Meda Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle ranching, formerly sheep grazing |
| Founded | before 1883 |
| Headquarters | Kimberley region , Australia |
Area served | Kimberley, Western Australia |
Key people | Troy Haslet (manager since 2015) |
| Products | Brahman cattle |
| Owner | Jumbuck Pastoral Company |
Meda Station, sometimes referred to as Meda River Station, is a pastoral lease situated in Western Australia that has shifted its focus from sheep grazing to cattle ranching.
Positioned roughly east of Derby and north of Looma within the Kimberley area, the property is nestled between the Meda and Lennard Rivers. The landscape consists mainly of open grassy plains with abundant timber. Adjacent to Meda is Kimberley Downs Station.
Spanning , Meda currently supports a herd of about 25,000 Brahman cattle. The station is under the ownership of the Jumbuck Pastoral Company, with Troy Haslet serving as manager since 2015.
Established prior to 1883, Meda was held by Messrs Marmion and Co. by 1885, a year when a cyclone-induced flood caused the loss of over 1,300 sheep and other livestock. In 1891, shearing operations yielded 100 wool bales. Another significant flood in 1894 led to approximately 1,300 sheep perishing and widespread damage throughout the district.
In 1897, the station was put up for auction, encompassing , stocked with 8,900 sheep and nine horses. It was purchased for £5,000 by William Silas Pearse. By the following year, all livestock had been sold off, including an advertised sale of 6,400 sheep.
Following the acquisition after 1897, the Emanuel brothers took ownership of Meda and joined forces with Pearse to control roughly of Kimberley leases. In 1908, these leaseholders faced allegations for monopolizing the meat industry in Western Australia through a "meat ring."
The year 1914 brought heavy rains that flooded Meda extensively and damaged property infrastructure. By 1915, the station maintained a cattle population near 33,000 head.
In 1943, Gordon Harold Smith, then station manager, tragically died during a mustering incident. After a dry spell, heavy rainfall returned in 1945.
During the 1970s, about were excised from Meda by Western Australia's Lands Department to combat land degradation caused by excessive stocking. This land was acquired in 1978 by the Institute of Ecotechnics, which established Birdwood Downs there and commenced initiatives in land rehabilitation and tourism.
See also
- List of ranches and stations
- List of pastoral leases in Western Australia
- List of the largest stations in Australia