Minilya Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Headquarters | Gascoyne , Australia |
Area served | Western Australia |
| Products | Sheep (historically), Cattle (Angus and Wagyu) |
Minilya Station, often simply referred to as Minilya, operates as a pastoral lease and cattle station within the Gascoyne area of Western Australia. Historically, it was established as a sheep station. The property is situated approximately south of Coral Bay and north of Carnarvon.
History
In 1882, Charles Brockman placed Minilya on the market, describing it as a property stocked with 4,000 sheep, 40 cattle, and horses. The terrain was characterized by open grassy plains interspersed with saltbush and milkbush, well-wooded sections, and dependable water supplies including clay pans, springs, and North Brook. Roughly of the land extended along the coastline, adjoining Warroora Station. The estimated grazing capacity was about 70,000 sheep.
Ownership later transferred to Brockman’s brother, Julius, who offered Minilya for sale in 1894. At that point, the station spanned , supporting 22,000 sheep and 50 horses. The property was segmented into eight paddocks equipped with fencing and water infrastructure such as tanks, wells, and dams. Facilities included a large five-bedroom homestead, various outbuildings like kitchens and stables, a newly constructed iron shearing shed fitted with a Farrer wool press, holding yards capable of accommodating 10,000 sheep, and quarters for 25 shearers.
Pastoralist and politician Donald Norman McLeod became the owner in 1899. By 1911, McLeod oversaw a flock numbering 42,684 sheep that produced 954 wool bales. Following McLeod’s death in 1914, his son Guy McLeod inherited the property. In 1918, heavy rainfall led to flooding of the Minilya River, which isolated the homestead from surrounding areas.
By 1925, Minilya had grown to cover , with shearing operations processing over 58,724 sheep. In 1933, Lady Moulden from Adelaide acquired a one-third interest for £22,000; her partners were J. F. McLeod and D. G. McLeod. At this time the station encompassed , included of reticulation piping, and maintained a flock of approximately 54,000 sheep. After drought conditions necessitated selling around 10,000 sheep, the flock size decreased to 27,991 in 1937 yielding 768 wool bales; by 1940 shearing results increased to 830 bales from a flock of 33,511 sheep.
In 1954 Minilya supported nearly 33,000 sheep across just under .
By 2010 WR Carpenter Agriculture Pty Ltd—associated with Ric Stowe's cattle enterprise—owned the station covering . The property operated with Angus and Wagyu cattle aimed at Asian export markets. In 2015 Andrew Forrest purchased Minilya alongside Brick House Station for an estimated A$10 million.