Cordillo Downs facts for kids
Cordillo Downs is a huge cattle station and a special area in South Australia. It's located far out in the Australian Outback, quite a distance from towns like Innamincka and Birdsville. This place is famous for its history and its unique stone woolshed.
Long ago, Cordillo Downs was one of Australia's biggest sheep stations. It covered a massive area of about 7,800 square kilometers! Imagine a place so big it could fit many cities inside it. In the 1880s, they even set a record by shearing over 85,000 sheep in one season!
One of the coolest things about Cordillo Downs is its old woolshed. It's built entirely of stone with a curved tin roof. Why stone? Because there wasn't much timber around to build with! This special building is now a heritage site.
Contents
History of Cordillo Downs
Early Days of the Station
Cordillo Downs was first started in 1875 by a man named John Frazer from Victoria. Back then, it was known as 'Cardilla'. A few years later, in 1878, Frazer left the property. After a special drawing process, Edgar Chapman took over the lease.
In 1883, Chapman sold the station to Peter Waite, who owned the Beltana Pastoral Company. At that time, the station had about 10,000 sheep, nearly 600 cattle, and 30 horses. By 1905, after joining with two other stations, Cordillo Downs had a huge flock of around 85,000 sheep!
Challenges and Changes
Life in the Outback was not always easy. In the 1930s, the main house at Cordillo Downs was empty for a few years. In 1940, a huge number of rats came from Queensland. Luckily, the flooded Cooper Creek stopped them from going further south.
In 1942, the station manager decided to switch from sheep to cattle. This was because of the many wild dogs in the area. He thought the dogs would cause less trouble with cattle than with sheep.
The entire area faced a severe drought in 1946. Many cattle died, and stations had to sell off their animals.
Modern Times and Special Visitors
In 1949, a special airmail service started for remote Outback properties. Cordillo Downs was one of the many stations that received mail by plane! A year later, in 1950, the Cooper Creek flooded again, covering a large area.
In 1954, people thought a meteor might have landed near Cordillo Downs. A bright flash and a ball of fire were seen for several minutes from many nearby stations. They even reported it to the Royal Flying Doctor Service!
The Beltana company owned Cordillo Downs until 1981. They sold it to Brookman Holdings for $1.2 million. The Brook family owns this company. Interestingly, Bill Brook, who bought the station, had worked there as a young man in 1918!
In 2012, Anthony and Janet Brook owned the property. They even met Prince Charles and Camilla during their visit to the Outback! Today, the Brooks raise about 40,000 Hereford cattle. They are also certified organic producers, meaning their beef is raised naturally.
Both the historic main Cordillo Downs Homestead and Woolshed and the Cadelga Homestead Ruins are protected heritage sites. In 2017, a storm damaged the woolshed. But it was carefully restored by July 2019, using traditional building methods.
Landscape and Environment
What the Land Looks Like
The land around Cordillo Downs is mostly flat. It has gently rolling gibber plains, which are areas covered in small, shiny stones. You can also find sandhills and claypans, which are flat areas of hard clay.
Even though the land can suffer from drought, it usually has a light covering of grass.
Plants and Water
The area is home to native plants like Mitchell grass, katoora, spinifex, and sandhill wattle.
Cordillo Downs is located in the Channel Country. This means that after heavy rains far to the north, water flows down and floods the area. This brings amazing new plant growth! When the water goes away, you can see plants like Nardoo, Cooper Clover, and many different grasses.
The Cordillo Downs road connects the station to Innamincka and the Birdsville Developmental Road.
Images for kids
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Droving sheep to Innamincka Station from Cordillo Downs c. 1915
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The woolshed and store at Cordillo Downs c. 1926
