Pardoo Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Headquarters | Pilbara , Australia |
Area served | Pilbara, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle, hay |
| Owner | Bruce Cheung (since late 2014) |
Number of employees | Not specified |
Pardoo Station is a pastoral lease situated approximately east of Port Hedland and north of Marble Bar within the Pilbara area of Western Australia. Initially established as a sheep station, it now functions primarily as a cattle station.
Description
Spanning an area of about , Pardoo Station lies at the western boundary of the Great Sandy Desert, where it meets the Indian Ocean near the southern tip of Eighty Mile Beach.
Located on the southwestern perimeter of the lease, Mount Goldsworthy was the site of the Pilbara region’s inaugural iron ore mining operation. The nearby Pardoo iron ore mine shares its name with the station.
In late 2014, ownership transferred from the Rogers family to Singaporean investor Bruce Cheung for 13.5 million. Following this acquisition, Cheung’s enterprise, Pardoo Beef Corporation, appointed Eric Golangco as general manager. At that time, the property supported a herd of approximately 5,700 cattle across . The station employs centre-pivot irrigation systems to cultivate supplementary hay for its livestock.
Additionally, Pardoo boasts of ocean frontage measuring and operates a 145-bay caravan park designed to accommodate tourists.
History
In 1892, owner S. Anderson endured substantial livestock losses due to severe rainfall and sustained serious injuries in a horse-related accident that necessitated hospitalization in Roebourne.
The following year, seven Aboriginal Australians were convicted for stealing sheep from Pardoo and received sentences involving hard labor and corporal punishment.
By 1913, Pardoo maintained an estimated sheep population of 20,000 and operated a shearing shed equipped with 12 stands.
Heavy rains in 1929 caused flooding in the region.
From at least 1929 until his passing in 1937, Frank Snellgrove Thompson held ownership of Pardoo. His son, Frank Finlayson Thompson, managed the station through at least 1951 while concurrently overseeing the family’s merino stud 'Nardlah' located near Broomehill in Western Australia’s Great Southern district.
In 1951, Hans Pederson tragically died after falling from a windmill tower; emergency responders were unable to save him.
Initially functioning as an outstation of De Grey Station, Pardoo gained independence under the Thompson family’s stewardship until its sale in 1963 to Leslie (Les) Schubert, who later chronicled its history in Wiping Out the Tracks – The Northern Odyssey.
In November 1965, Schubert traded Pardoo along with $120,000 for Louisa Downs and Bohemia Downs stations situated in the Kimberley region. Karl Stein acquired Pardoo in January 1966.
Prior to 1977, Stein retired and sold Pardoo to Russel Peake. Later, ownership passed to the Leeds family before being sold to Graeme and Judith Rogers.
The station operates under Crown Lease numbers CL694-1967 and CL194-1983 with corresponding Land Act references LA3114/446 and LA398/718.
Covering roughly , Pardoo supported a herd of about 7,000 Santa Gertrudis cattle as of 2012.
Tropical cyclones
In 2012, Cyclone Lua directly impacted Pardoo Station. Most personnel evacuated to Port Hedland; however, the Anderson family along with two station employees remained on site. They endured winds exceeding and heavy rainfall that inflicted considerable destruction. A local roadhouse proprietor described conditions as "an absolute warzone."
Cyclone Rusty struck in February 2013, delivering of rain within a single day accompanied by powerful winds. This category four cyclone caused damage to the homestead and resulted in livestock deaths attributed to hypothermia.
Ten years later in April 2023, Category 5 Cyclone Ilsa passed directly over Pardoo Station. The cyclone caused more than $4 million worth of damage to the roadhouse alone, stripping roofs from buildings and overturning trucks. New manager Scott Fraser had been on location for only three weeks prior to the event. Of the 20 centre-pivot irrigation systems supporting mainly Wagyu cattle grazing areas, all but one were destroyed. Numerous sheds and other structures were lost as well. Overall financial losses were estimated at $25 million.
Further reading
- Schubert, Leslie A. (1994), Wiping Out the Tracks – The Northern Odyssey: A Family Biography & Social Commentary
- Schubert, Leslie A. (1996), Kimberley Dreams & Realities: An Objective Study of the Effects on Part Aboriginals Forcibly Educated in the Twentieth Century & the Tragedy of the Uneducated Indigenous