Meda Station, often referred to as Meda River Station, is a pastoral lease in

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 ...

that once operated as a

sheep station A sheep station is a large property ( station, the equivalent of a ranch) in Australia or New Zealand, whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and/or meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or sout ...

but presently 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 ...

. Situated about east of

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 about north of Looma 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, it is between the

Meda Meda may refer to: Places * Meda de Mouros, a parish in Tábua Municipality, Portugal * Medas, a parish in Gondomar Municipality, Portugal * Meda-Ela, Sri Lanka * Međa (Leskovac), village in the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia * Meda, Lombardy, ...

and

Lennard River Lennard River is a river in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The river was named on 8 June 1879 by the explorer Alexander Forrest, during an expedition in the Kimberley area, after Amy Eliza Barrett-Lennard (1852-1897), who he was to m ...

s. The country is well timbered with open grassy plains. A neighbouring property is Kimberley Downs Station. The property occupies an area of and supports a herd of approximately 25,000

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...

cattle. It is owned by the

Jumbuck Pastoral Company Jumbuck Pastoral Company is an Australian company that operates numerous cattle stations and sheep stations in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. It is one of the largest landowners in Australia and ...

and has been managed by Troy Haslet since 2015. The property was established prior to 1883; a station employee, Henry Thomas Best, died on Meda that year. By 1885 the property was owned by Messrs Marmion and Co. and was hit by severe flooding. Over 1,300 sheep were lost from the property during a

cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...

that swept through the area. In 1891 shearing produced 100 bales of wool. Record flooding hit the area in 1894 following a cyclone. The station manager reported to Marmion that another 1,300 sheep had been lost from the property. Fifteen

Aboriginal people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

and an estimated 20,000 sheep were drowned during the floods, which left miles of country underwater. Meda was placed on the market for auction in 1897 and advertised as occupying an area of and being stocked with 8,900 sheep and 9 horses. It sold at the reserve price of £5,000 to

William Silas Pearse William Silas Pearse (21 May 1838 – 30 December 1908) was an Australian businessman, pastoralist, and politician who served in both houses of the Parliament of Western Australia. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1872 to 1880 a ...

. The following year all of the stock was sold off from the property; a total of 6,400 sheep were advertised for sale. Stock and horses in yards at Meda Station in 1915

Stock and horses in yards at Meda Station in 1915

The property was acquired by the Emanuel brothers after 1897; the Emanuels were in business with Pearse and together they owned some of leases in the Kimberley. In 1908 all of the

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

were under fire as being part of a "meat ring", a virtual monopoly of the meat trade in Western Australia. Meda experienced a heavy rainfall event in 1914 with of rain recorded in one fall. Widespread flooding followed with miles of fencing being washed away at Meda. The following year the property was carrying approximately 33,000 head of cattle. In 1943 the station manager, Gordon Harold Smith, was killed at Meda while

mustering Muster may refer to: Military terminology * Muster (military), a process or event for the accounting for members in a military unit * Muster list, list of the functions for team members * A mustering, in military terminology, is a specialised ...

cattle. His horse fell and Smith received fatal injuries as a result. Heavy rainfall was again recorded in 1945 with another downpour, which arrived shortly after a dry spell. In the 1970s approximately from the station were excised by the Lands Department of Western Australia. The land was to be regenerated following

land degradation Land degradation is a process where land becomes less healthy and productive due to a combination of Human impact on the environment, human activities or natural conditions. The causes for land degradation are numerous and complex. Human activitie ...

from overstocking. In 1978 the

Institute of Ecotechnics The Institute of Ecotechnics is an educational, training and research charity with a special interest in ecotechnology, the environment, conservation, and heritage. With its U.K. headquarters in London, England and its U.S. affiliate in Santa Fe ...

acquired the lease known as Birdwood Downs, commencing land care work and offering tourist accommodation shortly afterwards.

References

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

See also

References