Annean Station is a

pastoral lease A pastoral lease, sometimes called a pastoral run, is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where government-owned Crown land is leased out to graziers for the purpose of livestock grazing on rangelands. Australia Pastoral lease ...

in Western Australia. The property covers an area of and has traditionally farmed sheep for the production of wool. The station is located in the Murchison region of Western Australia; the nearest town is Meekatharra, located approximately to the north east. An area of within the station is composed of reserves and

crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...

. The soil has a low level of erosion, with 95% of the land being described as nil or minor. The perennial vegetation condition is good with 15% of vegetation cover being described as poor or very poor. Initially established in 1882 by the Cruikshank brothers, it was put up for auction in 1896 along with the 11,000 head of sheep, 780 cattle and 110 horses that were grazing the property. In 1898 three drovers from the station, employed by Jules Gascard, were found dead between Peak Hill and Smith's Station. The drovers were thought to have died of

starvation Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, dea ...

. The station changed hands at least twice prior to 1909, until the station was purchased by Samuel Elliott, who stocked the station with over 4,500 sheep from Glengarry Station and over 2,300 sheep from Oakabella Station; at least 50 cattle from Glengarry were also purchased from Glengarry. Elliott also put in an additional of fencing and sunk numerous bores around the property. Elliott was sued later in 1910 by a drover who Elliott had contracted to overland 4,000 sheep from Sherlock Station, near Roebourne, to Annean. Elliott then offered the contract to another drover at a discounted price. The station was acquired by prominent pastoralist, Sir

Ernest Augustus Lee Steere Sir Ernest Augustus Lee Steere (19 March 186622 December 1957) was a prominent Australian businessman and pastoralist. Biography Lee Steere was born on 19 March 1866 in Beverley and was the second son of Augustus Lee Steere. He worked in the Murc ...

, sometime after 1910. Lee Steere also owned nearby

Belele Station Belele Station is a pastoral lease in Western Australia that operates as a cattle station and as a sheep station for the production of wool. Description The station is located in the Murchison region of Western Australia; the nearest town is ...

which he had acquired in 1888. The station was managed by a Mr Marchant in 1912. Later the same year the station sheared an estimated 16,000 sheep using eight stands in the shearing shed. In 1924 the station sold 22 bales of wool (for H.P. Sprigg) at 31 1/2 d. The lessee in 2010 was the St Barbara Pastoral company; Annean is operating under the Crown Lease number CL343-1967 and has the Land Act number LA3114/686. The station homestead consists of one main house with several sleeping quarters placed around a garden courtyard. The homestead is situated about west of the now abandoned townsite of Nannine.

References

{{Stations of the Mid West Western Australia Mid West (Western Australia) Pastoral leases in Western Australia Stations (Australian agriculture) 1882 establishments in Australia

See also

References