Weebo Station
Weebo or Weebo Station is a pastoral lease that has operated as both a sheep and cattle station located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Leinster and about 90 kilometres (56 mi) north west of Leonora in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. The name comes from an aboriginal word wipu meaning 'tail.'[1]
The property occupies an area of 2,852 square kilometres (1,101 sq mi) and is able to carry a herd of approximately 2,000 cattle. The station has a large homestead and two cottages, each with three bedrooms. Stock are watered at 63 water points around the property.[2]
The traditional owners of the area are the Kuwarra peoples who have inhabited the area for thousands of years.[3]
The property was initially established by Pierce and Gilmore who acquired the 200,000 acres (80,937 ha) lease prior to 1901. They stocked the property with 1,000 sheep, 250 cattle and 50 horses. The property adjoined Ducie Downs at this time.[4] Gilmore sold the 262,000 acres (106,028 ha) property in 1926 to W. H. Nicholls.[5] Sir Walter James then acquired the property in 1927.[6]
A new shearing shed was constructed in 1928 by James and his partner, Thurbyshire, with 5,199 sheep being shorn producing 116 bales of wool.[7]
In 1960 the property was stocked with 9,504 sheep, which were shorn to produce 270 bales of wool.[8]
Western Mining Corporation applied for 16 mineral leases over an area of 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) to search for nickel and other metals.[9]
In 2009 the lease was owned by Nickel West, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton, and was managed by Simon Kopke. Prior to 2008 Weebo was running 8,000 sheep but was completely destocked that year after experiencing problems with wild dogs. Kopke introduced a herd of 200 goats onto the property for the domestic meat market into one 80-square-kilometre (31 sq mi) paddock. The goats were being protected by an electrified fence and four Maremma dogs.[10]
See also
References
- ^ Liberman 1980, p. 130.
- ^ "Weebo Station Leinster". realestate.com.au. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ^ "Kuwarra". Goldfields Aboriginal Languages Project. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ^ "Stock raising at Leonora". The West Australian. Perth. 20 March 1903. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Station and farm sales". The Daily News. Perth. 30 January 1926. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Pastoral Pars". Sunday Times. Perth. 6 February 1927. p. 23. Retrieved 1 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "For the Man on the Land". Sunday Times. Perth. 18 November 1928. p. 10 Section: Second Section. Retrieved 1 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "No title". Sunday Times. Perth. 10 September 1950. p. 30. Retrieved 2 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "WMC applies for claims". The Canberra Times. 22 July 1969. p. 16. Retrieved 2 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Case Study: Simon Kopke". Meat and Livestock Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
Sources
- Liberman, Kenneth (Spring 1980). "The Decline of the Kuwarra People of Australia's Western Desert: A Case Study of Legally Secured Domination". Ethnohistory. 27 (2): 119–133. doi:10.2307/481223. JSTOR 481223.
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