Bulga Downs Station is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station but is now a cattle station located in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
It is situated approximately 113 kilometres (70 mi) to the south west of Leinster and 192 kilometres (119 mi) south east of Mount Magnet.[1]
Bulga Downs consists primarily of sand-plain country with outcrops of granite and ironstone. It receives an annual average rainfall of 225 millimetres (9 in). The trees and shrubs found in the area include mulga, sugar-brother, bowgada, mallee gums, saltbush and bluebush. Prominent grasses include broadleaf and narrowleaf wanderrie, kerosene grass, wind grass and white top granite grass.[2]
The property was owned in 1921 by W. Baumberger,[3] who sold it in 1923 to Messrs. Morrison and Calder. The 300,000-acre (121,406 ha) station was only partially improved at the time and was only carrying 1,500 sheep and some cattle.[4] It was also experiencing problems with wild dogs attacking the stock.[5]
In 1925 a total of 23,238 sheep were shorn at Bulga Downs.[6] By 1928 the size of the flock had dropped to 4,879.[7]
The McQuie family acquired the 2,870-square-kilometre (1,108 sq mi) property in 1984 and converted the station from grazing sheep to Angus cattle during the 1990s due to dingo problems. The last shearing was conducted in 2000 or 2001. J McQuie 2021.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Map of Bulga Downs, WA". Bonzle. Digital Atlas Pty Limited. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ a b D. Walsh (2009). "Country condition dependent grazing in the goldfields: Bulga Downs, WA" (PDF). Desert Knowledge CRC. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Advertising". The West Australian. Vol. XXXVII, no. 6, 140. Western Australia. 21 December 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Rural gossip". The West Australian. Vol. XXXIX, no. 6, 535. Western Australia. 4 May 1923. p. 11. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Rural Gossip". Western Mail. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 1, 945. Western Australia. 10 May 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Pastoral Pars". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 1420. Western Australia. 29 March 1925. p. 25. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Pastoral Labour Bureau". Geraldton Guardian. Vol. XXI, no. 4804. Western Australia. 28 February 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.