Windidda
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | c. 1900 |
| Founder | James Bett Willis |
| Headquarters | Wiluna , Australia |
Area served | Mid West, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
Windidda Station, often referred to simply as Windidda, is a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station situated roughly east of Wiluna and northeast of Leinster within the Mid West area of Western Australia.
Spanning an area of , the property shares its borders with both Carnegie and Prenti Downs Stations.
History
Windidda was founded around 1900 by early settler James Bett Willis, who was responsible for drilling the first well providing potable water in this locality. Initially, Willis partnered with Tommy Mellor to develop and stock the previously undeveloped terrain. Willis maintained ownership until 1948 and also possessed Clover Downs Station.
In 1950, the station, then covering about , was sold by J. Bell to Spencer Doman, who controlled multiple other stations including Wongawol, Carnegie, Yelma, and Bonython, cumulatively amounting to .
During the 1970s, the Linke brothers took ownership of Windidda along with Carnegie and Prenti Downs Stations, overseeing them as a combined operation. The lease was subdivided into three smaller parcels in 1992; at this time, Windidda was purchased by Ngangganawili Community Incorporated.
An investigation by the RSPCA took place at the property in 2002.
2005 cattle inspection
In 2005, inspectors discovered about 500 deceased cattle on what appeared to be an abandoned site. The RSPCA assisted with care for the remaining 2,500 head of cattle and found that only two out of thirteen watering points were functional. Due to extreme neglect conditions, euthanasia was necessary for an additional 30 animals. The Aboriginal entity holding the lease, Ngangganawili Community Incorporated, had apparently vacated without ensuring adequate livestock management. The RSPCA identified this incident as one of the most severe cases of neglect recorded in Western Australia.
Later that year, approximately 1,818 cattle were mustered and sold as part of a near-complete destocking effort. The remaining estimated 300 cattle were likely sold as well, with proceeds directed back to the Wandidda Aboriginal Community, which succeeded Ngangganawili following its disbandment. Subsequently, the Wandidda Aboriginal Corporation relinquished the pastoral lease, which then came under the administration of the Pastoral Lands Board.
Following these events, the community was fined AUD 10,000 after admitting guilt for failing to provide sufficient water for more than 1,500 cattle at Windidda.