Corona Station (pastoral lease)
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sheep farming |
| Founded | 1870s |
| Headquarters | Broken Hill , Australia |
Area served | New South Wales, Australia |
| Products | Wool, sheep |
Corona Station operates as a sheep station under a pastoral lease in the outback region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated approximately north of Broken Hill and west of White Cliffs, it ranks among the quartet of initial stations established in the Barrier Range during the early 1870s, alongside Mount Gipps, Mundi Mundi, and Alberta Stations. The property spans roughly , supporting a sheep population near 13,000.
History
In 1875, Daniel Harvey Patterson took ownership of Corona as well as Menamurtree station located near Wilcannia. Patterson later advanced to positions of director and chairman at BHP, following his involvement with the Broken Hill mining operations. By 1883, investments in infrastructure and improvements at Corona had reached £75,374.
The station yielded in excess of 2,090 wool bales by 1890. Patterson divested his pastoral assets, including Corona, in 1894. Amid the economic downturn of the 1890s, characterized by falling wool prices and drought conditions, several local properties such as Corona were transferred to financial institutions; Corona was taken over by Goldsbrough Mort & Co..
In 1911, ownership passed from the Corona Pastoral Company to T. L. Browne and H. H. Dutton. At that point, livestock comprised 60,000 sheep, 280 cattle, and 190 horses. The following year, shearing workers initiated a strike over butter rations, which was resolved through intervention by an Australian Workers' Union delegate.
Sidney Kidman acquired the station in 1917. By 1925, the sheep count exceeded 42,000. During the 1930s, adjustments to lease agreements provided financial stability contingent on surrendering portions of the lease; however, Kidman maintained full leasehold control.
Fowler's Gap functioned as a subsidiary out-station of Corona until 1947 when it was established as an independent research facility managed by the University of New South Wales.
By 1995, Corona maintained a fully stocked flock numbering around 13,000 sheep. Owners Peter and Tracy Botten introduced Soft Rolling Skin sheep varieties in 2001. Although drought conditions diminished the flock to approximately 300 by 2002, improved wool market prices elevated numbers to about 6,500 by 2005.
As reported in 2013, the Bottens continued ownership with a flock size near 7,000 sheep. That year, the station achieved organic certification after two years—a shorter timeframe than usual—attributable to a prior absence of chemical use on the property. This certification allowed wool prices to command premiums up to A$1 per kilogram or A$1,050 per bale.