{{about|the pastoral lease in South Australia|other uses|Arcoona (disambiguation){{!}}Arcoona}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Location map|South Australia|label=Arcoona Station |position=top |lat_deg=31.02173|lat_dir=S |lon_deg=137.04789|lon_dir=E |caption=Location in South Australia}}
'''Arcoona''' or '''Arcoona Station''' is a pastoral lease that operates as a sheep station.
It is located about {{convert|28|km|mi|0}} north east of Woomera in the outback of South Australia,
The station occupies an area of {{convert|828|sqmi|sqkm|0}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58291830 |title=Arcoona Station |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=23 October 1909 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The station was founded prior to 1880 and was owned by Mr A. M. Wooldridge in 1880. Wooldridge owned the Parakylia lease that he had established and then sold the western portion and kept the balance himself and renamed as Arcoona.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57459926 |title=North and North-West of Port Augusta|newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=5 February 1924 |access-date=13 November 2014 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The neighbouring properties are Wirraminna to the south and Andamooka Station to the north.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43099834 |title=Pastoral |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=24 January 1880 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=2 Supplement: Supplement to the South Australian Register. |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> ==History== The pastoralist James Gemmell who had been managing Mundi Mundi Station left to take over Arcoona in 1893.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44097041 |title=Mr. James Gemmell. |newspaper=The Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, New South Wales |date=19 October 1893 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The horse ''Discussion'' by ''Light Artillery'' from ''Small Talk'' was bought in 1906 and sent to Arcoona to stud. Richardson paid 190 guineas for the sire.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33037528 |title=Discussion changes hands |newspaper=Western Argus |location=Western Australia |date=7 August 1906 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=23 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
It was sold in 1909 by Messrs. Richardson and Gemmell to John Pick of Terowie, who would be elected to the House of Assembly while at Arcoona. At the time the station was stocked with 12,000 sheep, 600 cattle, 250 horses and 7 camels.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58291830 |title=Arcoona Station |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=23 October 1909 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Although Arcoona has an arid climate it is occasionally inundated with rain, in 1919 Mr J. H. Mules reported {{convert|3|in|mm|0}} of rain falling and the lake ''filling fast'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63127950 |title=Fine fall at Arcoona |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=29 December 1919 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and again on New Year's Day in 1921 {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} of rain fell.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37090772 |title=Rain in the interior|newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=7 January 1921 |access-date=27 July 2012 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Pick sold Arcoona in 1920 and bought Coondambo Station in May 1920 for £37,200.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27683102 |title=Salee of Stations |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=21 May 1920 |access-date=29 July 2012 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The station was restocked in 1930 with 2,000 ewes being delivered from the Matakanna district.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46562863 |title=Restocking a Station |newspaper=The Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, New South Wales |date=25 March 1930 |access-date=30 July 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Following a great season in 1938 the percentage of lambing was excellent with 6,637 lambs produced from 6,977 ewes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35600518 |title=High Lambing Percentages In Pastoral Country. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=27 July 1938 |access-date=29 July 2012 |page=26 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The 1942 season was fairly dry but some patchy rains provided enough feed for the sheep to graze on but not enough to fill any surface tanks. At this time the station was owned by Arcoona Pastoral Co. of which Mr. R. J. McEwin was a partner.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54898163 |title=Season fairly dry at Arcoona |newspaper=The Mail |location=Adelaide |date=11 July 1942 |access-date=30 July 2012 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
During the drought of 1944–1945 stock numbers were very low.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93342395 |title=Northern Stations sold. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=13 March 1947 |access-date=12 September 2013 |page=13 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The station was sold once again in 1947, for an undisclosed price believed to be in excess of £75,000 on account of J. E. Pick to Kidman Estates of Adelaide. At the time the area of the property was {{convert|1490|sqmi|sqkm|0}} and had an estimated flock of 25,000 sheep. The station had also received heavier than normal rainfall over the last year and all the creeks were flowing and lakes were full to capacity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article30515820 |title=Two Stations sold. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=7 March 1947 |access-date=30 July 2012 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 2003 the station was selected by the then federal Science Minister, Peter McGauran, as a low level nuclear waste dump. The site was chosen as it had better security, a less environmentally sensitive access route and more saline water which has no pastoral use. About {{convert|40|m3|ft3|}} of radioactive waste generated each year in Australia would be stored in an underground repository.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/09/1052280423409.html|title=Sheep station new site for nuclear waste dump|date=9 May 2003|access-date=11 August 2013|work=The Age }}</ref> The plan was abandoned in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mams.rmit.edu.au/hpiwhxb62kscz.pdf|title=Nuclear Colonialism in the South Australian Desert|author=Eve Vincent|year=2007|access-date=11 August 2013|publisher=RMIT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514045659/http://mams.rmit.edu.au/hpiwhxb62kscz.pdf|archive-date=14 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> following legal action from the then owners, the Polke family, as well as opposition from the state government and traditional owners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s903770.htm|title=Proposed SA nuclear waste dump complications|date=16 July 2003|access-date=11 August 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
In 2008 the property was acquired by the Handbury family who also owned Collinsville Station. The property occupied an area of {{convert|3430|km2|sqmi|0}} and was managed by Andrew Willis. The property was running a flock of about 20,000 sheep as well as 100 shorthorn cattle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stockjournal.com.au/news/agriculture/sheep/meat/tests-aid-lamb-numbers/1531308.aspx |title=Tests aid lamb numbers |author=Emma Partridge |date=9 June 2009 |access-date=2 June 2014 |work=Stock Journal |publisher=Fairfax Media |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052817/http://www.stockjournal.com.au/news/agriculture/sheep/meat/tests-aid-lamb-numbers/1531308.aspx |archive-date=5 June 2014 }}</ref>
The land occupying the extent of the Arcoona pastoral lease was gazetted by the Government of South Australia as a locality in April 2013 under the name 'Arcoona'.<ref name=PLB>{{cite web|title=Search result for "Arcoona (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067010) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)" |url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/# |work=Property Location Browser |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=2 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archive-date=12 October 2016 }}</ref>
==See also== *List of ranches and stations
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Coord|31.02713|S|137.04789|E|type:landmark_region:AU-SA|display=title}} {{Stations of Sidney Kidman}} {{Stations of South Australia}}
Category:Stations in South Australia Category:Far North (South Australia)