Moolawatana Station

Moolawatana Station South Australia
Moolawatana Station
Coordinates	29°54′23″S139°44′06″E / 29.90643°S 139.73499°E / -29.90643; 139.73499 (Moolawatana)
Postcode(s)	5732
Area	1,900 square kilometres (734 sq mi)
Location	139 km (86 mi) east of Lyndhurst, South Australia 227 km (141 mi) west of Tibooburra, New South Wales
LGA(s)	None
State electorate(s)	Stuart
Federal division(s)	Grey
Localities around Moolawatana Station: Murnpeowie Lindon Mount Freeling Moolawatana Station Arkaroola Wooltana Frome Downs

Moolawatana Station, mostly referred to as Moolawatana, is a pastoral lease operating as a cattle station in South Australia.

The property is situated approximately 139 kilometres (86 mi) east of Lyndhurst, South Australia and 227 kilometres (141 mi) west of Tibooburra, New South Wales.

The property occupies an area of 1,900 square kilometres (734 sq mi) and is known as the Skeleton Block after all of the area it has shed over time. Moolawatana stretches from east to west, unusual in South Australia, as its northern boundary abuts the dog-proof fence. ^[1] It straddles the north eastern tip of the Flinders Ranges and its outwash plains. The ephemeral Hamilton Creek runs through the property.

History

The property was originally taken up by William Warwick in 1853 along with Holowiliena Station. ^[2]

A fire at the station in 1896 destroyed between 120 and 130 bales of wool and the wagons it was being carted on, the cause of the fire was not known. ^[3]

Heavy rains caused flooding along Hamilton Creek in 1903, 3 inches (76 mm) of rain feel at nearby Mount Freeling over the course of a few days. ^[4]

Moolawatana was passed in at auction for £13,500 in 1935. The property was owned at the time by Neil McGilp and sons, who had acquired the leasehold in 1880. ^[2] It was sold later the same year to Messrs A.J. and P.A. McBride of the Wilgena Pastoral Company for £15,000 along with the 6,700 sheep and 20 horses that the property was stocked with. The 448 square miles (1,160 km²) station adjoined Wooltana Station. ^[5]

The McBrides sold the property in 1947 to the Leslie Brothers of Mount Fitton Station, which adjoins Moolawatana to the west. The Leslies paid £22,500 to acquire Moolawatana. ^[6]

In 1963 the property encompassed not only the Moolawatana but also the Mount Freeling, Mount Fitton and Yudnamutana leaseholds with a total area of approximately 2,200 square kilometres (849 sq mi). The run was divided again with the Mount Freeling lease being sold off leaving approximately 1,200 square kilometres (463 sq mi) at Moolawatana. In 1982 the Woolatchi lease was acquired adding about 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi). ^[1]

The property switched from sheep to cattle in 1993 as a result of dog attacks on sheep; earlier the same year over 900 dogs had been shot, 98 of them inside the fence. ^[1]

Moolawatana had good rains in 1997 causing the creek to run; a long dry spell followed with much of the surrounding area being drought struck. In 2001 the property experienced heavy thunderstorms followed by a locust outbreak with one swarm taking two hours to fly past the homestead. ^[7] More good rains fell in 2008. ^[8]

The land occupying the extent of the Moolawatana Station pastoral lease was gazetted as a locality by the Government of South Australia on 26 April 2013 under the name Moolawatana. ^{[9] [10]}

Proposed wind and solar hub

In November 2021, Kallis Energy Investments announced a proposal to build a wind and solar farm near Moolawatana Station. The Moolawatana Renewable Hydrogen Project would use the electricity to produce green hydrogen and export it through a pipeline to Port Bonython on Spencer Gulf. ^[11]

See also

• List of ranches and stations

References

1. "Across the Outback" (PDF). Outback SA. September 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
2. "Moolawatana Station Offered". The Border Watch . Mount Gambier, South Australia: National Library of Australia. 31 January 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
3. "Fire at Woolatana". The Advertiser . Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 January 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
4. "Heavy Flood". South Australian Register . Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 28 September 1903. p. 7. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
5. "Moolawatana Station sold". The Barrier Miner . Broken Hill, New South Wales: National Library of Australia. 9 March 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
6. "Northern Stations sold". The Chronicle . Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 13 March 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
7. "Fears of locust outbreak in spring". Rural News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 January 2001. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
8. "Rain brings some relief". ABC Rural. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
9. "Search result for " Moolooloo (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067115) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
10. Proposed Locality Boundaries for Pastoral Areas (PDF) (Map). Government of South Australia. 31 October 2012. Rack Plan 951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
11. Maengarb, Michael (18 November 2021). "Massive 6,000MW wind and solar hub proposed in South Australia to power green hydrogen exports". Renew Economy . Retrieved 19 November 2021.