Cobra Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Founder | James Comtesse |
| Headquarters | Gascoyne , Australia |
| Products | Sheep |
Cobra Station operates as a pastoral lease and sheep station situated within the Gascoyne area of Western Australia.
Description
Positioned approximately southwest of Paraburdoo and northwest of Meekatharra, Cobra Station shares boundaries with Mount Augustus National Park, Mount Augustus Station, Mount Phillip, and Gilford Stations. The property traces the course of the Thomas River and derives its name from its serpentine outline.
The station encompasses sections of the Gascoyne and Centipede Ranges, characterized by rugged landscapes including steep ridges, rocky hills, narrow valley floors, and gently inclined plains. The vegetation primarily consists of low woodlands alongside widespread Mulga shrublands.
History
Founded in 1906 by James Comtesse, who previously owned the Euranna Hotel (presently known as Bangemall Inn), Cobra Station remained under his stewardship until 1925. After a drought in 1913, the sheep population was around 2,000; although some rainfall in 1914 provided partial relief, difficulties such as dry spells and dog attacks continued.
The station was placed on the market in 1927 and purchased by Jack Edney, who later sold it in 1933 to Alfred Ray Cream. By the following year, the flock had increased to 8,515 sheep. In 1938, Cream put the property up for auction; it consisted of 10 paddocks, a 4-stand shearing shed, nine wells, two bores, and one natural spring. Despite having only 880 sheep at auction time, the land was capable of supporting approximately 9,000.
In 1939, Percy and Elise Fitzgerald became owners of Cobra; Benjamin Wilson acquired it in 1948. Wilson transformed the Bangemall Inn into the station's homestead and expanded the leasehold threefold by purchasing cattle grazing territory south of Mount Augustus, extending the property past the Thomas River toward Mount James Station.
Bob and Maxine Bozanich took over the lease in 1967; Ken and Jill Gurney became proprietors in 1978. The Gurneys successfully advocated for designating land around Mount Augustus as a National Park. A Perth-based syndicate led by Peter Eaton purchased Cobra in 1980 with intentions to develop tourism ventures. Dennis and Alexa Lang bought it in 1989, operating the homestead as a hotel while replenishing livestock numbers.
Homestead
The existing homestead, known as Bangemall Inn, was constructed in 1896 by Percy Aycliffe and initially called the Euranna Hotel. It catered to travellers heading to the Bangemall goldfields and was renamed in 1910. Since 1949, it has served as Cobra Station's homestead and was recognized by the National Trust of Australia in 1982. This building is one of the few surviving wayside hotels in the North West region, featuring adobe walls and a hipped corrugated iron roof that extends over a verandah supported by bush timber posts. Originally comprising four rooms including a stone kitchen connected by a central hallway, it is surrounded by an established garden.
The original homestead erected in 1906 lies about west of the present location and was heritage-listed in 2013. This modest stone building with a corrugated iron roof still retains some bush timber verandah posts on its western side. Nearby rest the graves of Mary Comtesse and Mary Jane Cream.