Murchison House Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Founder | Charles von Bibra |
| Headquarters | Near Kalbarri , Australia |
Area served | Mid West region, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle, goats (formerly sheep) |
Murchison House Station operates as a pastoral lease in Western Australia, transitioning from its original function as a sheep station to currently raising cattle and goats.
Description
Situated roughly 12km to the east of Kalbarri and about 650km northward from Perth within the Mid West region, this station spans close to 350,000 acres. It boasts an extensive shoreline with 60km along the Indian Ocean and an additional 30km bordering the Murchison River. Predominantly positioned on the ancient limestone formation known as the Toolonga escarpment, which elevates approximately 180m above sea level, the landscape includes diverse features such as river floodplains and coastal sand dunes. The soil composition varies between red or black loam atop limestone and sandy substrates, fostering growth of native and introduced grasses alongside mulga and wattle scrub vegetation.
History
Founded in 1858 by Charles von Bibra, the station initially aimed to provide meat and wheat supplies for adjacent lead mining operations and also engaged in breeding Arabian horses. The original homestead and shearing facilities were constructed with convict labor. Von Bibra leased the property in 1869 prior to relocating to Tasmania. Ownership transferred to Andrew James Ogilvie before 1895; following his death in 1906, the estate was placed up for auction. In 1907, Thomas Amos Drage and William John Drage purchased the 99,423-hectare estate—including livestock and equipment—for £18,250 (a sum equivalent to multiple millions in today's Australian dollars).
The location was notable for being near the site of Western Australia's inaugural civil aviation fatality in 1921. By 1934, livestock included approximately 20,000 sheep and 150 horses.
Indian prince Mukarram Jah acquired the property in 1972; however, financial challenges resulted in its liquidation by 1996, after which Jah departed Australia. During the 1990s, the shearing shed underwent renovation to serve as tourist accommodation.
In 2006, severe flooding affected the homestead when the Murchison River breached its banks. As recorded in 2017, ownership rested with Calum and Belinda Carruth. That year also saw schoolchildren uncover a collection of historic firearms on the premises.
By 2018, the station had expanded to cover 141,600 hectares and supported a herd of roughly 200 shorthorn cross cattle alongside about 7,000 rangeland goats.