Ethel Creek Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | c. 1880 |
| Founder | Charles Smith |
| Headquarters | Pilbara , Australia |
Area served | Pilbara, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle (Droughtmaster and Shorthorn crossbred) |
| Owner | BHP |
Ethel Creek Station is a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station situated approximately northeast of Newman and south of Nullagine within the Pilbara area of Western Australia. The property boasts nearly double frontage along the Fortescue River and shares boundaries with Roy Hill, Balfour Downs, Three Rivers, Muura Munda, and Sylvania Stations. Its landscape is predominantly composed of alluvial plains that support a variety of grass species.[1]
Founded around 1880 by Charles Smith, the station's significance increased when a new stock route was established through the area in 1895.[2][3]
Prior to 1902, ownership passed to Jack Bates—husband of Daisy Bates—who undertook the remarkable feat of driving 770 Hereford cattle over a distance exceeding 1,000 km from Roebuck Plains near Broome back to Ethel Creek. Despite some losses during the six-month trek, the family realized a profit. The Bates family legally separated in 1912.[4]
Around 1902, J and L Smith acquired the station and later placed it on the market in 1928. At that point, Ethel Creek encompassed an area of , supporting a livestock capacity of 17,000 cattle or 120,000 sheep. Water sources included multiple Fortescue River pools alongside 38 wells fitted with engines and troughs. The property was segmented into nine paddocks by over of fencing. Facilities consisted of a six-room homestead, workers’ cottages, a post office, a store, and two outcamps.[1]
Between the 1970s and late 1980s, management of Ethel Creek was under Rex Ericson and his family, who also oversaw Roy Hill, Balfour Downs, and Marillana Stations—forming the largest single landholding managed in Western Australia at that time. Subsequently, the Ericson family relocated to Mount Divide Station. Rex Ericson received induction into the Stockman's Hall of Fame in recognition of his extensive contributions to pastoral management.
Since 1989, Barry and Bella Gratte have been responsible for operating the station, maintaining a herd of roughly 5,000 droughtmaster and shorthorn crossbred cattle.[5]
Currently under ownership by BHP, Ethel Creek is managed together with Marillana Station; combined, they cover an expanse of .[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).