Thundelarra is a conservation reserve that was previously run as a pastoral lease 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 ...
, located south east of
Yalgoo and north of
Dalwallinu in the
Murchison region
The Murchison is an interim Australian bioregion located within the Mid West of Western Australia. The bioregion is loosely related to the catchment area of the Murchison River and has an area of . Traditionally the region is known as ''Th ...
.
Description
It was a traditional
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...
station until having the lease transferred to a nature conservation estate in 2006. It is recognised as an important parcel of land that links the western and eastern end of other conservation estates, also once pastoral leases, which were purchased since 1995. The area lies in the Yalgoo
IBRA region and is characterised by open
mulga woodlands and sandy scrubland. The area is rich in
ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
s and is noted for its rich wildflower displays in spring.
History
Prior to 1891 the station was owned by Samuel Eakins and S. F. Moore. These partners sold the property in 1897; at the time it occupied an area of and was carrying 1,490
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...
, 7 head of
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
and 10 horses.
Dingoes were a large problem at the station, prompting the station owner, Chas Beaton, to write to the Minister of Lands to ask that the bounty for dingoes to be increased. The station continued to prosper, selling 76
bales of wool at the Colonial Wool Sales in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1906, and 106 bales in 1907.
A
carpenter named Philip Lothar Scheer, committed
suicide at the station in 1910. Donald Beaton, E.A Marsh and H. Stanbridge were empanelled on the jury to conduct an inquest into the man's death. They determined that Scheer died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot to the mouth while in a fit of temporary insanity.
The station sold 167 bales of wool at the London wool sales in January 1910, followed by 87 bales in December the same year then another 85 bales in February 1911 and 25 more bales in April the same year.
The flock size in 1912 was estimated at 15,000 sheep, with shearing set to commence in early September in the six-stand
shearing shed
Shearing sheds (or wool sheds) are large sheds located on sheep stations to accommodate large scale sheep shearing activities.
In countries where large numbers of sheep are kept for wool, sometimes many thousands in a flock, shearing sheds a ...
.
The lease transferred to a nature conservation estate in 2006.
The lessee in 2012 was the Conservation and Land Management Executive body.
Lignum Swamp
The station also contains the Thundelarra
Lignum Swamp. The wetland is a
shrub dominated fresh water marsh with a sandy-clay bed. It lies in a sump that is slightly undulating interspersed with low rocky hills. The
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
receives water from a creek system that originated in a range situated about 25 km away. Filling every five to ten years the wetland reaches a depth of about 1.5m and is regarded as an important habitat and breeding ground for water birds.
See also
*
List of ranches and stations
This is a list of ranches and sheep and cattle stations, organized by continent. Most of these are notable either for the large geographic area which they cover, or for their historical or cultural importance.
West Africa
* Obudu Cattle Ranch
* S ...
Notes
References
*Palmer, Alex.(1985) ''Yalgoo'' Fremantle, W.A : Lap Industries
{{Stations of the Mid West Western Australia
Shire of Yalgoo
Homesteads in Western Australia
Pastoral leases in Western Australia