{{Short description|Pastoral lease in South Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Location map|South Australia|label=Mulka |position=top |lat_deg=28.3524|lat_dir=S |lon_deg=138.65257|lon_dir=E |caption=Location in South Australia}} {{coord|28.3524|S|138.65257|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Mulka|display=title}}
'''Mulka Station''' is a pastoral lease that operates as a [[cattle station]] in the [[Far North (South Australia)|far north]] of [[South Australia]]. The land occupying the extent of the Mulka Station pastoral lease was gazetted as a locality by the Government of South Australia on 26 April 2013 under the name "Mulka".<ref name=PLB>{{cite web |title=Search result for "Mulka (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067138) 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 |accessdate=22 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archive-date=12 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="map2012">{{cite map |url= https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/7018/Rack_Plan_951_Map.pdf |title= Proposed Locality Boundaries for Pastoral Areas |id= Rack Plan 951 |publisher= Government of South Australia |date= 31 October 2012 |accessdate= 5 September 2015 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151102/https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/7018/Rack_Plan_951_Map.pdf |archivedate= 19 February 2018 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
==Geography== It is situated approximately {{convert|154|km|mi|0}} north of [[Marree, South Australia|Marree]] and {{convert|216|km|mi|0}} west of [[Innamincka, South Australia|Innamincka]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/south-australia/blazing-saddles/2005/06/09/1118123945177.html|title=Blazing saddles|date=11 June 2005|accessdate=22 August 2014|work=[[The Age]] }}</ref> The main vehicular access to the property is via the unpaved [[Birdsville Track]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Birdsville Track|work=Outback Australia|url=http://www.outback-australia.info/english/birdsville_track_en.htm|accessdate=23 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607013455/http://www.outback-australia.info/english/birdsville_track_en.htm|archive-date=7 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Climate=== Having a hot [[arid climate]] (''BWh''), the property is found to the south of Clifton Hills Station and is the driest permanently occupied pastoral holding in the country with annual rainfall of about {{convert|10|cm|in|0}}.
Drought had gripped the area in early 1929 with George Aiston predicting that if it did not break by the end of 1929 then the area would be deserted by both Europeans and [[Indigenous Australians]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28679644 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=[[Camperdown Chronicle]] |location=Victoria |date=18 July 1929 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 2005 [[drought]] conditions were so bad that the property was completely destocked.<ref name=ABC>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/content/2010/s2910016.htm|title=SA's pastoral country greens up|date=26 May 2010|accessdate=22 August 2014|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> By 2010 the rains had arrived further north so that [[Cooper Creek]] was flowing again as far as [[Lake Eyre]].
==History== The property was purchased in 1983 by Denis Overton and Gabrielle Overton<ref>{{Cite web|title=AG Mulka Station Oct 1988|url=https://issuu.com/sin.a.matic/docs/ag_mulka_station_oct_1988|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Issuu|language=en}}</ref> and it occupies an area of {{convert|5600|km2|sqmi|0}}.<ref name=fish>{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/desert-fishing-business-booming/story-e6frea6u-1226321579997|title=Desert fishing business booming|date=8 April 2012|accessdate=23 August 2014|work=[[The Adelaide Advertiser]]}}</ref> Both [[Lake Hope (South Australia)|Lake Hope]] and Red Lake are situated within the station boundaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/floods-spawn-desert-fisheries/story-fn6ck51p-1226321635590|title=Cattleman nets Yellowbelly|date=9 April 2012|accessdate=23 August 2014|work=[[The Courier Mail]]}}</ref>
Established prior to 1889 the property used to be stocked with sheep. In 1889 the owner was James White who sold Mulka along with Canatalkina Run which together occupied an area of {{convert|804|sqmi|km2|0}} and was stocked with 6,000 sheep.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54592462 |title=Sale of Sheep Stations. |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |location=Adelaide |date=1 August 1889 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
George "Poddy" Aiston acquired Mulka in about 1923, he had previously worked as a policeman at Mungerannie after returning from the [[Boer War]] in 1902.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92344250 |title=Vast inland spaces |newspaper=[[The Chronicle (Adelaide)|The Chronicle]] |location=Adelaide |date=25 June 1936 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> By 1925 he had built the Mulka Store near the Mulka Bore along the Birdsville Track. The store was the only one in an area of approximately {{convert|70000|sqmi|km2|0}} and carried the broadest range of stock imaginable.<ref name=Smith>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-loneliest-shop-in-the-world-136117204/?no-ist|title=The Loneliest Shop in the World|author=Mike Dash|date=25 June 2012|accessdate=23 August 2014|work=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]}}</ref> The [[Mulka Store Ruins]] are listed on the [[South Australian Heritage Register]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=54 | title=Mulka Store (sometime Scobie Homestead) Ruins | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=12 February 2016 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215212806/http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=54 | archivedate=15 February 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> From 1933 to 1934 the {{convert|475|sqmi|km2|0|adj=on}} property was struck by drought again with Aiston being unsure if his 1,000 head of cattle were even alive.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10979500 |title=From Far Places|newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne|date=3 October 1934 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In late 1934 the property was struck by [[dust storm]]s and then rain with the creeks flooding.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74117842 |title=Out among the People. |newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] |location=Adelaide |date=22 November 1934 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=17 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> George Aiston died in 1943 but his wife Mabel remained running the store until 1951.<ref name=Smith/>
Airmail delivery to remote properties in [[outback]] South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland commenced in 1949. Mulka along with other remote properties including Mungerannie, Clifton Hills, [[Glengyle Station|Glengyle]], [[Davenport Downs Station|Davenport Downs]], [[Morney Plains Station|Morney Plains]], Mount Leonard, [[Durrie Station|Durrie]], [[Cordillo Downs]], [[Tanbar Station|Tanbar]], [[Durham Downs Station|Durham Downs]], [[Nappa Merrie]], Lake Pure and [[Naryilco]] were also on the route.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140892061 |title=Airmail Service For Outback Stations Commences Next Week. |newspaper=[[Barrier Daily Truth]] |location=Broken Hill, New South Wales |date=15 April 1949 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
After Lake Hope was filled by three consecutive floods in 1989, 1990 and 1991 Mulka Station owners Denis Overton and his wife Gabrielle Overton were granted a Fishing Licence in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/sin.a.matic/docs/mulka_fishing_articles_advertiser|title = Mulka Station Fishing Article Advertiser by sin.a.matic - Issuu}}</ref> In 2000 the Fisheries licence for Mulka Station was passed on from Denis Overton to his Brother Gary Overton.<ref name=mplan/>
Gary Overton got to use his fishing licence to start catching Lake Eyre golden perch in the waters of [[Lake Hope (South Australia)|Lake Hope]]. The licence allows the removal of {{convert|350|tonne|ton|0}} of [[golden perch|Lake Eyre golden perch]], [[Terapontidae|Welch's grunter]] and the [[Barcoo grunter]] but only once the lakes have disconnected from the Cooper Creek after a flood event.<ref name=mplan>{{cite web|url=http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/182747/Management_Plan_for_the_Lake_Eyre_Basin_Fisheries_-_March_2013.pdf|title=Management Plan for the Lake Eyre Fishery|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=22 August 2014|publisher=Primary Industries and Regions South Australia}}</ref>
In 2012 floodwaters returned allowing Overton to net up to {{convert|5|tonne|ton|0}} of fish per week which were trucked to [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], with ice being brought back on the return leg. The station was also stocked with approximately 3,000 head of cattle.<ref name=fish/>
==See also== *[[List of ranches and stations]] *[[List of the largest stations in Australia]] {{Stations of South Australia}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Stations in South Australia]] [[Category:Far North (South Australia)]]