Corunna Downs Station is a pastoral lease that was once a
sheep station but now operates as a
cattle station in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
It is located approximately south of
Marble Bar and south east of
Port Hedland in the
Pilbara
The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...
region of Western Australia. Several watercourses run through the property, including
Coongan River, Emu, Sandy, and Badgeyong Creeks, which also contain several permanent pools of water. The landscape is mostly flat
spinifex country.
[
The lease was first taken up by John Withnell and William McLean in July 1886. The Mackay brothers, along with Donald and Roderick Louden, took up a holding in 1887. The Mackays' lease consisted of three parcels of each.][
In 1916 the property produced over 147 bales of wool, and 105 were produced in 1920.
The property was made up of 13 separate leases that were combined into a single lease in 1924 when it was acquired by Ernest Samuel Foulkes-Taylor.]Glenorn
Glenorn is a pastoral lease that has operated as both a sheep and cattle station. It is located about south east of Leonora and north east of Kookynie in the Goldfields of Western Australia,
The Laverton to Leonora railway passes through ...
Station, near Malcolm
Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to:
People
* Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters
* Clan Malcolm
* Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray, 14th-century bishop-elect of Dunkeld
Nobility
* Máe ...
, with his younger brother Charlie. In 1924 Corunna Downs was still a fully operational sheep station carrying 20,000 head of sheep, 350 cattle, 125 horses, 175 donkeys and 8 camels.[
In 1942 the ]Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
built a secret airbase on the station, adjacent to the 1891 homestead. Two bitumen runways of over 1,500 m and 2,000 m were constructed, for use by long-range B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
bombers.[
In 2015 the property occupied an area of and was stocked with 4,800 head of shorthorn and ]droughtmaster
The Droughtmaster is an Australian breed of beef cattle. It was developed from about 1915 in North Queensland by crossing zebuine cattle with cattle of British origin, principally the Beef Shorthorn. It was the first Australian taurindicine h ...
cattle.
The property features in Sally Morgan's book '' My Place'', as her grandmother Daisy was born there.
Heritage significance
The Heritage Council of Western Australia
The Heritage Council of Western Australia is the Government of Western Australia agency created to identify, conserve and promote places of cultural heritage significance in the state.
Prior to its creation, considerable variance in policy and ...
has listed the Corunna Downs Station and Former Wartime Airbase as culturally significant sites.[
]
See also
* List of ranches and stations
* List of pastoral leases in Western Australia
References
{{Stations of the Pilbara Western Australia
Stations in the Pilbara
Homesteads in Western Australia
State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of East Pilbara