{{Short description|Pastoral lease in Western Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=November 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox building | name = Gogo Station | image = File:Gogostation.png | image_size = | caption = Gogo Station homestead 1951 | pushpin_map = Western Australia | pushpin_map_alt = | map_caption = Location of Gogo Station in Western Australia | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_label = Gogo Station | pushpin_mark = | pushpin_relief = | former_names = | alternate_names = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = | building_type = Station | location = {{convert|11|km|mi|0}} south of Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia | embedded = | coordinates = {{coord|18|17|32|S|125|35|01|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Gogo Station|display=inline,title}} {{Infobox designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = State Register of Heritage Places | designation1_offname = | designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 11 December 1998 | delisted1_date = | designation1_partof = | designation1_number = {{SRHP|698}} }} }} '''Gogo''' or '''Gogo Station''' and sometimes referred to as '''Margaret Downs''' is a pastoral lease that has operated as a cattle station. It is located about {{convert|11|km|mi|0}} south of Fitzroy Crossing and {{convert|83|km|mi|0}} north east of Yungngora in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The area was first explored by Alexander Forrest in 1879; he gave enthusiastic reports of the well grassed and watered country that would be suitable for grazing lands. Among those to take up leases were the Durack and the Emanuel families who together claimed over one million acres along the Fitzroy River in the West Kimberley and a similar amount along the Ord River in the East Kimberley. After an expedition to the area the Duracks decided to take up the lands along the Ord and the Emanuels took the area along the Fitzroy.<ref name=Heritage/>
The station was established in 1885, and in 1902 occupied and area of {{convert|1750000|acre|ha|0}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37795910 |title=On the Fitzroy River. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=4 January 1902 |accessdate=10 August 2012 |page=25 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The country is on the flood-plain of the Fitzroy River and is well covered in Mitchell and Flinders grass with large areas of spinifex.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4332513 |title=A Trip Through Kimberley. |newspaper=Northern Territory Times and Gazette |location=Darwin, Northern Territory |date=28 July 1905 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
A large number of cattle was lost on Gogo and on Fossil Downs Station in 1906 following an extended dry spell. Other neighbouring stations lost several hundred cattle each.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75545933 |title=Derby Notes |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=27 January 1906 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
By 1910 the station had an estimated herd of 35,000 cattle and the station manager was being paid an annual salary of £600 a year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57605589 |title=Notes from the North-West |newspaper=Sunday Times |location=Perth |date=11 September 1910 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1911 the station was being managed by George Piper and was owned by the Emanuel brothers,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38365771 |title=The Kimberley natives |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=28 January 1911 |accessdate=10 August 2012 |page=45 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> who also owned Noonkanbah Station located further to the south east.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27779745 |title=5,000 miles tour. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=29 June 1920 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Following the advent of the revision of the Land Act limiting holdings up to one million acres, several of the properties of the Emanuels had to be disposed of. Gogo was dissolved into three separate properties{{snd}}Margaret Downs (also known as Gogo), Cherrabun, and Christmas Creek{{snd}}and these together with Meda Station are still held by the descendants of the original partners.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/emanuel-isadore-samuel-352|title=Obituaries Australia -Emanuel, Isadore Samuel (1860–1954) |year=2011|accessdate=16 August 2012|publisher=Australian National University}}</ref>
Moola Bulla Station bought 50 bulls from Gogo to improve their herd in June 1912.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26873525 |title=North-West Natives |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=5 May 1913 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
A stockman died at the station in 1913 when he was thrown from his horse. The man, Frank Odman, did not regain consciousness after the accident and died the following day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26877467 |title=News and notes |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=19 June 1913 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
By 1917 the station had a herd of 50,000 cattle and was regarded as one of the "best run stations in the Kimberley".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57989550 |title=Through the Nor-west. |newspaper=Sunday Times |location=Perth |date=28 October 1917 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The current homestead was built in 1918 of concrete blocks on a concrete floor. It is situated adjacent to several nearby caves that were had carved in the 1940s.<ref name=Heritage>{{cite web|url=http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Content/PdfLoader.aspx?id=d8b32b50-fb71-4576-a069-18374e4391a5&type=assessment|title=Register of Heritage places – Assessment Documentation|date=11 December 1998|accessdate=14 November 2013|publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Cattle tick reached the property in 1918–19, probably transferred from Louisa Downs Station, where the stock had been infected in 1916–17.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32128432 |title=Reply to "Drover"|newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=26 July 1928 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It affected the herd so severely that branding at Gogo was reduced from 12,000 the previous year to 4,800 in 1918.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23886194 |title=Life in the Kimberleys. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=31 January 1923 |accessdate=9 December 2013 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Put up for auction in 1920 the station along with its neighbour, Noonkanbah Station. Gogo was advertised as having an area of {{convert|2537858|acre|ha|0}} on one compact block equipped with {{convert|150|mi|km|0}} of fencing. The property was described as being abundantly watered by the Fitzroy River, Margaret River, Christmas Creek and various other creeks, but still having several bores with windmills and troughing. The total stock on the property was 60,000 shorthorn cattle along with 400 horses, 50 mules and 44 donkeys. The average rainfall at the station since 1894 was advertised as {{convert|22.4|in|mm|0}} per annum.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37471845 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=14 October 1920 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The station was not sold; the Emanuels still owned the station in 1923.
A new station manager, Ted Millard, arrived in 1921. By this stage the frontage pastures along the river and waterholes had become degraded as a result of overgrazing for the last 30 years. Over the entire property the only fenced areas were two horse paddocks and some branding yards, stock were left to graze on the open range. During the 1920s Millard had ten wells sunk and equipped in the back country so stock could make use of the feed in the area and give relief to the over grazed areas. Millard also started fencing paddocks to control stock movement with over {{convert|170|mi|km|0}} of fences being installed in seven years. Shorthorn bulls were slowly introduced into the herd to breed out white skinned beasts that were unsuitable to the tropical climate. Millard remained on the property for 30 years eventually managing all of the Emanuels properties; Gogo, Cherrabun, Meda and Christmas Creek. He was also noted for taking good care of his Aboriginal workers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39356931 |title=The work he did survives him Kimberley Cattleman. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=26 March 1953 |accessdate=16 November 2013 |page=60 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The herd size was estimated at 90,000 in 1928 and Gogo was the biggest station in Western Australia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58363477 |title=Up North. |newspaper=Sunday Times |location=Perth |date=2 September 1928 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=7 Section: First Section |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The station delivered 394 cattle and 39 bales of wool in 1929 to the port of Derby to be loaded aboard ''Minderoo'' and steamed to Fremantle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74897235 |title=News from the north |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=29 August 1929 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1930, gas was struck in a water-bore that was drilled at the station. The Freney Oil company held concessions for the area.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31068895 |title=Mining. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=21 March 1930 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The well had sunk to a depth of {{convert|1067|ft|m|0}} and the presence of gas was confirmed by the station manager, Mr Millard.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31070758 |title=Mining |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=31 March 1930 |accessdate=11 August 2012 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Over 500 cattle were shipped from the station in 1932 aboard ''Centaur'' from the port in Derby.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74932981 |title=Derby News. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=10 August 1932 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A further 883 bullocks were shipped on ''Minderoo'' to Port Hedland in 1935,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32867847 |title=North-West News. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=27 July 1935 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> then another 454 were shipped in 1936 also aboard ''Centaur'' and bound for Carnarvon.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74917526 |title=Derby News. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=10 June 1936 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A shipment of 526 cattle were shipped from Gogo in 1937 aboard ''Centaur'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41313724 |title=North-West News |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=17 June 1937 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> with another 422 sent in 1938 aboard ''Charon''<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37850057 |title=News From The North-West. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=23 June 1938 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=55 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and 450 sent from Derby aboard ''Gordon'' bound for Fremantle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article76432321 |title=Derby News. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=5 July 1946 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
During an influenza epidemic in the Kimberleys in 1934, 12 Aboriginal people died from the disease on Gogo out of the 129 fatalities overall.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32933064 |title=Influenza among Blacks. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=13 June 1934 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1947 Gogo shipped 2,580 cattle from Derby out of 6,760 that were sent from all the stations in the surrounding area;<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46798201 |title=Derby cattle season |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=16 September 1947 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> in 1948 450 bullocks were shipped aboard ''Gorgon''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75552530 |title=Derby Notes. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=27 May 1948 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
During the wet season in 1949, six Aboriginal people were struck by lightning during a tropical storm. They were all severely burnt and one as still unconscious the next day when they were taken to Fitzroy Crossing hospital.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2784747 |title=Six natives struck by lightning. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=11 January 1949 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In a report made to the Commonwealth Government in 1950 by the Department of Agriculture it was found that in a survey performed by a Mr. Poggendorff that {{convert|16|sqmi|sqkm|0}} of Gogo would be suitable for rice cultivation, despite the fact that previous experimental plots had failed in the Kimberley in 1948.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47879112 |title=Possible rice areas in northern Australia |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=7 August 1950 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The Emanuels continued to improve the herd by purchasing poll shorthorn bulls from the Melara stud including Melara Formidable (6) and Melara Royal Rebel (4) in 1950.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59857514 |title=Poll Shorthorns. |newspaper=Centralian Advocate |location=Alice Springs, Northern Territory |date=11 August 1950 |accessdate=12 August 2012 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The area was struck by drought between 1951 and 1953, with the number of cattle being reduced by half. This was the first drought suffered by pastoralists in 70 years, with many hurriedly sinking bores and buying feed to keep their stock alive. Other nearby properties that were affected in Noonkanbah, Liveringa, Quandan, Cherrabun, Glenroy, Fossil Downs, Luiluigui, Christmas Creek and Bohemia Downs Station.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49227202 |title=Drought Inflicts Big Cattle Loss in Kimberley. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=17 August 1953 |accessdate=15 November 2013 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1954 at Gogo Station, Preston Walker of United Aborigines Mission Fitzroy Crossing married their head stockman Jock Shandley and his bride Rita.<ref>Westralian gems for Christ's crown by S Preston Walker, 2001, p.33</ref>
In 1985 an area of {{convert|1|sqmi|km2|0}} was excised from the property to form the Aboriginal community of Yakanarra, which is home to about 150 Indigenous Australians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/dop_pub_pdf/Yakanarra_LP1_Amendment_4_Report.pdf|title=Yakanarra Community Layout Plan|date=21 February 2011|accessdate=10 April 2012|publisher=Government of Western Australia}}</ref>
In 2010 the station was owned by the New South Wales based Harris family. A trial for wet season cropping on a large scale was conducted in 2010 with {{convert|480|ha|acre|0}} of sorghum being planted. The crop in turn will be used to fatten the cattle prior to export.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2010/s3093196.htm |title=Kimberley cropping program all set to go at GoGo Station |location=Fitzroy Crossing |date=14 December 2010|accessdate=13 August 2012|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
Thousands of hectares at Gogo were burnt out in 2011 when a fire was deliberately lit at the Muludja Community near Fitzroy Crossing. A local man, affected by alcohol, started the fire after an argument; he was later arrested and charged with arson following a tip-off from the public.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-04/charges-laid-over-gogo-station-blaze/3208718|title=Charges laid over Gogo Station blaze |location=Western Australia |date=4 October 2011|accessdate=13 August 2012|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
==See also== *Gogo Formation *List of ranches and stations *List of the largest stations in Australia
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Stations of the Kimberley Western Australia}}
Category:Homesteads in Western Australia Category:Stations in the Kimberley (Western Australia) Category:State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley Category:1885 establishments in Australia