Hamelin Station, Western Australia
Hamelin Station is a pastoral lease occupying an area of 202,000 hectares (499,153 acres)[1] near the Shark Bay World Heritage Area in Western Australia. It was formerly a sheep station running merino sheep. It is famous for its free flowing artesian bore from the Birdrong Formation in the Carnarvon Artesian Basin, [2] [1] near the homestead that has created an artificial lake that has become a haven for birdlife.[3]
The homestead is 3 kilometres from the nearby historic Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station [4] and Post Office. The lease has approximately 32 kilometres of shoreline [1] on the hypersaline Hamelin Pool Embayment which feature some of the best living stromatolite formations [1] in the World.
Early years
The station was settled in the early 1920's, later than most other pastoral leases in the areas further inland because of the lack of readily available surface or shallow ground water necessitating drilling of deep artesian and sub artesian bores.[2] [3] The homestead is constructed from compacted coquina shell blocks mined from the nearby coast.[5]
Never a highly productive station because of the semi saline water from the artesian bores [2]sheep numbers remained relatively modest between 10,000 to 15,000 sheep although in 1977 it was sold with a guaranteed 18,000 sheep [6], although this number was subsequently disputed. [6]
Events
The station was purchased by grazier Richard (Dick) Vincent in 1970, and subsequently sold to pastoralist Les Schubert in 1974 [6] and managed by his son Philip for a number of years before being sold to the politician Ross Lightfoot.[6]
The Wake family subsequently purchased it in 1979 before selling it to Bush Heritage Australia in March 2015.[7] It is now known as Hamelin Station Reserve. Since that time all stock have been removed from the station and the artificial watering points shut down.[1]
For many years feral goats were abundant on the property thriving on the low scrubland of the area.[8] The Schubert family in 1976 mustered and shipped over 3,000 goats to the Middle East from the property.[6]
The shearer's quarters have been renovated and now serve as a tourist and camping facility for visitors to the area.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bush Heritage Australia. "Hamelin". Bush Heritage Australia. Bush Heritage Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Department of Water. "Carnarvon Artesian Basin Water Management Plan" (PDF). West Australian Department of Water. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Through the Pastoral Country". Geraldton Guardian. Vol. XXI, , no. 4837. Western Australia. 21 June 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 14 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Moynihan, J. F.; Telecom Australia (1994). The Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station. Telecom Australia.
- ^ https://www.sharkbay.org/place/hamelin-pool/
- ^ a b c d e Schubert, L. A. (Leslie Arthur), 1922-2012 (1994), Wiping out the tracks: The Odyssey Continues / by Leslie A. Schubert, Blue Bay Publishers, ISBN 0646178938
- ^ https://www.bushheritage.org.au/blog/hamelin-station-stay-first-season-under-bush-herit
- ^ Agricultural Protection Board. "Trial use of 1080 to control feral goats in Western Australia" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ https://www.hamelinstationstay.com.au