Mount Hart Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease (former) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station, Tourism |
| Founded | before 1906 |
| Founder | Robert Brown, Felix Edgar, William Chalmers |
| Defunct | 1987 (as cattle station) |
| Headquarters | Kimberley (region) , Australia |
Area served | Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle, Wilderness lodge services |
Mount Hart Station, often referred to simply as Mount Hart, was once a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station in Western Australia. Today, the property forms part of a conservation reserve, with the original homestead repurposed as a wilderness lodge catering to visitors.
Situated approximately 146 kilometers east of Derby and 330 kilometers northwest of Halls Creek within the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges in the Kimberley area, Mount Hart is reachable via the Gibb River Road. The homestead is positioned alongside the Barker River and shares its boundary with Charnley River Station. Historically, the station spanned an area close to 4,047 square kilometers.
The establishment of the station dates back to before 1906, under the management of Robert Brown, who partnered with Felix Edgar and William Chalmers. Operations were disrupted by early disputes with Indigenous inhabitants; for instance, in 1906, incidents involving stolen goods escalated into violent clashes. By 1910, Brown reported that a large group had taken control of the station and its livestock.
William Chalmers passed away at Mount Hart in 1933 following an illness. The station was deserted in 1934 but saw reoccupation by "Stumpy" Fraser in 1935. Due to drought conditions, Fraser moved the homestead twice before establishing it at its present location in 1946; however, he ultimately left the property in 1957.
Mount Hart continued cattle operations until 1987 when it was declared no longer viable as a pastoral lease. Subsequently, it was incorporated into the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Conservation Park, which covers about 3,700 square kilometers and was officially designated in 2000.
Between 1991 and 2011, Taffy Abotts managed the site and undertook extensive renovations and construction work on the homestead, estimating these enhancements at around AUD 1.9 million. The Department of Environment and Conservation later requested his departure, providing compensation amounting to AUD 200,000 plus an additional undisclosed sum.
In late 2011, Kimberley Wilderness Adventures, operated by Australian Pacific Touring, was appointed by the state government to manage the wilderness lodge under the Royalties for Regions program.