Wooltana Station facts for kids
Wooltana Station, often just called Wooltana, is a large farm in the Australian outback. It's known as a pastoral lease, which means it's land rented from the government for farming. Wooltana is mainly a sheep station, where thousands of sheep are raised.
This station is located in South Australia, far from big cities. It sits between the northern part of the Flinders Ranges mountains and a large salt lake called Lake Frome. The land was originally home to the Pilatapa and Adnyamathanha Aboriginal people. The name 'Wooltana' might come from an old Aboriginal word, 'ooltulta'.
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Amazing Hot Springs at Wooltana
Wooltana Station is home to the Paralana Hot Springs. These springs are quite special because their water comes from deep underground. It flows through rocks that contain small amounts of uranium ore.
The springs constantly bubble with gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen. They also have tiny amounts of radon, which is a radioactive gas. Because of this, it's not safe to stay very close to the springs for a long time.
Despite the warm temperatures (around 62 °C or 144 °F) and radioactivity, a special type of extremophile algae lives in the springs. These tiny plants can survive in conditions that most living things cannot. The Paralana Hot Springs are so unique that they are protected as a place of geological importance in South Australia.
The History of Wooltana Station
Wooltana Station has a long and interesting history, starting with its first European settlers.
Starting a New Life: The McTaggart Family
The station was first started by a brave explorer named John McTaggart. He came to South Australia from Scotland in 1852. In 1856, John and his brother-in-law, John McCallum, went looking for new land. They found the perfect plains at Wooltana.
John McTaggart then traveled back to his old farm. He brought his flock of 1,500 sheep, his wife, and their four children all the way to Wooltana. They made a long journey through Port Augusta.
At that time, the McTaggarts were the furthest north any European settlers had lived in South Australia. Their closest neighbors were about 200 miles (320 km) away at Arkaba Station.
Growing the Station and Facing Challenges
Life at Wooltana was not always easy. From 1863 to 1865, the area suffered from a terrible drought. A drought is a long period with very little rain.
In 1882, John McTaggart retired. His son, Lachlan McTaggart, took over running the station. Lachlan helped Wooltana grow even bigger. In 1907, he bought the nearby Paralana Station. This made Wooltana's total area huge, covering about 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²).
Wooltana was also known for its sheep shearing. In 1912, a shearer named G. Denman set a record there. He sheared 274 sheep in just 8 hours and 40 minutes! This record was later broken in 1927.
New Owners: The McBride Family
In 1918, the McTaggart family sold Wooltana Station. A father and son, A.J. McBride and Philip McBride, bought it for £60,000. At that time, the station had 30,000 sheep, plus cattle, horses, and camels.
A.J. McBride passed away in 1928. His son, Philip McBride, became a very important person in Australian politics. He was even knighted later in his life.
More Droughts and Wild Dogs
Droughts continued to be a big problem for Wooltana. In 1924, 9,000 sheep had to be moved off the property. They were taken to Hawker and then trucked further south to find food. In 1928, over 30,000 sheep were shorn at Wooltana.
Another severe drought hit in 1948. More than 10,000 sheep were sold, and hundreds died because there wasn't enough food. The station's flock was cut in half. During this time, wild dogs became a big problem. They hunted the weakened sheep. In 1950, Wooltana was used as a base to drop 90,000 baits with strychnine to control the wild dog population.
In 1954, another drought ended with heavy rains in December. Wooltana received over 3 inches (76 mm) of rain in two days. The McBride family still owned the station at this time.
A New Chapter for Wooltana
In 1984, Robert Cameron bought Wooltana Station for $1.9 million. This was thought to be a record price for a property in South Australia at that time.
On April 26, 2013, the land of the Wooltana pastoral lease was officially named 'Wooltana' by the government.
Images for kids
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Donkey team moving wool bales at Wooltana Sheep Station, around 1915.
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