Anna Plains Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle farming |
| Founded | before 1903 |
| Headquarters | Kimberley , Australia |
Area served | Kimberley region, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
| Parent | Anna Plains Cattle Company Pty Ltd. (as of 2010) |
Anna Plains Station is a cattle station situated in the Kimberley area of Western Australia.
Location
Positioned along the coastline of Western Australia, the station is located roughly southward of Broome, within the jurisdiction of the Shire of Broome and the Dampierland bioregion. Spanning an area of , it supports a cattle population exceeding 20,000 head. The property operates under Crown Lease CL56-1982 and is registered with Land Act number LA3114/1154.
Ecology
Bordering Eighty Mile Beach, a wetland designated under the Ramsar Convention and essential for migratory shorebirds, Anna Plains encompasses flood-prone zones that are part of the Mandora Marsh and the Anna Plains Important Bird Area. These areas are acknowledged for their role in sustaining notable waterbird communities.
History
The northern region of the station lies on traditional lands of the Karajarri people, while to the south reside the Njangamarda Kundal and Uparuka groups.
Ownership in 1903 was held by partners Percy and Felde; by 1905, the station was involved in legal proceedings. The 1928 MacRobertson Expedition highlighted its vast expanse—over one million acres—and its prominence in breeding shorthorn cattle. By 1933, proprietor F. S. McMullen intended to transition from cattle to sheep farming due to limitations on livestock movement caused by tick infestations and disease risks.
Operations faced several natural adversities: intense rainfall in 1934 resulted in flooding that necessitated an emergency passenger aircraft landing; a cyclone in 1936 led to livestock fatalities and infrastructure damage; and a drought in 1945 severely reduced cattle numbers. Despite these hardships, cattle transactions persisted, including early adoption of the Turner test for pleuro-pneumonia detection in 1934.
Significant incidents include a 1935 homicide involving a trapper near the station, and in 1948 a drover successfully transported 1,100 cattle overland to the Meekatharra railway. In 1954, Anna Plains was instrumental in facilitating Western Australia's inaugural shipment of cattle to Manila using landing craft.
In 1959, a portion of the station’s land was excised to establish Talgarno village—a British government missile testing support facility equipped with residential and service structures. During the 1960s, Indigenous inhabitants were displaced following changes in station management.
Cyclone Vern passed close to Anna Plains in February 1978, bringing flooding and minor structural damage.
By 2010, Anna Plains Station was leased by Anna Plains Cattle Company Pty Ltd., under the management of John Stoate.