Landor Station facts for kids
Landor, also known as Landor Station, is a very large sheep farm located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. It's a huge property where thousands of sheep are raised.
Landor Station is about 209 kilometers (130 miles) by air northwest of Meekatharra. If you travel by road, it's much further, about 379 kilometers (236 miles) along the Great Northern Highway. The station covers an area of 3,504 square kilometers (1,353 square miles). It has long sections along the Gascoyne River, Landor Creek, and Aurila Creek, stretching over 200 kilometers (124 miles). Most of the land is flood plain country, which means it's flat and can be covered by water during floods. The land is well-covered with grasses like buffel, and plants such as saltbush, bluebush, cotton bush, mulga, acacia, and currara.
Landor Station's History
Landor Station was started before 1925. At first, it was a cattle station, meaning it raised cows. But then, it changed to raising sheep instead. In 1925, about 12,000 sheep had their wool shorn. The number of sheep grew quickly, reaching 40,000 in 1926 and 50,000 in 1927. In 1998, Richie Brennan bought the 4,050 square kilometer (1,564 square mile) property from Malcolm McCusker.
The main house at Landor Station is near where the Landor River meets the Gascoyne River. Both the river and the station were named by a surveyor named HS Carey. They were most likely named after a barrister (a type of lawyer) named EW Landor.
Nundigo Well and Stockyards
On Landor Station, you can find the Nundigo well and stockyards, which are important historical places. They are listed on the State Register of Heritage Places. These yards are located near the border of Landor and Errabiddy stations, between the Bubbagundy Creek and some soft, sandy land.
The eastern side of the yard has many flood gums (a type of tree), while the western side is open scrubland. These yards were used by drovers, who were people who moved large groups of cattle. The drovers used the yards as a stopping point for cattle heading to the train station in Meekatharra. The yards were built in the soft ground on purpose. This allowed the cattle to be "shod" (have special protections put on their hooves) so they could walk more easily across the stony ground ahead.
Landor Races
The Landor Races are a special event held every year at the racecourse. This racecourse is currently about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the main station house. The racecourse is well-equipped with its own airstrip, stables for horses, water and electricity, a dance hall, a dining room, and a grandstand for spectators. There's also a public camping area next to the course with toilets and showers. The races usually happen on the first weekend in October, which is during the school holidays.
History of the Races
The first Landor Races took place in 1921. Stockmen (people who work with livestock) from nearby stations like Mount Augustus, Milgun, Mount Seabrook, and Erravilla decided to have a race on their day off. They wanted to find out who had the fastest horse. The races have been held almost every year since then, except for a few years during World War II. There are no starting gates for the races; all horses begin with a "walk up start."
The very first winner of the Landor Cup was a horse named "Johnny the Gun" in 1922. This race was run by the Eastern Gascoyne Race Club and covered about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile). In 2012, the winner of the Landor Cup was a horse named "Cathcart." Today, the Landor Cup race is run over 1,800 meters (5,906 feet).
