Bowes Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Founder | William Burges, Lockier Burges |
| Headquarters | Mid West, Western Australia , Australia |
| Products | Sheep grazing, wool production |
Bowes Station operates as a sheep grazing property and pastoral lease situated in the Mid West area of Western Australia, roughly 90 kilometers to the southeast of Kalbarri and about 84 kilometers westward of Mullewa.
The station was founded in 1850 by the Burges brothers, William and Lockier. By 1857, they were running sheep across an expanse of 93,000 acres. William Burges introduced rams that traced their lineage back to the royal flock of King George II, initially placing them at Bowes before transferring them to Yuin Station.
In 1859, management of Bowes passed to Thomas Burges, William’s nephew. Later, Thomas’s son, also named William Burges, oversaw operations until his retirement around 1912. During the late 1800s, Edward and Frank Wittenoom gained experience as jackaroos at Bowes prior to acquiring over two million acres under crown leases spanning several stations such as Boolardy and Murgoo.
By 1869, the station's rams were producing an average wool clip of eighteen and a half pounds per head. The property faced difficulties including an excessive kangaroo population that impacted pasture quality and major bushfires in 1900 which devastated numerous paddocks.
J. A. Wellington served as manager from the 1870s until his passing in 1904. Between 1906 and 1908, the Burges family undertook an extended overseas trip. In 1874, the Wittenoom brothers established Yuin Station by relocating 15,000 sheep from Bowes.
In 1902, the Land Board resumed 5,540 acres from Bowes for allocation to other selectors. Facing drought conditions in 1914, S. L. Burges responded by selling 7,000 sheep from the property.