Louisa Downs Station
Encyclopedia
Louisa Downs, also commonly just referred to as "Louisa" is a large cattle station
midway between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in the Kimberley Region in Western Australia.
and the southern boundary is on the northern end of the Great Sandy Desert
.
In 1962 when the station was purchased by Karl Stein it was combined with the neighbouring station, Bohemia Downs, now known as Kupartiya " also nearly 1,000,000 acres in size and run as one enterprise with approximately 17,000 head of cattle.
The Margaret River
enters the station on its eastern boundary near the junction of the Mary River, then running in a north westerly direction between the Lubbock and Kuniandi Ranges and entering the Mueller Ranges at "Me No Savy" in a wide gorge, the site of a potential irrigation dam.
The homestead is located on the banks of the Margaret River near Mount Frank.
A significant meteorite crater (astrobleme) known locally as Goat Paddock Pocket
is located in the northern part of the station near the junction of the O'Donnell and Margaret River in an area known as "Bluebush."
The combined station has since been broken up into 4 stations and the original Louisa Downs has now been returned to its original traditional owners, the Cox family.
family who were early settlers in the region. William Cox aka Billy died at Louisa in 1944 and is buried in a grave just to the west of the homestead. Billy moved from Noonkanbah Station
some time in the 1930s with his young son Fred.
Freddie lived almost his entire life there and died in 1991 and is buried next to his father.
fixed wing aircraft and much smaller teams of aboriginal stockmen.
Communications between the aircraft and the stockmen on the ground was very unreliable using 27 MHz Citizen Band
"walkie talkie" radios. The radios often failed or were broken through rough use by the stockmen while on horseback. Hand written notes on strips of toilet paper were then dropped to the white overseers who accompanied these teams as the aboriginal stockmen were largely illiterate.
The development of this method of mustering was very effective and the numbers of wild cattle that were able to be mustered rose dramatically. This enabled the culling of many of the lower quality wild bulls leading eventually to improved blood lines.
The Bluebush area was originally only accessible by horse or foot along the dry bed of the Margaret River and all supplies for the muster had to be taken in by pack horse. In 1968 Les Schubert surveyed a route through the ranges and along the bed of the Margaret River and constructed a rugged track into the area.
Shortly after he cleared a short 300 metre Airstrip near the junction of the Margaret
and O'Donnell Rivers at the appropriately named "Junction Yard" using a small front end loader and manual labour. This airstrip enabled station staff and stores to be able to be flown in less than 20 minutes from the homestead
instead of a gruelling 5 hour drive in a Landrover over rough station tracks.
Goat Paddock Pocket was used as a large holding yard for cattle during the annual muster in this area.
The Public Works Department (Western Australia)
set up flow monitoring station on the Margaret River at the entrance of the gorge where it enters the Mueller Ranges in 1966. Debate continues about the use of the Fitzroy
as a water source for the South West of Western Australia.
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
midway between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in the Kimberley Region in Western Australia.
Description
Originally of about 1000000 acres (4,046.9 km²) is size, the station encompasses a significant section of the south eastern end of the King Leopold RangesKing Leopold Ranges
The King Leopold Ranges are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia. Crossed by the Gibb River Road about east of Derby, part of the ranges are covered by the King Leopold Ranges Conservation National Park, managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation...
and the southern boundary is on the northern end of the Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is a desert located in the North West of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of...
.
In 1962 when the station was purchased by Karl Stein it was combined with the neighbouring station, Bohemia Downs, now known as Kupartiya " also nearly 1,000,000 acres in size and run as one enterprise with approximately 17,000 head of cattle.
The Margaret River
Margaret River (Kimberley region, Western Australia)
The Margaret River is a river in the Kimberley of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the King Leopold Range West of Halls Creek and flows in a westerly until it merges with the Fitzroy River of which it is a tributary...
enters the station on its eastern boundary near the junction of the Mary River, then running in a north westerly direction between the Lubbock and Kuniandi Ranges and entering the Mueller Ranges at "Me No Savy" in a wide gorge, the site of a potential irrigation dam.
The homestead is located on the banks of the Margaret River near Mount Frank.
A significant meteorite crater (astrobleme) known locally as Goat Paddock Pocket
Goat Paddock crater
Goat Paddock is a 5 km-diameter near-circular bowl-shaped depression in a range of gently dipping Proterozoic sandstone in the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia, 106 km west-southwest of Halls Creek...
is located in the northern part of the station near the junction of the O'Donnell and Margaret River in an area known as "Bluebush."
The combined station has since been broken up into 4 stations and the original Louisa Downs has now been returned to its original traditional owners, the Cox family.
The Cox family
The station is notable for its association with the CoxCox
- People :*Cox , for information on the origins of the family name and a list of people with the name- Places :* Cox, Alicante, Spain* Cox, Florida, United States* Cox, Haute-Garonne, France* Cox Island, Nunavut, Canada...
family who were early settlers in the region. William Cox aka Billy died at Louisa in 1944 and is buried in a grave just to the west of the homestead. Billy moved from Noonkanbah Station
Noonkanbah Station
Noonkanbah Station is a cattle station on the Fitzroy River between Camballin and Fitzroy Crossing. The station was pegged out in the 1880s and covered approximately 4,000 square kilometres or 1,000,000 Acres in the south central Kimberley of Western Australia...
some time in the 1930s with his young son Fred.
Freddie lived almost his entire life there and died in 1991 and is buried next to his father.
Notable events
Leslie Arthur Schubert (Les) was one of the pioneers of aerial mustering at Louisa in 1967 using Cessna 182Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
fixed wing aircraft and much smaller teams of aboriginal stockmen.
Communications between the aircraft and the stockmen on the ground was very unreliable using 27 MHz Citizen Band
Citizens' band radio
Citizens' Band radio is, in many countries, a system of short-distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27-MHz band. Citizens' Band is distinct from the FRS, GMRS, MURS and amateur radio...
"walkie talkie" radios. The radios often failed or were broken through rough use by the stockmen while on horseback. Hand written notes on strips of toilet paper were then dropped to the white overseers who accompanied these teams as the aboriginal stockmen were largely illiterate.
The development of this method of mustering was very effective and the numbers of wild cattle that were able to be mustered rose dramatically. This enabled the culling of many of the lower quality wild bulls leading eventually to improved blood lines.
The Bluebush area was originally only accessible by horse or foot along the dry bed of the Margaret River and all supplies for the muster had to be taken in by pack horse. In 1968 Les Schubert surveyed a route through the ranges and along the bed of the Margaret River and constructed a rugged track into the area.
Shortly after he cleared a short 300 metre Airstrip near the junction of the Margaret
Margaret River (Kimberley region, Western Australia)
The Margaret River is a river in the Kimberley of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise in the King Leopold Range West of Halls Creek and flows in a westerly until it merges with the Fitzroy River of which it is a tributary...
and O'Donnell Rivers at the appropriately named "Junction Yard" using a small front end loader and manual labour. This airstrip enabled station staff and stores to be able to be flown in less than 20 minutes from the homestead
Homestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
instead of a gruelling 5 hour drive in a Landrover over rough station tracks.
Goat Paddock Pocket was used as a large holding yard for cattle during the annual muster in this area.
The Public Works Department (Western Australia)
Public Works Department (Western Australia)
-History:The Public Works Department is a now defunct government of Western Australia which was charged with providing and maintaining public infrastructure such as dams, water supplies, schools, hospitals, harbours and other public buildings....
set up flow monitoring station on the Margaret River at the entrance of the gorge where it enters the Mueller Ranges in 1966. Debate continues about the use of the Fitzroy
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
as a water source for the South West of Western Australia.
Further reading
- Schubert, Leslie A.(1994), Wiping Out the Tracks - The Northern Odyssey, Blue Bay Publishing, Perth, W.A. ISBN 0 953 57501 6
- Schubert, Leslie A.(1996), Kimberly Dreams & Realities, Blue Bay Publishing, Perth, W.A. ISBN 0 646 30371 6