Gogo Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gogo Station |
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Gogo Station homestead 1951
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| General information | |
| Type | Station |
| Location | 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 18°17′32″S 125°35′01″E / 18.29222°S 125.58361°E |
| Designated | 11 December 1998 |
| Reference no. | 698 |
Gogo Station, also known simply as Gogo or sometimes Margaret Downs, is a large cattle station in Western Australia. It's a huge farm where cattle are raised. It is located about 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of Fitzroy Crossing. This area is part of the Kimberley region, which is in the northern part of Western Australia.
Contents
Discovering Gogo Station's Land
The land where Gogo Station now stands was first explored in 1879 by a person named Alexander Forrest. He was very excited about the area. He said it had lots of grass and water, making it perfect for raising animals.
Soon after, two families, the Duracks and the Emanuels, became interested in this land. They planned to claim over one million acres each. The Duracks chose land along the Ord River, while the Emanuels picked the area along the Fitzroy River.
Early Days of the Station
Gogo Station was officially started in 1885. By 1902, it covered a massive area of 1,750,000 acres (708,200 ha). The station is on the flood-plain of the Fitzroy River. This means the land gets water from the river, which helps special grasses like Mitchell grass and Flinders grass grow well. There are also areas with spinifex plants.
In 1906, Gogo Station and a nearby farm called Fossil Downs Station lost many cattle. This happened because there was a very long dry period with little rain.
By 1910, Gogo Station had a huge herd of about 35,000 cattle. It was a very busy and important place.
Ownership and Changes
In 1911, the station was owned by the Emanuel Bros.. They also owned another station called Noonkanbah Station. George Piper was the manager of Gogo Station at this time.
Later, a new land law was introduced. This law limited how much land one owner could have to one million acres. Because of this, the Emanuels had to divide Gogo Station into smaller parts. Gogo was split into three separate properties: Margaret Downs (which was still sometimes called Gogo), Cherrabun, and Christmas Creek. These properties, along with Meda Station, are still owned by the families who are descendants of the original partners.
In 1912, another station, Moola Bulla Station, bought 50 bulls from Gogo. They wanted to improve their own cattle herd.
Life on the Station
Life on a cattle station could be tough. In 1913, a stockman named Frank Odman died at the station. He was thrown from his horse and did not wake up.
By 1917, Gogo Station's cattle herd had grown to 50,000. It was known as one of the best-run stations in the Kimberley region.
The main house, or homestead, that stands today was built in 1918. It was made from concrete blocks and had a concrete floor. It is located near some caves that were carved out in the 1940s.
In 1918–1919, cattle ticks became a big problem at Gogo. These tiny creatures can make cattle sick. The ticks likely came from Louisa Downs Station. The tick problem was so bad that the number of new calves branded at Gogo dropped a lot that year.
Managing the Land and Herd
In 1920, Gogo Station was put up for sale along with Noonkanbah Station. Gogo was described as being very large, covering over 2,537,858 acres (1,027,035 ha). It had about 150 miles (241 km) of fences. The property had plenty of water from the Fitzroy River, Margaret River, Christmas Creek, and other creeks. It also had several water bores with windmills and troughs for the cattle. At that time, the station had 60,000 shorthorn cattle, plus many horses, mules, and donkeys. However, the station was not sold, and the Emanuels continued to own it.
New Management and Improvements
A new station manager, Ted Millard, arrived in 1921. He noticed that the areas along the river and waterholes were not in good condition. This was because too many cattle had been grazing there for 30 years. Most of the property was unfenced, so cattle roamed freely.
During the 1920s, Millard worked hard to improve the station. He had ten wells dug and equipped in the back country. This allowed cattle to use the grass in those areas, giving the overgrazed riverfront areas a chance to recover. Millard also started building fences to control where the cattle grazed. He installed over 170 miles (274 km) of fences in seven years. He also slowly introduced Shorthorn bulls into the herd. This helped to breed cattle that were better suited to the hot, tropical climate.
Ted Millard managed Gogo Station for 30 years. He eventually oversaw all of the Emanuels' properties, including Gogo, Cherrabun, Meda, and Christmas Creek. He was also known for treating his Aboriginal workers well.
By 1928, the herd size at Gogo was estimated to be 90,000 cattle. This made Gogo the biggest station in Western Australia.
Station Activities and Challenges
In 1929, Gogo Station sent 394 cattle and 39 bales of wool to the port of Derby. From there, they were loaded onto a ship called Minderoo and sent to Fremantle.
In 1930, something interesting happened. While drilling a water-bore at the station, gas was found. The Freney Oil company had rights to explore for oil and gas in that area. The well was drilled to a depth of 1,067 feet (325 m).
Gogo Station continued to ship many cattle from Derby. For example, in 1932, over 500 cattle were sent on a ship called Centaur. More cattle were shipped in the following years to different ports like Port Hedland and Carnarvon.
During an influenza outbreak in the Kimberley region in 1934, some Aboriginal people at Gogo Station became very sick.
In 1947, Gogo Station shipped 2,580 cattle from Derby. This was a large portion of all the cattle sent from the surrounding stations that year.
In 1949, during a tropical storm, six Aboriginal people at Gogo were struck by lightning. They were badly burned and taken to the hospital in Fitzroy Crossing.
In 1950, a government report suggested that 16 square miles (41 km2) of Gogo's land might be good for growing rice. However, earlier attempts to grow rice in the Kimberley region had not been successful. The Emanuels kept working to improve their cattle herd by buying special bulls.
Drought and Community
Between 1951 and 1953, the area suffered from a severe drought. The number of cattle at Gogo Station was cut in half. This was the first major drought in 70 years for the farmers in the area. Many had to quickly dig new water bores and buy food for their animals to keep them alive. Other nearby stations were also affected by this drought.
In 1954, a wedding took place at Gogo Station. Preston Walker from the UAM Mission in Fitzroy Crossing married Jock Shandley, who was the head stockman at Gogo, and his bride Rita.
In 1985, a small part of Gogo Station, about 1 square mile (3 km2), was set aside to create the Yakanarra Community. This community is now home to about 150 Indigenous Australian people.
In 2010, the station was owned by the Harris family. They started a new project to grow crops during the wet season. They planted 480 hectares (1,186 acres) of sorghum. This crop would be used to feed and fatten the cattle before they were sent away for export.
In 2011, a large fire burned thousands of hectares at Gogo Station. The fire was started on purpose near the Muludja Community close to Fitzroy Crossing.
