commonwealth Hill Station facts for kids
Commonwealth Hill Station, often called Commonwealth Hill, is a very large farm in Australia. It's known as a pastoral lease, which means it's land rented from the government for farming. This station is mainly used for raising sheep.
Commonwealth Hill is found in South Australia. It's about 96 kilometres (60 mi) northwest of Tarcoola and 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Coober Pedy.
This huge property covers about 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi). That's like one million hectares! This makes it the second largest sheep station in all of Australia. Only Rawlinna Station is bigger. The Jumbuck Pastoral Company owns Commonwealth Hill today.
Contents
History of Commonwealth Hill Station
Early Days and Land Use
In 1947, Commonwealth Hill Station had a great year. Good rains meant lots of fresh green grass for the sheep. Around this time, there were talks about expanding the Woomera Test Range. This is a special area used for testing rockets and other defense equipment.
Some people worried that stations like Commonwealth Hill would lose some of their land. This would mean they couldn't produce as much wool. These worries turned out to be true. Commonwealth Hill is indeed located within the Woomera Test Range Area.
Byron MacLachlan, who managed Commonwealth Hill in 1947, worked with other farmers and lawyers. They made an agreement. This agreement allowed farming to continue on the land. It also made sure that farming activities would not get in the way of the rocket testing.
Safety and Exploration
In 1956, before tests of the Black Knight Rocket began, safety was a big concern. The government wanted to make sure farmers were safe. In 1957, the Minister of Supply, Howard Beale, talked with the farmers. He announced that the government would pay for special blast-proof shelters. These shelters would protect people during rocket tests.
Years later, in 2011, a company called Apollo Minerals got permission to look for iron ore on the land. This was after the Defence Department reviewed mining in the former missile testing area.
In 2013, the government of South Australia officially named the area "Commonwealth Hill." This made it a recognized place under the Geographical Names Act 1991.
Environment at Commonwealth Hill
The land at Commonwealth Hill is mostly a flat, sandy plain. It's found on the edge of the Gawler Craton, which is an old part of the Earth's crust. The area has sand sheets and dunes.
You'll find low woodlands of mulga trees here. There are also tall myall shrubs. These grow over perennial grasses, which are grasses that live for many years. Sometimes, you might see salt lakes and lunettes, which are crescent-shaped sand dunes.
