Weebo Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | before 1901 |
| Founder | Pierce and Gilmore |
| Headquarters | Leinster , Australia |
Area served | Goldfields-Esperance, Western Australia |
| Products | Sheep, cattle, goats (historically); currently cattle only |
Weebo—also known as Weebo Station—is a pastoral lease functioning as a sheep and cattle enterprise located approximately south of Leinster and northwest of Leonora in the Goldfields-Esperance area of Western Australia. The station's name originates from the Aboriginal term wipu, which translates to "tail."
Spanning an area of , the property supports a herd of around 2,000 cattle. Infrastructure on site comprises a substantial homestead along with two cottages, each containing three bedrooms. Livestock access water from 63 different watering points distributed throughout the station.
The land is traditionally owned by the Kuwarra people, who have maintained a presence in this region for thousands of years.
Before 1901, Weebo was founded by Pierce and Gilmore, who initially stocked the lease with 1,000 sheep, 250 cattle, and 50 horses. The property, which adjoins Ducie Downs, changed hands in 1926 when Gilmore sold it to W. H. Nicholls. A year later, Sir Walter James took ownership.
In 1928, James and his associate Thurbyshire constructed a new shearing shed; during that year, the station sheared 5,199 sheep resulting in 116 wool bales. By 1960, the flock size had increased to 9,504 sheep producing 270 wool bales.
In 1969, Western Mining Corporation sought mineral leases covering within Weebo for nickel and other metal exploration activities.
By 2009, Nickel West—a subsidiary of BHP—held the lease with Simon Kopke overseeing operations. Following wild dog predation problems that led to removing sheep stock in 2008, Kopke introduced a herd of 200 goats housed in an electrified paddock guarded by Maremma dogs to serve the domestic meat market.
In December 2015, ownership transferred from BHP Nickel West to B & SL Prosser, who have since shifted the station's focus exclusively to cattle production rather than sheep or goats.
See also
Sources
- Liberman, Kenneth. "The Decline of the Kuwarra People of Australia's Western Desert: A Case Study of Legally Secured Domination," Ethnohistory, vol. 27, no. 2, Spring 1980, pp. 119–133.
- https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-livestock-wa-leinster-7767985