Madura Station

The station occupies an area of approximately 7,082 square kilometres (2,734 sq mi; 1,750,000 acres) – making it larger than the nation of Brunei – in the remote south east of Western Australia.

The property included a good homestead and a well provisioned store, and had been recently depastured and was only carrying 800 merino ewes and a few horses.

[15] The station changed hands at some point around the same time and was owned by Charles Bowen from 1927[16] to 1932 when he became ill and was no longer able to operate the rationing depot for the department of Aboriginal Protection.

[19] The station manager, W. O'Donovan had to be evacuated by an emergency flight by Goldfields Airways using a new Fox Moth airplane when he was dangerously ill in 1935.

O'Brien had taken 102 cattle to Loongana and put another brand on them before selling them, he defended himself saying that the Melbourne based company had not paid him any wages since the death of O'Donovan.

[22] In 1939 flooding occurred in areas around the station and Madura recorded 25 millimetres (1 in) of rain, filling dams and weirs.

[24] The manager at the time, Robert Mackie, was often away overlanding himself and often reported on the road conditions in the area, particularly the Madura Pass.

[27] Rumours were rife in the press that the station had been abandoned in 1949, after several travellers found dead crows and rabbits around the homestead.

[30] A few months later Mrs Sopher was badly burnt when a spark from the oven set her dress alight; she then had to endure the long trip to Norseman hospital for treatment.

[35] Mackie was taken to hospital in 1951 with heart troubles[36] and the station was sold later the same year to a group of developers who were to turn the area into a tourist resort.

The Jumbuck Pastoral Company acquired Madura in 1987,[1] adding it to the neighbouring Moonera and began sub-dividing large paddocks and installing extra windmills and water points.

[39] Madura Plains Station was purchased by CC Cooper & Co, Jamestown, South Australia from Jumbuck Pastoral in February 2016 for A$10 million.