Peedamulla facts for kids

Peedamulla Station, also called Peedamulla, is a large farm in Western Australia. It is known as a pastoral lease, which means it's a big area of land rented from the government for farming. Today, Peedamulla is a cattle station, raising cows. But a long time ago, it was a sheep station, raising sheep. This station has a rich history and is an important part of the Pilbara region.

What is Peedamulla Station Like?

Peedamulla Station is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is about 58 kilometres (36 mi) south-east of the town of Onslow. The station also sits next to the coastline. The name Peedamulla comes from an Indigenous Australian word. It means "plenty water," which is interesting because water is very important in this dry area.

The Land and Rivers

The Cane River flows right through Peedamulla Station. The entire area where the river splits into many small streams before reaching the sea, called the river delta, is inside the station's boundaries. Over time, too much grazing by animals has affected the river delta.

Most of the land at Peedamulla is covered by spinifex, which is a type of tough grass. On the eastern side of the station, you can find areas with "cracking clays." These are special soils that crack when they dry out.

The History of Peedamulla Station

The land where Peedamulla Station is located was opened up for farming in the 1860s. This happened after an explorer named Francis Thomas Gregory explored the area.

Early Owners and Changes

In the early 1880s, two brothers named Edmund and Archibald Burt took over the Peedamulla leases. At first, the station was known as Peedamullah.

In 1922, the Burt family decided to sell a part of the station. This section was about 220,000 acres (89,031 ha) in size. A large part of it, 160,000 acres (64,750 ha), was already fenced. This area included parts of the Cane River and several wells that provided water.

New Owners and Challenges

In 1928, the entire station was sold for £60,000. At that time, it was 621,000-acre (251,310 ha) and had between 30,000 and 35,000 sheep. A group of people formed the Peedamulla Pastoral Company to buy the property.

Just two years later, in 1930, the station was for sale again. It was advertised as being even bigger, at 721,309 acres (291,903 ha), and still had 34,000 sheep. The property had many fences, divided into 32 smaller areas called paddocks. It also had 35 wells with windmills and troughs to provide water for the animals. By 1932, the station was still for sale, but later that year, Cornelius McManus and W Montgomery bought it.

Weather Troubles

The station faced tough times because of the weather. In 1924, a strong cyclone hit the area. It destroyed 40 windmills at Peedamulla. After the cyclone, a drought followed, which meant there was very little rain. This caused many animals to be lost.

The Hardie Family Era

In 1937, Alexander Edward Hardie bought Peedamulla. His son, Byron, managed the station first. Later, in 1942, G. Herbert took over as manager. Herbert even leased a part of Peedamulla, which became its own farm called Cane River Station. The Hardie family owned the property until the 1970s.

In 1961, some of the land was taken by the government to help supply water to the town of Onslow. This made the station smaller, down to 156,000 hectares (385,484 acres). More cyclones hit in 1961 and 1963, damaging buildings and causing more animal losses.

Modern Times and Training

In the 1970s, the Hardie family sold Peedamulla to Moira and Neville MacDonald. Three years later, the MacDonalds sold it to the Australian Government. At that time, the station had 28,000 sheep. The government planned for the station to be used by Aboriginal people in the region.

Since 1985, the Parker family has managed Peedamulla Station. They work with the Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation. Together, they use the station as a training center. This helps Aboriginal people from the Pilbara region learn important skills.

The old homestead (the main house) at Peedamulla is considered a special historical place. It is being looked at for heritage status because of its connection to the Burt family, who were important in Western Australia's history.