Leslie Arthur Schubert
Leslie Arthur Schubert | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 August 1922 Eudunda, South Australia, Australia |
| Died | 22 March 2012 (aged 89) Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, writer |
| Known for | Leading wool producer in Western Australia; author of six books |
Leslie Arthur Schubert (commonly known as Les Schubert) was a distinguished Western Australian pastoralist and writer, born on 25 August 1922 in Eudunda, South Australia, and passing away in Perth on 22 March 2012. By the year 1974, he had become the foremost wool producer in Western Australia, overseeing a flock of over 65,000 merino sheep spread across three sheep stations and two farms, encompassing more than of pastoral territory.
Early life
Schubert was raised in a German Lutheran environment at Peep Hill, near the Barossa Valley, where his upbringing was deeply rooted in traditional German customs. His family moved to Bruce Rock, Western Australia, at the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, facing considerable adversity while operating a wheat farm. At the age of 14, Schubert left formal education to assist with managing their property "Rocky View" near Bruce Rock.
In 1932, he narrowly escaped death due to an accidental firearm incident on the family farm. During the Second World War, owing to his German ancestry and personal convictions, he was interned at the Marrinup Internment Camp, where he contributed to wartime efforts by engaging in forestry work.
After his release, Schubert wed Dorothy Joan Sloan, who hailed from a pioneering family in East Rockingham. Together, they developed extensive wheat and sheep farming operations on crown land situated in Southwest Western Australia. The couple had four children: three sons and one daughter.
Pastoral industry involvement
In March 1963, Schubert and his family relocated to Pardoo sheep station in the Pilbara region after selling their farming interests at Gnowangerup to Sir Eric Smart.
Three years later, in 1966, he traded Pardoo Station with Karl Stein in exchange for the cattle stations Louisa & Bohemia Downs located within the Kimberley Region, along with an additional cash settlement.
At Louisa Downs, Schubert and his two sons were innovators in utilizing aerial mustering of cattle via a Cessna 182 aircraft. This method significantly improved operational efficiency on remote properties and has since become widely adopted using helicopters.
In 1969, he sold Louisa and Bohemia Downs to Australia Land & Cattle Company and purchased Yallalong Station, a sheep station situated in the Murchison area.
Subsequently, he acquired both Nookawarra Station near Cue and Hamelin Station at Shark Bay. By 1974, Schubert had established himself as Western Australia's leading wool producer, shearing more than 50,000 sheep annually and generating over 1,000 wool bales. He was also actively involved with the Pastoralist & Graziers Association of WA and held membership on the State Council of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Mining involvement
During his tenure at Louisa Downs, indigenous stockmen introduced him to cuprite mineral outcrops near Mount Bertram within the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges. This discovery sparked his interest in mining exploration ventures and led to collaborations with notable Western Australian mining figures such as Alan Bond.
Later years
Following his retirement and after the passing of his wife Joan Sloan, Schubert often returned to Louisa Downs to support the indigenous Cox Family with station management responsibilities. In this phase of his life, he authored six books: a three-part autobiography titled "Wiping Out the Tracks"; two social commentaries focusing on indigenous Australian stockmen—"Kimberley Dreams and Realities" and "A Century of Freddie Cox"; a romance novel called "Leila," inspired by the life of a pastoralist’s wife; and a collection named "The Poetry of My Life."
Additional resources
- Schubert, Leslie A. (1996), Kimberley Dreams & Realities: An Objective Examination of the Impact on Part Aboriginals Subjected to Forced Education in the Twentieth Century & the Tragedy of Uneducated Indigenous Peoples
- Schubert, L. A. (1994), Erasing the Past: An Australian Journey, Blue Bay Publishers, ISBN 978-0-646-17893-6
- Schubert, L. A. (1994), Erasing the Past: The Northern Journey, Blue Bay Publishers, ISBN 978-0-646-17893-6
- Schubert, L. A. (1994), Erasing the Past: The Journey Continues, Blue Bay Publishers, ISBN 0646178938