This station was formerly established on Anmatyerre tribal lands by James Wickham in 1940 when he obtained leases over several areas he previously held under grazing licences.
The initial homestead was a Sidney Williams hut but this was soon to be replaced with a new building made of concrete bricks on site.
[3] Parkinson was then charged for shooting an Aboriginal man Johny Granite, "with intent to do grevious bodily harm".
Parkinson allegedly shot at Granite after ongoing incidents of theft and violence towards his former partner, a woman named Mavis.
In 1972, Willowra received national publicity when it was one of several stations proposed to be acquired on behalf of the Indigenous traditional owners, of whom 150 lived on the property.