Ethel Creek 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 ...

. It is located about north east of Newman and south of Nullagine in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, sparsely populated regions of Western Australia, region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people; wealth disparity; its ancient landscapes; the prevailing r ...

region of

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 had about double frontage to the

Fortescue River The Fortescue River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the third longest river in the state. Course The river rises near Deadman Hill in the Ophthalmia Range about 30 km south of Newman, Western Austr ...

and adjoins Roy Hill, Balfour Downs, Three Rivers, Muura Munda and Sylvania Stations. The country is mostly alluvial flats that support a variety of grasses. The station was established in about 1880 by Charles Smith. A new stock route passed through the area in 1895. Jack Bates, the drover husband of Daisy Bates, acquired Ethel Creek at some time before 1902. The Bates family, including the 15-year-old Arnold Bates, bought cattle at Roebuck Plains, near Broome and overlanded the 770 head of

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

cattle for over back to Ethel Creek. The journey took about six months and although they lost 200 head along the way they still made a profit of over 1,000. The Bates' were legally separated in 1912. Messrs J and L Smith acquired the property in about 1902 and placed it on the market in 1928. At this time Ethel Creek comprised of land with a carrying capacity of either 17,000 cattle or 120,000 sheep. In addition to the many pools along the Fortescue River stock were watered by 38 wells that were fully equipped with engines, mills and troughing. The property had over of fencing dividing it into nine paddocks. A six-room homestead, with additional workers cottages, a post office, store and two outcamps were included along the buildings on Ethel Creek. During the 1970s until the late 1980s the property was run by Rex Ericson and his wife Olga and their children Michael, Brett, Craig and Tanya. Tanya died during transit, as a result of a motor vehicle accident at age 14, on the property and is buried in the station cemetery. Olga was also buried at the Ethel creek cemetery in 2010, at her request to be beside her beloved daughter. Rex Ericson found himself named in the Stockman's Hall of Fame, for the era in which had run, not only the large station of Ethel Creek but Roy Hill, Balfour Downs and Marillana. The largest land title under one management recorded in Western Australia. The family moved to neighbouring Mount Divide station in the late 1980s. Since 1989 the property has been managed by Barry and Bella Gratte, who were running 5,000 head of droughtmaster and

shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always em ...

cross-bred cattle. BHP currently owns the property which is run in conjunction with Marillana Station, together the two properties have a combined area of .

References

{{Stations of the Pilbara Western Australia Stations in the Pilbara Fortescue River

See also

References