Pardoo Station facts for kids

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Pardoo homestead, 2008

Eighty Mile Beach

Pardoo Station is a very large farm in Western Australia. It used to be a sheep station (a farm for sheep), but now it's a cattle station (a farm for cows). Pardoo Station is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Port Hedland. It is also about 121 kilometers (75 miles) north of Marble Bar. This huge property is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

What is Pardoo Station Like?

Pardoo Station is a massive property. It used to cover about 1,000 square kilometers (250,000 acres). It sits where the Great Sandy Desert meets the Indian Ocean. This is also near the southern end of the famous Eighty Mile Beach.

Mining Near Pardoo

Mount Goldsworthy is on the southwestern side of the station. This was the very first place where iron ore was mined in the Pilbara region. There is also an iron ore mine called the Pardoo mine nearby. It shares the same name as the station.

Who Owns Pardoo Station Now?

In late 2014, the Rogers family sold Pardoo Station. A person from Singapore named Bruce Cheung bought it for 13.5 million Australian dollars. His company, Pardoo Beef Corporation, now owns the station. At that time, the property was about 1,998 square kilometers (771 square miles) in size. It had about 5,700 cows living there.

Pardoo Station uses a special watering system called center-pivot irrigation. This helps them grow extra hay to feed the cattle. The property also has 60 kilometers (37 miles) of ocean front. It even has a large caravan park with 145 spots for tourists to stay.

A Look Back at Pardoo Station's History

Pardoo Station has a long and interesting history. It has seen many changes over the years.

Early Days and Challenges

In 1892, Mr. S. Anderson owned the station. That year, very heavy rains caused a lot of damage. The station lost about 100 cattle, 1,500 sheep, and 30 horses in the flood. Later that year, Mr. Anderson was hurt when he fell off his horse. He had to go to the hospital in Roebourne.

In 1913, Pardoo Station had a huge flock of about 20,000 sheep. They were all ready to be shorn (have their wool cut off) in July. The station had a large shearing shed with 12 stands for the shearers to work. The area was also hit by floods again in 1929.

Owners Through the Years

Frank Snellgrove Thompson owned Pardoo Station for many years, starting around 1929. After he passed away in 1937, his son, Frank Finlayson Thompson, took over. Frank Finlayson Thompson also managed another family farm called Nardlah. This farm was known for its merino sheep.

In 1951, a sad accident happened. A 70-year-old man named Hans Pederson fell 30 feet from a windmill tower. The Royal Flying Doctor Service sent a plane to help, but it arrived too late.

Pardoo was once a smaller part of a bigger farm called De Grey Station. But in 1963, it became its own separate farm. The Thompson family owned it until Frank Thompson sold it to Leslie (Les) Schubert. Les Schubert wrote a book about the station's history.

In 1965, Les Schubert traded Pardoo Station for two other stations. These were Louisa Downs and Bohemia Downs stations. Karl Stein then took over Pardoo Station in 1966. Later, Karl Stein sold Pardoo to Russel Peake. The Leeds family bought it from Peake, and then they sold it to Graeme and Judith Rogers.

In 2012, Pardoo Station was estimated to be about 2,000 square kilometers (500,000 acres) in size. It had about 7,000 Santa Gertrudis cattle living there.

Facing Powerful Tropical Cyclones

Pardoo Station is in an area that can be hit by strong tropical cyclones. These are like very powerful hurricanes.

Cyclone Lua (2012)

In 2012, Cyclone Lua passed right over Pardoo Station. Most of the staff had to leave and go to Port Hedland for safety. However, the Anderson family and two station workers stayed behind. The area was hit by winds of 270 kilometers per hour (168 mph) and very heavy rain. Many trees were pulled out of the ground. The owner of the nearby roadhouse said the property looked like "an absolute warzone."

Cyclone Rusty (2013)

Pardoo also took the full force of Cyclone Rusty in February 2013. It rained 250 millimeters (10 inches) in just 24 hours, along with strong winds. Some cattle died because of the cold (hypothermia). The main house, called the homestead, was also damaged by this strong Category 4 cyclone.

Cyclone Ilsa (2023)

Ten years later, in April 2023, Cyclone Ilsa hit Pardoo directly. It was a Category 5 storm, the strongest kind. This cyclone caused over 4 million Australian dollars in damage to the nearby roadhouse. It ripped roofs off buildings and even overturned large trucks. Scott Fraser, the new manager of Pardoo, had only been there for three weeks when Ilsa struck.

Pardoo had 20 center-pivot irrigation systems. These are used to grow grass to feed the Wagyu cattle. The station workers tied them down before the cyclone. But all but one of them were completely destroyed. Many sheds and other buildings on the station were also ruined. The total financial loss was estimated to be 25 million Australian dollars.

Pardoo Station's Climate

Pardoo Station has a hot climate. Here's a look at the weather: