Parakylia facts for kids
Parakylia Station is a very large piece of land in the outback of South Australia. It's known as a pastoral lease, which means it's rented from the government for farming. It used to be a sheep station, where lots of sheep were raised for their wool. Now, it's a cattle station, meaning it raises cows.
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Where is Parakylia Station?
Parakylia Station is located in a very remote area of South Australia. It's about 52 kilometers (32 miles) west of a town called Roxby Downs. It's also about 166 kilometers (103 miles) south of William Creek.
This huge property shares its borders with other large stations. To the north, it's next to Mount Eba, Billa Kalina, and Millers Creek Stations. To the west, it borders Mount Vivian. On its south and east sides, it's next to Roxby Downs Station.
Parakylia Station is also inside a special area called the Woomera Rocket Range. This is a large testing site. The famous Dingo Fence, a very long fence built to keep dingoes away from livestock, also runs through the property.
What Does the Land Look Like?
The land at Parakylia Station is mostly open tablelands. These are flat, raised areas of land. You'll find many types of plants that can survive in dry conditions here. These include saltbush and cottonbush. There are also trees like myall, mulga, and sandalwood.
Even though it's a dry area, there are some sand ridges. You can also find several ephemeral creeks. These are creeks that only flow with water after it rains. There are also some swampy areas that can hold water for a while.
A Brief History of Parakylia Station
The name "Parakylia" comes from the language of the traditional owners of this land. It's a changed version of their word parakilia. This word describes a type of succulent plant called Calandrinia that grows in the area. These plants are annual, meaning they grow and die within one year.
Early Days of the Station
Parakylia Station was first set up before 1880. In that year, it was put up for sale. It was already home to 30,000 sheep! At that time, the property was huge, covering about 2,120 square miles (5,490 square kilometers). It was next to other stations like Mount Eba, Arcoona, and Andamooka.
By 1884, the property had grown even bigger, to about 2,257 square miles (5,845 square kilometers). It had 15,000 sheep, 800 cattle, and 100 horses. They even bought 40 camels to help transport supplies across the vast land.
Andrew Wooldridge was the person who first started the station. He rented a very large area of land, which included Parakylia and Arcoona Stations. In 1880, he sold the property to Thomas and Charles Chewings. Later, Charles William Bowman joined them in the business. Charles Chewings left the partnership in 1882.
Challenges and Changes
From 1884 to 1898, there was even a post office right on the station! In 1894, they expected to shear (cut the wool from) between 35,000 and 50,000 sheep.
However, running a station in the outback was tough. By 1899, the station was left empty because of problems with dingos. These wild dogs were attacking the sheep. In 1901, the land was still not rented out, but a caretaker was looking after it. The property was smaller by then, about 1,520 square miles (3,937 square kilometers).
Luckily, good rains fell later that year. This meant there was plenty of food for animals. So, new livestock were brought in, and shearing started again the next year.
By 1908, the station was about 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometers) and had 10,000 sheep.
Later Ownership and Today
F and M Collins owned Parakylia in 1912. They sold both wool and cattle to nearby markets. By 1915, the property, which was then 1,417 square miles (3,670 square kilometers), was empty again and available for new owners.
In 1923, Joseph Timms owned Parakylia. It was put up for sale and was about 1,314 square miles (3,403 square kilometers). It had been divided into 23 paddocks (fenced areas for animals) and had strong fences. However, it didn't sell at the asking price.
In 1927, a company called Parakylia Pty. Ltd. was created specifically to buy the property. The company started with a lot of money, £60,000, to buy the station.
In 1954, the people in charge of the station looked for a new manager. At that time, Parakylia was home to 14,000 sheep.
More recently, in April 2013, the government of South Australia officially named the area covering the Parakylia pastoral lease as a "locality" called "Parakylia."
