Waldburg Homestead

Values

• Walburg Homestead, Waldburg Road, East Lyons River is representative of a rudimentary steel and timber-framed homestead or outstation in the Gascoyne region, related to the pastoral industry, in the earlier half of the 20th century.

Physical Description

Waldburg Homestead, Waldburg Road, East Lyons River (Waldburg Homestead) is situated on Waldburg Station, a large pastoral lease in the Shire of Upper Gascoyne, approximately 280km north west of Meekatharra. The place comprises a main homestead, approximately 8-10 scattered outbuildings and sheds, a water-tank and a simple stock-proof fence around the perimeter which is now dilapidated. There also appears to be the remnants of stock-holding pens to one side of the homestead. The main homestead is a steel and timber-framed building, with custom orb corrugated iron cladding. It has a gable roof with no gutters, and verandahs (some closed-in). Internally, it is lined with asbestos and some replacement fibre-board sheeting. The floor is concrete - likely made with local aggregate

History

Waldburg Homestead is on Walburg Station, a large, unproductive, pastoral lease (P/L 3114/1156) of nearly 250ha in the Gascoyne Region. The lease has always been run as a cattle station. At the turn of the century, gold was discovered at Mt Egerton, on what is now part of the Walburg lease, prompting a short-lived gold-rush that quickly dissipated when a significant mother lode was never found, despite considerable efforts. The earliest records of the Waldburg lease date to approximately 1921 when the lease was held briefly by Healy and Russell. Norwegian blacksmith Peter Haugsted took up the lease in 1932 for 11 hard years, until drought drove him off the land. The district is a little too far south to get the summer rains, which are the feature of the Nor'-West, and a little too far north to get the southern rains…. The lease exchange hands several times until 1964 when John and Maureen Woods took it up. In 1999, it was purchased by State Government with the aim of negotiating with the native title holders to convert it to a national park.

Condition

Dilapidated

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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