Little Murapin (Lake)

Statement of Significance

The lake is a significant feature of the landscape and is very important as a habitat for water foul. It also is connected with early pioneers.

Physical Description

A small circular shaped lake with a surface area of 70 acres. Depth varies to a maximum of 1.5 metres. It is part of a chain of lakes which when they overflow discharges water into the ill defined east branch of the Beaufort River. When inspected in May 2000 it contained some water where as the adjacent Murapin and Martinup lakes were dry. The tree lined banks are mixed eucalypts compared with the casuarinas surrounding Murapin.

History

The name refers to the comparative size to the adjacent larger Murapin Lake. The land west of the railway line between Lime Lake and Round Pool had not been thought worthy of selection by the WA Land Company agents when they picked the best land for the company along the railway at the time of its construction in the 1880's. Tom Cornwall, owner of the Beaufort and Queerearrup Stations, was quoted as telling the Douglas brothers when they were working for him in 1895 that no other land in the area apart from Queerearrup and the Beaufort would ever be taken up as it was too poor. However, the efforts of the pioneers and subsequent generations has proved this judgement incorrect. Pioneers of this area were the Douglas family. Joe Douglas and his five sons all selected land, built homesteads and farmed in the Lakes country - stretching east from Harry's selection ('Dowlering'), Jim ('Miripin' - Murapin Lake), George ('Grandfather Swamp' near Queerearrup Lake), Harold ('Kenmare' near hall), Joe ('The Lakes') and Archie ('Little Kojonolokan' - later 'Adadale['). In addition, their relatives - brothers Linley, Arch and Rene Thompson; and friend Sammy Roberts were other pioneers in the area. Land to the south and north east had been selected by Sam Roberts who had arrived with the Douglas boys from SA and was doing very well until the rabbits 'ate him out'. In 1924 he had about 4000 sheep, but by the 1930's he was forced to reduce his numbers to about 1000 due to the competition. Coinciding with the rabbit plague came the depression and Roberts was fairly heavily committed having taken over George and Jim Douglas' land as well as buying land from LHW Thompson. However his plight received little sympathy from the bank and he was forced to sell 'Wardering' in February 1936. By this time it comprised over 6500 acres of which 3500 were cleared (mostly brumby cleared).

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Historic Themes

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