Mundabullangana, Western Australia facts for kids

Mundabullangana is a large farm, also known as Munda Station, located in Western Australia. It's found about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of the town of Port Hedland. This huge property is a cattle station, meaning it's a big area of land used for raising livestock, and it covers about 225,000 hectares (556,000 acres).

Early History of Munda Station

Mundabullangana Station has a long and interesting history. In 1872, two brothers, Roderick Louden MacKay and Donald McDonald MacKay, along with their younger brother Donald MacKay and his son, Samuel Peter Mackay, were the first European settlers to claim this land. They chose a spot on the Yule River because it had a good, permanent water source. The local Aboriginal people had already named this place Mundabullangana.

For many years, Munda Station was mainly a sheep farm. However, in 1985, long after the MacKay family no longer owned it, the farm switched from raising sheep to raising cattle.

Growth and Ownership Changes

When it first started, Mundabullangana Station was enormous, covering about 1,000,000 acres (404,686 hectares). By 1903, Samuel Mackay became the only owner of the station after his father passed away.

Mundabullangana Station is very important to the history of the north-west of Western Australia. It was the first large farm (pastoral lease) set up by European settlers in the Yule and Turner River areas back in the 1870s. It grew to become one of the biggest and most successful farms of its kind in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The land has continued to be used for farming throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

Weather Events and Station Sales

In 1898, the station experienced very heavy rainfall, with 10 inches (250 mm) falling after a cyclone hit the area. The Aboriginal workers at the station said that the Yule River rose higher than they had ever seen before because of all the rain.

In 1925, the MacKay family sold the property for £87,000. At that time, it was about 511,807 acres (207,120 hectares) and had 35,000 sheep and 190 horses. The Craig brothers bought the station; they also owned several other large farms in the region.

The Mundabullangana Homestead

The main house at Mundabullangana Station, called the homestead, is a great example of Victorian Georgian style architecture. This means it was built in a popular style from the Victorian era, known for its balanced and grand appearance.

For a time, the homestead was recognized as an important historical site. On March 2, 1984, it was added to the Register of the National Estate, which lists places important to Australia's history. However, this nomination later expired, and the homestead was removed from the Register on May 14, 1991.

Recent Times at Munda Station

In 2015, Michael Thompson was the person leasing and managing Mundabullangana Station. He also used the neighboring Boodarie Station to graze his cattle.

Around that time, the station faced some challenges, including issues like theft and damage to the property. Because of these problems, Michael Thompson decided to close the gates to Mundabullangana Station and hired guards to help keep unauthorized people out.