Kirkalocka
| Company type | Pastoral lease, tourism enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture, Tourism |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Headquarters | Mid West, Western Australia , Australia |
Area served | Mid West region of Western Australia |
| Products | Sheep grazing, caravan stop-over services, accommodation |
Kirkalocka is a former sheep station situated in the Mid West area of Western Australia.
Location
The station is positioned roughly 55 kilometres to the south-south-west of Mount Magnet and about 420 kilometres north-east of Perth. It encompasses nearly 100 square kilometres (25,000 acres) of leased territory.
History
In 1911, a road was established linking Mount Magnet to Kirkalocka Station.
During 1944, the Mt Magnet Pastoralists subcommittee organized a demonstration at Kirkalocka focusing on mulesing and lamb tail docking as preventative measures against fly strike. By 1949, grazier Fred Broad favored the Manchester method instead of mulesing after applying it successfully to 1,200 ewes at Kirkalocka, achieving a 99% effectiveness rate.
Currently, Kirkalocka functions mainly as a tourism enterprise, providing caravan stop-over services along with accommodation in the shearers' quarters and the historic homestead.
In the year 2000, three shrub species previously unknown to science were discovered on the property: Banksia rosserae, Grevillea squiresiae, and Grevillea kirkalocka, the last of which was named in honor of the station.
Due to its closeness to mining operations, a review assessing geological potential was conducted in 2000.
Ollie George, an elder of the Badimaya community, spent his childhood at Kirkalocka. In 2014, a Badimaya language dictionary was launched there to aid in preserving local cultural heritage.
The station is currently managed by Jared and Blair Ridley under Crown Lease CL440-1966 and Land Act LA3114/636.
See also
References
- Kirkalocka listed in the Gazetteer of Australia online