Cogla Downs Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Headquarters | Mid West region , Australia |
Area served | Mid West region of Western Australia |
| Products | Sheep grazing, wool production |
Cogla Downs Station operates as a pastoral lease and sheep grazing property situated within the Mid West region of Western Australia.
The term Cogla originates from an Indigenous word referring to the fruit of a climbing plant commonly found in the surrounding mulga (Acacia aneura) landscape.
Description
Positioned approximately northwest of Sandstone and southeast of Meekatharra, Cogla Downs encompasses an area of . It shares boundaries with Yarrabubba to the north, Barrambie on the eastern side, Windsor Station towards the south, and Yarraquin Station to the west.
The property features rangeland vegetation including native grasses, mulga, spinifex, saltbush, bowgada, and carara species.
History
In 1917, ownership of Cogla Downs was held by W. McKenzie Grant. That year, the station produced 129 wool bales from a flock of 7,000 sheep, alongside ongoing enhancements such as fencing installation and well development.
By 1920, the station's area extended to around , partitioned into 18 paddocks with roughly of fencing and equipped with 15 wells. Stock numbers included about 9,000 sheep.
During 1923, under Messrs Beaton and Broad management, shearing operations yielded 173 wool bales from a flock numbering 10,300 sheep. In 1926, the station sent 1,000 wethers to urban markets.
The 1927 shearing season involved 7,600 sheep producing 153 wool bales. At that time known as Nettlie and owned by Chas Beaton in 1928, the station also undertook experimental cultivation of navel oranges and lemons. That year saw shearing of 8,000 sheep and lambs resulting in 113 wool bales.
By 1929, Cogla Downs was equipped with 29 wells fitted with mills and troughs and divided into 21 paddocks enclosed by over of fencing. Infrastructure included a homestead with fourteen rooms, seven-room shearing quarters, and three out-stations. Livestock consisted of approximately 9,000 sheep, alongside 50 cattle and 40 horses.
In 1930, the flock produced a total of 224 wool bales from more than 8,400 sheep and upwards of 3,200 lambs.
The Beaton family maintained possession until at least 1953.
In 1994, ownership transferred to the Indigenous Land Council representing the Yulellah Fabrications Aboriginal corporation. Currently operating under Crown Lease CL124-1967 (Land Act LA3114/744), Cogla Downs serves as a facility for training and economic development purposes with Yulellah listed as lessee as of 2012.