Bulga Downs Station
Bulga Downs Station is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station but is now a cattle station located in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
![](../I/Australia_Western_Australia_location_map.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
It is situated approximately 113 kilometres (70 mi) to the south west of Leinster and 192 kilometres (119 mi) south east of Mount Magnet.[1]
Bulga Downs consists primarily of sand-plain country with outcrops of granite and ironstone. It receives an annual average rainfall of 225 millimetres (9 in). The trees and shrubs found in the area include mulga, sugar-brother, bowgada, mallee gums, saltbush and bluebush. Prominent grasses include broadleaf and narrowleaf wanderrie, kerosene grass, wind grass and white top granite grass.[2]
The property was owned in 1921 by W. Baumberger,[3] who sold it in 1923 to Messrs. Morrison and Calder. The 300,000-acre (121,406 ha) station was only partially improved at the time and was only carrying 1,500 sheep and some cattle.[4] It was also experiencing problems with wild dogs attacking the stock.[5]
In 1925 a total of 23,238 sheep were shorn at Bulga Downs.[6] By 1928 the size of the flock had dropped to 4,879.[7]
The McQuie family acquired the 2,870-square-kilometre (1,108 sq mi) property in 1984 and converted the station from grazing sheep to Angus cattle.[2]
References
- "Map of Bulga Downs, WA". Bonzle. Digital Atlas Pty Limited. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- D. Walsh (2009). "Country condition dependent grazing in the goldfields: Bulga Downs, WA" (PDF). Desert Knowledge CRC. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Advertising". The West Australian. XXXVII (6, 140). Western Australia. 21 December 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Rural gossip". The West Australian. XXXIX (6, 535). Western Australia. 4 May 1923. p. 11. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Rural Gossip". Western Mail. XXXVIII (1, 945). Western Australia. 10 May 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Pastoral Pars". Sunday Times (Perth) (1420). Western Australia. 29 March 1925. p. 25. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Pastoral Labour Bureau". Geraldton Guardian. XXI (4804). Western Australia. 28 February 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 10 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.