De Grey Station Group

Values

The place was the first European-settled pastoral station in the northern part of the Pilbara.

The place is associated with some of the first European settlers of the Pilbara including Walter Padbury and his party on the ‘Tien Tsin’, Mr McKenzie, Mr Grant, Mr AW Anderson and Charles Harper.

The surviving original sections of the main house and cottage have a matching and distinctive style and were made from local materials.

The place has a landmark quality.

The place played an important social role for early settlers to the area as it was a focus for race meetings and other social functions.

The place has the potential to yield information about family and social life for owners and employees, including Indigenous employees and workers, on pastoral stations established in the 1800s.

Physical Description

The De Grey Homestead and support buildings are situated on the De Grey River, 20km inland from the ocean and 85kmnorth of Port Hedland. The buildings have suffered over the years from cyclones and storms as well as vandalism from the periods of vacant possession. Many of the buildings are reduced to frames and rubble.

Two significant remaining buildings are the Manager’s Cottage and Station House. Both buildings feature the early stone masonry of the 1800s, although in poor condition, and many walls still show the locally made bricks used in construction. The main house has four separate eating areas which catered for the class distinction in the early years of the pastoral industry. The house has three bedrooms and an accountants room.

The main house faces south with 3 visible stages of construction that extend the building eastwards. The western and middle stages are brick and the most recent (and eastern-most) section is timber framed with walls equipped with steel shutters. Lower brickwork has been cement rendered on the original section of the building. The Managers cottage has brickwork that is identical to that of the original section of the Station House and is also rendered. Other structures include one shed which is brick while the others are corrugated galvanised iron.

History

The De Grey station was the first settled pastoral station in the area. It was taken up by Walter Padbury in 1863, and the next owners were a syndicate of Messrs McKenzie, Grant and AW Anderson, who later sold a one-third share to Charles Harper. The owners and syndicates have altered over the years, but De Grey Station has always been significant to the district. The station represents the pastoral industry and the influences which settlement had over the land and the Aboriginal people. The station also represents the social aspects of the early settlers, having hosted race meetings and other functions for station and town people. Primarily set up as a sheep station, it boasted 74 000 sheep in 1890. In 1979 the owners converted to cattle, as have most of the large stations in the area.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- High
Authenticity- Moderate

Condition

Poor

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.