Sturt Meadows Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founder | Henry Manuel |
| Headquarters | Near Leonora , Australia |
Area served | Goldfields region, Western Australia |
| Products | Sheep (historically), Cattle |
Sturt Meadows, also known as Sturt Meadows Station, is a pastoral lease situated in Western Australia that has evolved from operating as a sheep station to functioning primarily as a cattle station.
Description
Positioned approximately 42 kilometers northwest of Leonora and 89 kilometers south of Leinster within the Goldfields area, the station derives its name from the indigenous Sturt's desert pea. The landscape comprises open terrain with saltbush, cotton grass, white gums, and widespread mulga scrub, complemented by multiple waterholes. Its eastern perimeter borders Tarmoola Station.
History
The property was initially acquired by Henry Manuel in 1895, who first purchased around 160,000 acres from Norton and Co., subsequently expanding the holdings by an additional 380,900 acres to exceed a total of 600,000 acres. By 1899, Sturt Meadows was stocked with approximately 1,100 sheep, 200 cattle, and 50 horses, with an estimated carrying capacity near 12,000 livestock. That same year, Mr Barrett-Lennard joined Manuel in partnership to oversee the station’s operations, resulting in an increase to 5,000 sheep and 300 cattle.
Samuel Phillips became part of the partnership by 1902. By 1904, ownership included Alexander Forrest and Emanuel and Company, managing close to 1,000 cattle alongside 6,000 sheep. Subsequent proprietors included Kennedy, Brougham and Cropper; by 1925 the station was acquired by Mr Hawker and had expanded to over one million acres. In 1928, the property supported a flock numbering around 20,000 sheep; by 1949 it yielded 502 wool bales from more than 16,000 sheep.
In 1991, Lance and Norma Hurst held ownership of Sturt Meadows and undertook land restoration projects aimed at mitigating rabbit damage. The Axford family purchased the roughly 400,000-hectare station in 2000, initially maintaining a stock of 11,000 merino sheep and 158 shorthorn cattle. Following feral dog attacks that reduced the sheep population to approximately 600 head, they transitioned their focus toward cattle grazing. By 2011, the station was running about 1,700 cattle before being sold to an individual involved in tuna farming. The Axford family remained engaged with the property as of 2013.