Drysdale River Station
Encyclopedia
Drysdale River Station is a pastoral lease and cattle
station
located just off the Kalumburu Road
360 kilometres (224 mi) west of Kununurra
and 470 kilometres (292 mi) east of Derby
in the Kimberley region. The station is approximately 1000000 acres (404,686 ha) in size and runs about 7,000 head of cattle.
The pastoral lease is currently owned by the Koyers family who took up the lease in 1985.
The area was initially taken up in 1882 by the victorin Squatting Company and the Drysdale River
was named by explorer Charles Burrowes in 1886. Captain Joe Bradshaw took up the lease in 1891 as part of a large area extending along the Prince Regent River
. While lost dring an exploration of the area Bradshaw stumbled across the Indigenous Australian Gwion Rock paintings which are over 50,000 years old and are commonly referred to as the Bradshaws once rediscovered in 1998. He sent his steamer, the Red Gauntlet, ahend of him with Aeneas Gunn to construct stockyards
while Bradshaw began to drove his herd overland from Queensland
. Bradshaw was met at the border by a party of policemen who demanded a tax of 1 pound per head to bring them into Western Australia. He refused and took his stock down the Victoria River
to establish another station, Bradshaws Run now known as Bradshaw station.
The remoteness of the station was partially remedied by the surveying and construction of the Kalumburu Road
from the Gibb River Road
to Kalumburu
in 1954.
The station is almost inaccessible by road during the wet season
between December and May each year. During this time the area is dependent on the station's airstrip which was upgraded in 2002 following funding from the state government in 2001.
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
station
Station (Australian agriculture)
Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...
located just off the Kalumburu Road
Kalumburu Road
Kalumburu Road in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia is a 267 kilometre road that connects the Gibb River Road to the aboriginal community of Kalumburu on the coast via the Mitchell Plateau. The road, which often becomes inaccessible during the Wet season, is suitable for 4WD traffic and...
360 kilometres (224 mi) west of Kununurra
Kununurra, Western Australia
Kununurra is a town in far northern Western Australia located at the eastern extremity of the Kimberley Region approximately from the border with the Northern Territory. Kununurra was initiated to service the Ord River Irrigation scheme....
and 470 kilometres (292 mi) east of Derby
Derby, Western Australia
Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Derby had a population of 3,093. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000...
in the Kimberley region. The station is approximately 1000000 acres (404,686 ha) in size and runs about 7,000 head of cattle.
The pastoral lease is currently owned by the Koyers family who took up the lease in 1985.
The area was initially taken up in 1882 by the victorin Squatting Company and the Drysdale River
Drysdale River
Drysdale River is a river in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.The river rises in the Caroline Ranges, flows in a northerly direction and discharges into Napier Broome Bay near Kalumburu...
was named by explorer Charles Burrowes in 1886. Captain Joe Bradshaw took up the lease in 1891 as part of a large area extending along the Prince Regent River
Prince Regent River
The Prince Regent River is a river in the Kimberley of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the Caroline Range near Mount Agnes then flow in a north westerly direction...
. While lost dring an exploration of the area Bradshaw stumbled across the Indigenous Australian Gwion Rock paintings which are over 50,000 years old and are commonly referred to as the Bradshaws once rediscovered in 1998. He sent his steamer, the Red Gauntlet, ahend of him with Aeneas Gunn to construct stockyards
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
while Bradshaw began to drove his herd overland from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Bradshaw was met at the border by a party of policemen who demanded a tax of 1 pound per head to bring them into Western Australia. He refused and took his stock down the Victoria River
Victoria River
Victoria River may refer to:*Victoria River , the longest river in the Northern Territory of Australia*Victoria River, New Zealand in New Zealand*Victoria River in Newfoundland and Labrador...
to establish another station, Bradshaws Run now known as Bradshaw station.
The remoteness of the station was partially remedied by the surveying and construction of the Kalumburu Road
Kalumburu Road
Kalumburu Road in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia is a 267 kilometre road that connects the Gibb River Road to the aboriginal community of Kalumburu on the coast via the Mitchell Plateau. The road, which often becomes inaccessible during the Wet season, is suitable for 4WD traffic and...
from the Gibb River Road
Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road is a former cattle route that stretches almost through The Kimberley between the Western Australian town of Derby and the Kununurra and Wyndham junction of the Great Northern Highway. Like its namesake, which does not actually cross the road but runs nearby at , it is named...
to Kalumburu
Kalumburu, Western Australia
Kalumburu and Kalumburu Community are both bounded localities within the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley Western Australia. Kalumburu Community is the northernmost settlement in Western Australia...
in 1954.
The station is almost inaccessible by road during the wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
between December and May each year. During this time the area is dependent on the station's airstrip which was upgraded in 2002 following funding from the state government in 2001.