Billiluna Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a

cattle station In Australia and New Zealand, a cattle station is a large farm ( station is equivalent to the American ranch), the main activity of which is the rearing of cattle. The owner of a cattle station is called a '' grazier''. The largest cattle stati ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It is located approximately north of Balgo and south of

Halls Creek Halls is a plural of the word hall. Halls may also refer to: People * Walter Halls (1871–1953), British trade unionist and politician * Ethel May Halls (1882–1967), American actress * Julian Halls (born 1967), British field hockey player * ...

in the

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Ta ...

region of Western Australia. The name of the station is taken from a pool in Sturt Creek found and mentioned by

Alfred Canning Alfred Wernam Canning (21 February 1860 – 22 May 1936) was an Australian surveyor. He is best known as the originator of the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia, a cattle track running through remote desert country between Halls Creek, ...

when he mapped out the

Canning Stock Route The Canning Stock Route is a track that runs from Halls Creek, Western Australia, Halls Creek in the Kimberley (Western Australia), Kimberley region of Western Australia to Wiluna, Western Australia, Wiluna in the Mid West (Western Australia), ...

in 1907. The Billiluna Pastoral Company Limited, previously known as Sturt Creek Pastoral Company Limited, was registered in 1920. In 1922 the station manager, Joseph Condren, was shot dead and an employee named Tim O'Sullivan was shot in the thigh by a Bilingara youth, in retribution for the fact that O'Sullivan had abducted his wife for sexual purposes and refused to allow her to return to her husband. O'Sullivan later died and by the time Mr Barry, the manager of nearby Sturt Creek Station, had arrived to investigate he found two graves and the homestead looted of all firearms and ammunition. A young boy was sent with a threatening message for any white men who attempted to follow the perpetrators. A few months later a policeman, Constable Flinders, attempted to apprehend the suspect at his camp on Boolka Creek on Bohemia Downs Station. The suspect, named Banjo, was shot and killed during the arrest. In October of that year, more than a dozen Aboriginal people from the Kutjungka region were killed by police in the Sturt Creek massacre in a punitive expedition led by Constable J.J.Cooney in response to the attacks on Condren and O'Sullivan. The property was placed on the market in 1925 as part of a deceased estate. At this time it occupied an area of and had two wells in addition to good surface water sources. Buildings included a two-room house, beef house and harness house. Four sets of yards had also been built along with a fenced horse paddock. It was stocked with 2,500 head of cattle and about 40 horses. An

Armstrong Siddeley Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury vehicles and aircraft engines. The company was created following t ...

was the first car to be driven to Billiluna as part of an trip through the Kimberley. The vehicle was landed at

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

and driven to the shores of

Lake Gregory Lake Gregory may refer to: * Lake Gregory (South Australia) * Lake Gregory (Western Australia) * Lake Gregory (Queensland), Australia, also known as Isis Balancing Storage * Gregory Lake (La Jacques-Cartier), Quebec, Canada * Lake Gregory (Calif ...

at Billiluna via Sturt Creek Station over of trackless country. The Canning Stock Route was closed early in 1925 after falling into disuse as a result of stockmen being attacked by Aborigines. Stock from Billiluna had to be transported via

Wyndham Wyndham may refer to: *Wyndham (name), a surname and given name Places Australia *City of Wyndham, an LGA (local government area) in Victoria * Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, a LGA in Western Australia * Wyndham Important Bird Area, Western Aust ...

instead of

overlanding Overlanding or 4WD Touring is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) wher ...

using the track. The Billiluna Pastoral Company requested the track be reopened but the government claimed it would cost £5,625 and take six months to repair and refused. In the early twentieth century, Billiluna stock was moved through and along the Canning Stock Route to the south. In 2013 the lease was held by the Aboriginal Lands Trust and managed by Mark Gordon.

References

{{Stations of the Kimberley Western Australia Stations in the Kimberley (Western Australia) Homesteads in Western Australia

See also

References