Commonwealth Hill Station

Commonwealth Hill  Station

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Location in South Australia

Commonwealth Hill Station more commonly known as Commonwealth Hill is a pastoral lease currently operating as a sheep station.

Commonwealth Hill is located about 96 kilometres (60 mi) north north west of Tarcoola and 120 kilometres (75 mi) south west of Coober Pedy in the state of South Australia.

The property occupies an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi) or one million hectares, ^[1] making it the second largest sheep station in Australia, after Rawlinna Station. It is currently owned by the Jumbuck Pastoral Company.

The land on which the station is situated is described as a flat sandy plain on the north western margin of the Gawler Craton covered with sand sheets and dunefields. Low mulga woodlands and tall myall shrublands over perennial grasses dominate with occasional salt lakes and lunette systems. ^[2]

In 1947 the station was enjoying an excellent season after good rains produced an abundance of fresh green feed for stock during the summer. The area was also rife with rumours that the Woomera Test Range was to be expanded and that stations including Commonwealth Hill, Bulgunnia, Roxby Downs and Andamooka would lose some of land which in turn would reduce their wool clip. ^[3] The rumours were true and the station lies within the Woomera Test Range Area. ^[4] Byron MacLachlan, the leaseholder of Commonwealth Hill in 1947, along with a consortium of pastoralists and lawyers established a working agreement to ensure the continuation of pastoral activity that would not interfere with the long range weapons project.

In 1956 before the trials of the Black Knight Rocket commenced at Woomera safety risks to pastoralists were identified as a key concern. In 1957 the minister of Supply, Howard Beale spoke with the graziers who could be affected by the trials and announced that the Commonwealth government would pay for the installation of blast-proof shelters. ^[5]

An iron ore exploration company, Apollo Minerals, was given permission in 2011 by the Defence Department to start work on its prospect in the area following a Federal Government review on mining in the former missile testing area. ^[4]

In 2013, the land occupied by the pastoral lease was declared by the Government of South Australia under the Geographical Names Act 1991 as a locality with the name “Commonwealth Hill.” ^{[6] [7]}

See also

• List of ranches and stations#Australia
• List of the largest stations in Australia

References

1. "Commonwealth Hill". Jumbuck Pastoral Company. 2012. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
2. "South Australian Arid Lands Biodiversity Strategy" (PDF). Jumbuck Pastoral Company. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
3. "Rocket site anxiety". The Advertiser . Adelaide, South Australia: National Library of Australia. 4 December 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
4. "Apollo gets permit for Woomera exploration". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
5. "Pastoral History". National Library of Australia. 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
6. Proposed Locality Boundaries for Pastoral Areas (PDF) (Map). Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Government of South Australia. 31 October 2012. Rack Plan 951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
7. "Search result for "Commonweath Hill (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067039)". Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.

29°56′35″S134°9′8″E / 29.94306°S 134.15222°E / -29.94306; 134.15222