Hamelin Station is located in Western Australia
Hamelin Station
Hamelin Station
Location in Western Australia

Hamelin Station or Hamelin Station Reserve is a tourist site and conservation reserve, that was a pastoral lease, occupying an area of 202,000 hectares (500,000 acres)[1] near the Shark Bay World Heritage Area in Western Australia. It was formerly a sheep station running merino sheep.[2][3] It is famous for its free flowing artesian bore from the Birdrong Formation in the Carnarvon Artesian Basin,[4][1] near the homestead, which has created an artificial lake that has become a haven for bird life.[5]

The artificial lake created by the free flowing artesian bore in 2012

The homestead is 3 kilometres from the nearby historic Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station[6] and Post Office. The lease has approximately 32 kilometres of shoreline[1][7] on the hypersaline Hamelin Pool Embayment, which feature some of the best living stromatolite formations[1] in the world.

A view of the Hamelin homestead in 1975

Early years

In 1884 the section of telegraph line to Roebourne that passed through the property had been completed.[8]

Parts of the station were taken up in the early 1900s. At that time J. T. Martin, of Roebourne, had unimproved leases in the Hamelin Pool area consisting of 135,000 acres and Messrs Connor, Doherty, and Durack had 94,000 acres adjoining Martin's leases. Both of these lease holdings were sold to the Flintcliff Pastoral Company in July 1907.[9] The Flintcliff Pastoral Company (Frank Cadd), who variously named the leases as Boolagoora or Flint Cliff Station, sold the combined leases to Messrs. Ayliffe and Musk a short time before March 1919.

It was reported in March 1919 that the station had been sold to the Hamelin Pastoral Company. At that time the combined lease comprised some 500,000 acres and has not been expanded since. It became known as Hamelin Station. At the time it was reported to be carrying 10,000 sheep, some horses and a number of camels.[10][11]

In the early years, the lack of readily available water for stock limited the growth of the station, however the entire station sits on an extensive artesian basin of semi saline water.[4]

The lack of readily available surface or shallow ground water necessitated the drilling of deep artesian and sub artesian bores.[4][5]

In 1928 the station was under the management of a Mr Taylor, who had embarked on a program of drilling for water. At this time the first bore at the homestead was estimated to have a daily flow of 3,000,000 gallons per day and had created the artificial lake, which he had declared a sanctuary because of the abundant bird life.[5]

A further eight bores had also been drilled with the last one recently completed yielding water at a depth of 140 feet. The abundance of water and the prospect for more lead to rapid expansion in sheep numbers on the station.[5]

A photo of the "mill board" that recorded the status artesian bore watering points on Hamelin in 1976

The homestead is constructed from compacted coquina shell blocks mined from the nearby coast.[12]

Interpretive signage about the construction of the Hamelin Homestead at Shell Beach.

In the following years sheep numbers varied widely between 10,000 and 26,400;[13] in 1977 it was sold with a guaranteed 18,000 sheep,[14] although this number was subsequently disputed.[14]

Shearing at Hamelin in 1977
Loading wool at Hamelin in 1977

Events

The station was purchased from the Hamelin Pastoral Company by grazier Richard (Dick) Vincent in 1970, and subsequently sold to pastoralist Les Schubert in 1974[14] and managed by his son Philip for a number of years before being sold to the politician Ross Lightfoot.[14][15]

For many years feral goats were abundant on the property thriving on the low scrubland of the area.[16] The Schubert family in 1976 mustered and shipped over 4,000 goats to the Middle East from the property.[14][15]

De-stocking and conservation

The Wake family subsequently purchased it in September 1978[15] before selling it to Bush Heritage Australia in March 2015.[17] It is now known as Hamelin Station Reserve.[18][19]

Since that time all stock have been removed from the station and the artificial watering points shut down.[1]

The shearers' quarters have been renovated and now serve as a tourist and camping facility for visitors to the area.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bush Heritage Australia. "Hamelin". Bush Heritage Australia. Bush Heritage Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  2. ↑ Hamelin Pool Station, Boolagoorda, Shark Bay, The Co, 1999, retrieved 9 October 2016
  3. ↑ "Through the Pastoral Country". Geraldton Guardian. Vol. XXI, no. 4837. Western Australia. 21 June 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 9 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. 1 2 3 Department of Water. "Carnarvon Artesian Basin Water Management Plan" (PDF). West Australian Department of Water. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "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.
  6. ↑ Moynihan, J. F.; Telecom Australia (1994). The Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station. Telecom Australia.
  7. ↑ "Welcome to Hamelin Station". Hamelin Outback Station Stay. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  8. ↑ "Occasional notes". The West Australian. Vol. VI, no. 489. Western Australia. 10 May 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "A NEW FIRM OF STOCK AND STATION AGENTS". Northern Times. Vol. II, no. 99. Western Australia. 13 July 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Pastoral Notes". The Murchison Times And Day Dawn Gazette. Vol. 25, no. 29. Western Australia. 14 March 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 15 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "HAMELIN POOL". Northern Times. Vol. XXII, no. 1078. Western Australia. 5 November 1926. p. 5. Retrieved 15 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "Hamelin Pool".
  13. ↑ "Pastoral Pars". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 1613. Western Australia. 23 December 1928. p. 7 (Second Section). Retrieved 15 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Schubert, L. A. (Leslie Arthur), 1922-2012 (1994), Wiping out the tracks: The Odyssey Continues / by Leslie A. Schubert, Blue Bay Publishers, ISBN 0646178938
  15. 1 2 3 Robinson, Margaret. "[Interview with Brian Wake] [sound recording] / [interviewed by Margaret Robertson]". State Library of Western Australia. State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  16. ↑ Agricultural Protection Board. "Trial use of 1080 to control feral goats in Western Australia" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hamelin Station Stay – our 1st season".
  18. ↑ "Former Shark Bay sheep station becomes conservation treasure trove". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  19. ↑ "Hamelin". Bush Heritage Australia. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  20. ↑ "Home". hamelinstationstay.com.au.

26°25′31″S 114°11′36″E / 26.425228°S 114.193364°E / -26.425228; 114.193364

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