Landor Station

Physical Description

Landor Homestead is situated east of Gascoyne Junction and consists of the original homestead with additions, bedroom wing, laundry, meat-house, and a number of outbuildings. The original homestead is a mud brick building with a corrugated iron hipped roof and surrounding verandahs. The walls are rendered to 1 metre in height and the original timber windows have been replaced with aluminium framed windows. Adjoining the rear of the original building are two large timber framed rooms which are clad with decorative pressed metal to the walls. This section is covered by an arched corrugated iron roof with air vents to each end. Situated immediately to the rear is the bedroom wing, containing three bedrooms. This separate building is of mud brick construction with a hipped corrugated iron roof. Interestingly the building has a bullnosed surrounding verandah, which appears to be uncommon in the Gascoyne district. French doors open onto the verandah which has been concreted. To the north of the homestead is the laundry - a small corrugated iron building. Further to the north is the small meat-house which is a timber framed, hexagonally shaped structure with a metal roof. To the south of the homestead are the workers' quarters and a large machinery shed.
Nundigo Well and Stockyard, Landor Station - Situated between tributaries of Bubbagundy Creek and soft country. East of yard flood gums present. West of yard similarly interspersed with low scrub. This yard stands as a monument to the early pioneers of the pastoral industry and the hardships endured by the cattle drovers and, to the men who constructed the yard. (only Nundigo Well and Stockyard is on the RNE listing)

History

The western section of Lander Station was first taken up by the Davis family, who later sold out to
Robert E Bush. The eastern side, known as Erraviila. was originally taken up by Robert and
Hubert O'Grady in 1885. When the O'Grady's fell on hard times, the station was sold firstly to the
Shaw brothers and then to Robert Bush. Bush, who had already bought the Mt Clere Station to
the east, named the entire area consisting of two million acres, Upper Clifton Downs. (Bidgemia
Station was named Lower Clifton Downs - Place No. 7) Eric Russell took over the management
of Erraviila in 1919 for Bush. When a new land act was introduced decreeing that pastoral
properties in the North West could not exceed one million acres in area, it was decided to form
two companies each to own one station. The western half of this huge property, called Lander,
was owned by the Landor Squatting Company with its headquarters being a new homestead or,
the Aurillia Creek. The other station comprised the eastern portion of the property and was
owned by the Mt Ciere Pastoral Company. Both companies were held by the Bush family of
Bristol, England. The relocation of the Landor homestead was mainly due to there being a better
water supply at Aurillia Creek compared to Erraviila. In the 1920's the old stone cut camp ai the
Aurillia Creek was enlarged and altered using some of the materials from the Erraviila
Homestead. There followed a run of good seasons for the station, in 1924 sheep were
introduced onto the property which previously had only run cattle. Consequently sheep yards, a
ten stand shearing shed, and shearers' quarters were built, with the first shearing put through in
1925. Eric Russell left Lander in 1931. Lander suffered at the hands of the 1935-42 drought with
only 6,220 sheep surviving, a marked difference t0 the 50,000 sheep the station 'Carried in 1926.
Following the death of Robert Bush in 1938, sheep numbers fluctuated on the station with the
most that it carried being 20,000. in 1963 Landor was sold to the Viveash family of Jimba Jimba.
The station was sold in 1973 to Joe De Pleage. who sold the remaining 2.500 sheep on the
property and replaced them with cattle.
In 1921 the first unofficial Landor horse race was heid on the flats on the east side of the Auniiia
Creek opposite the Landor homestead. The following year saw the first officiai meeting of the
East Gascoyne Race Club held. The annual races were heid at Lander untii 1933 when, due to
the new manager not wanting the race to be held there, they were moved to Mt James Station
where a new track had been laid out. Nevertheless the race meeting continued- to be referred to
as the Landor Races.
(McDonald. R.. 'Winning the Gascoyne'. Hesperian Press. Perth. 1991. pp. 19-27 & Battye.JS (ed)
"The History of the North west of Australia". VK Jones & Co Perth. 1915 99. 273-4.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Medium

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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