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Wilgena

173.9 mm
Manager: Ian Matheson
507,300 Hectares
Enterprises

Wilgena Station has been held by AJ & PA McBride since 1924 and at one period was the largest fenced sheep property in the world.

Nw Aerial 7000 Woolies In The Yards 2011 Ann Rep

Property Location

Tarcoola, 350km North West of Port Augusta, South Australia
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Wilgena completely surrounds the town of Tarcoola, famous for the gold rush era of 1880’s and named after the winning Melbourne Cup Racehorse.

Nowadays the town is uninhabited, but it is still significant as the junction between railway lines to Perth, Darwin and Port Augusta. In the early days it was serviced by these railways and this was one of the primary reasons that a property so remote was purchased in 1924.

Last century, a number of outstations, or satellite homesteads operated on the property. Today, telemetry system, radios and vehicles mean that these no longer exist, although the south and eastern portions of Wilgena are run as a separate property.

The property is on the boundary of the wild dog fence which separates the area suitable for running sheep and the area only suitable for cattle.

Although annual rainfall is lower than 175mm, good quality groundwater and saltbush provide sustenance to allow merino sheep to thrive.

The portion of Wilgena which is north of the railway line comprises part of the Woomera Prohibited Area. Outstations located in this area have bomb shelters located near their residences. This area is still active and the public are prohibited from trespassing without a defense permit.

Property Purchase history

BlockDate Purchased
Wilgena1924
Carnding Well
1924-1964,1988-
Property Managers

Manager
Tenure
AJ (Jim) McBride
1924-1936
Jack Pick
1936-1945
Vin Halls
1945-1977
Ian Slade
1977-1979
Brian Materne
1979-1991
Peter Marshall
1991-1996
Paul Ayliffe
1996-2002
Robert Whitfield
2002-2005
James Gibson
2005-2016
Ian Matheson
2016-Current

Career Opportunities at Wilgena

Overseer

Job type: Full Time, Permanant

Donations & Sponsorships

  • Glendambo Gymkhana

    AJ & PA McBride's North Well, Wilgena and Yudnapinna Stations are pleased to sponsor the Glendambo Races and support the local community.

    Read more

More properties in the North West Pastoral Region

North Well

The eastern and southern portion of the company's Wilgena pastoral lease.

Yudnapinna

Located just 80km from Port Augusta, Yudnapinna Station is the company's most recent pastoral acquisition.

Get in touch

Head Office
Level 1, 165 Grenfell St
Adelaide SA 5000

Postal Address
GPO Box 649
Adelaide SA 5001

P 08 8272 1612 / F 08 8272 4119
E admin@mcbride.com.au