Corunna Downs Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | July 1886 |
| Founder | John Withnell, William McLean |
| Headquarters | Pilbara region , Australia |
| Products | Sheep (historically), cattle (currently) |
Corunna Downs Station is a pastoral lease in Western Australia that shifted its focus from sheep grazing to cattle farming.
Situated approximately south of Marble Bar and southeast of Port Hedland within the Pilbara region, the property encompasses several waterways including the Coongan River, as well as Emu, Sandy, and Badgeyong Creeks, all featuring permanent waterholes. The landscape predominantly consists of flat spinifex terrain.
The lease was originally established in July 1886 by John Withnell and William McLean. In 1887, the Mackay brothers together with Donald and Roderick Louden acquired three parcels each of . In 1890, George Dudley and Alfred Howden Drake-Brockman obtained land now incorporated into Mount Edgar Station. The name Corunna Downs was given by Howden in reference to the Battle of Corunna. The leases held by the Withnells and Mackays were later registered under Dalgety & Company and managed by the Brockman brothers.
By 1916, the station was producing more than 147 wool bales, with a recorded output of 105 bales in 1920.
The property consisted of 13 individual leases that were merged into one in 1924 when Ernest Samuel Foulkes-Taylor, previously a co-owner of Glenorn Station near Malcolm, purchased it. At that time, Corunna Downs operated as a sheep station supporting a stock of 20,000 sheep, along with 350 cattle, 125 horses, 175 donkeys, and eight camels.
In 1942, the Royal Australian Air Force built a covert airbase on the station close to the homestead dating back to 1891. This facility featured two bitumen runways measuring over 1,500 meters and 2,000 meters in length designed to accommodate B-24 Liberator bombers.
By 2015, Corunna Downs spanned , maintaining a herd of roughly 4,800 shorthorn and droughtmaster cattle.
Additionally, the station is referenced in Sally Morgan’s book My Place, as it is the birthplace of her grandmother Daisy.
Heritage significance
The Heritage Council of Western Australia has recognized Corunna Downs Station along with its Former Wartime Airbase as sites of cultural importance.