Yardea facts for kids
Yardea Station is a very large area of land in South Australia. It used to be a big farm where many sheep were raised. These types of farms are called sheep stations. Today, part of Yardea Station is inside the beautiful Gawler Ranges National Park.
Yardea Station is located about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Minnipa. It is also about 157 kilometers (98 miles) west of Iron Knob. This area is part of the Gawler Ranges.
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History of Yardea Station
The land where Yardea Station sits has a long history. It is the traditional home of the Kokatha, Wirangu, and Barngarla peoples. Long ago, there was an Aboriginal camp here. They used a freshwater spring for water, which later became the station's main water source. They also used rock holes in the granite rocks to collect water.
Yardea Station was one of the first farms set up in the Gawler Ranges. This happened before 1865. Other nearby stations like Hiltaba and Paney were started soon after. At one time, Yardea Station was so big that about 80,000 to 90,000 sheep were shorn there. The main buildings where people lived and worked, called the homestead complex, were built in the 1860s.
In 1865, the station's manager, John Edmondson, got lost in the bush.
Something very unusual happened in 1972: a meteorite fell on the property!
Police and Telegraph Station
A police camp was set up at Yardea in 1871–1872. Before that, it was at the nearby Paney Station. A stone building was built in 1873 for two police officers to live in. The police left the property in 1885. After they left, the building was used as a post office and a telegraph station. This meant people could send messages over long distances. In 1903, a direct telegraph line was built to Western Australia. This made Yardea an important "repeater" station, helping messages travel further.
Changes in Ownership
By 1881, a company called Main, Sells and Company owned Yardea. In 1882, they decided to sell Yardea along with Wilgena Station. At that time, Yardea was about 1,063 square miles (2,753 square kilometers) in size. It had 54,000 sheep.
In the early 1890s, the lease for Yardea ran out. The land was left empty for a while. By 1901, it was still abandoned, but someone was looking after it. At this time, the property was much smaller, about 300 square miles (777 square kilometers).
Yardea Station was finally taken over again in 1904 by Andrew Tennant and James Moseley. James Moseley also bought Paney Station and made it part of Yardea Station.
In 1916, the property was sold to A.J. and P.A McBride for £72,000. By then, it was 1,487 square miles (3,851 square kilometers) and had 40,000 sheep. In 1926, the McBrides divided the property into five smaller parts. They sold three parts to Harry Bouily and the other two to T. H. MacKay & Son of Thurlga Station.
Yardea in the 21st Century
Today, the old police station and telegraph station buildings are still there. They are a short distance east of the main homestead. The Yardea water source, which is between the homestead and the telegraph station, was originally an Aboriginal freshwater spring. It is still the main water source for the station.
In 2000, the government of South Australia bought the part of Yardea that used to be Paney Station. They turned it into the Gawler Ranges National Park. This helps protect the natural environment and wildlife.
Locality of Yardea
On April 26, 2013, the area of the Yardea pastoral lease was officially named "Yardea." This means it is now a recognized place on maps.
Solar Eclipses at Yardea
Yardea is a special place for watching total solar eclipses. People in Yardea will be able to see four total solar eclipses in the 21st century! These will happen on:
- December 4, 2002
- November 25, 2030
- December 26, 2038
- May 31, 2068
