Roadhouse community in Western Australia
Balladonia
is a small roadhouse community located on the
Eyre Highway
in
Western Australia
. It is the first stop east of
Norseman
on the journey east across the
Nullarbor Plain
. Between Balladonia and
Caiguna
is a 146.6-kilometre (91.1 mi) stretch of the highway which is one of the longest straight stretches of road in the world.
History
[
edit
]
The name is an
Aboriginal word
meaning "big rock by itself".
[2]
The area was settled by Europeans in 1879, and the original Balladonia homestead was built 28 kilometres (17 mi) away from the present townsite. From 1897 to 1929, Balladonia was a
telegraph station
on the
East-West Telegraph
, a
telegraph line
running from
Perth
to
Adelaide
telegraph line, due to a previous coastal line being
shorted
by salt spray from the
Southern Ocean
.
[
citation needed
]
The arid climate and lack of suitable water sources restricted the town's development.
[
citation needed
]
In July 1979, the area gained worldwide attention when the re-entry of the
Skylab
space station left a trail of
debris
across the nearby countryside.
[3]
Balladonia Station / Balladonia Aggregation
[
edit
]
Balladonia Station is a
pastoral lease
, originally run as a
sheep station
, adjacent to
Noondoonia Station
to the north, and
Nanambinia Station
to the south of the Eyre Highway.
The station was visited and written about in a newspaper in 1924, and the reflections on the conditions at that time included concern about rabbits.
[4]
By the 1930s, the
homestead
of the station was notable for its substantial size and architecture.
[5]
An earlier photograph in the 1890s reveals the stone walls in the vicinity of the homestead, and a possible earlier stage of the homestead building.
[6]
During most of the twentieth century the station was a popular stopping place on the Eyre Highway.
[7]
In 2012, the property was converted into a
cattle station
, and the old
shearing shed
was no longer used for its original purpose.
[8]
In September 2019 the 671,277-hectare (1,658,760-acre)
pastoral lease
known as the Balladonia Aggregation, comprising four stations ? Balladonia, Nanambinia, Woorlba, and Noondoonia ? was sold. It had been advertised for
A$8,500,000
, including all stock, comprising 5,300 head of cattle.
[9]
In September 2021, the station was operated by John Croker.
[10]
Facilities and attractions
[
edit
]
The Balladonia
roadhouse
, located on the
Eyre Highway
,
[2]
is known as Balladonia Hotel Motel, and includes a
caravan park
.
[11]
Its Balladonia Museum has a display of Skylab debris and newspaper clippings, as well as information and artefacts relating to
Aboriginal
heritage; European exploration and settlement; the history of the
Royal Flying Doctor Service
; the construction of the Eyre Highway; and local
flora and fauna
.
[12]
Access via
four-wheel drive
is possible to the start of the cliffs, believed to be the longest in the world, of the
Great Australian Bight
from Balladonia.
[
citation needed
]
There is the ruined shell of the telegraph station just to the east of Balladonia at the start of the "Ninety Mile Straight". However, it is signposted as being private property.
Afghan Rock
[
edit
]
Also in the area, on the Balladonia?
Rawlinna
Road,
[13]
are freshwater pools 14 km (8.7 mi) east at Afghan Rock(s), named for an
cameleer
who was shot nearby
[14]
[15]
on 13 October 1894.
[16]
[17]
The pools were a vital stop for
drinking water
during the 19th century, when goods were being transported across the
Nullarbor
by teams of horses or camels,
[15]
especially during the days of the
Western Australian gold rushes
.
[18]
On this date, there were two groups of men and their beasts: white men, using horses, and
"Afghan" cameleers
. Tom Knowles, after noticing one of the "Afghan" cameleers, Noor(e) Mahomet, washing his feet in one of the
rock holes
(known as gnamma in WA). After being met with a refusal to desist, Knowles knocked Mahomet down and drew his gun. Mahomet's friends came to his aid, throwing stones and waving sticks. Knowles shot one of the other men dead and wounded Mahomet, who died later of his wounds. After running out of ammunition, he ran away, but the cameleers caught him, tied him to a tree, and beat him until he lost consciousness. His companions came to the Afghan camp, where they were tied up against trees for the night. In the morning, the cameleers untied the men, whereupon Knowles rode to
Israelite Bay
(then referred to as Point Malcolm
[16]
), 120 mi (190 km) away, and report the incident to police.
[17]
[19]
The case was extensively reported in the newspapers at the time,
[20]
[21]
which also followed the trial of Knowles, on charges of
manslaughter
.
[17]
Knowles was acquitted, but the decision was controversial and Knowles fled to the
Northern Territory
.
[19]
The case is described in detail in
The Ballad of Abdul Wade
(2022), a book about cameleer
Abdul Wade
, by Ryan Butta.
[17]
Today, Afghan Rock is accessible by
soft roaders
, but travellers need to obtain permission and directions from the manager of Balladonia Station.
[15]
It is approximately 447 m (1,467 ft) above sea level.
[22]
Climate
[
edit
]
Balladonia experiences a
semi-arid climate
(
Koppen climate classification
BSk
).
Climate data for Balladonia
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
31.3
(88.3)
|
30.6
(87.1)
|
28.1
(82.6)
|
24.9
(76.8)
|
20.9
(69.6)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
17.6
(63.7)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
22.3
(72.1)
|
25.0
(77.0)
|
27.8
(82.0)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
24.7
(76.5)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
14.6
(58.3)
|
14.8
(58.6)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
10.9
(51.6)
|
8.0
(46.4)
|
5.8
(42.4)
|
4.8
(40.6)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
6.8
(44.2)
|
8.8
(47.8)
|
11.3
(52.3)
|
13.2
(55.8)
|
9.8
(49.6)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
18.6
(0.73)
|
19.4
(0.76)
|
27.1
(1.07)
|
20.0
(0.79)
|
26.9
(1.06)
|
26.0
(1.02)
|
20.3
(0.80)
|
21.4
(0.84)
|
20.2
(0.80)
|
22.6
(0.89)
|
21.9
(0.86)
|
18.5
(0.73)
|
262.9
(10.35)
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
1.9
|
2.0
|
2.8
|
2.7
|
3.4
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
3.7
|
2.8
|
2.6
|
2.5
|
2.0
|
34.4
|
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology
[23]
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(28 June 2022).
"Balladonia (suburb and locality)"
.
Australian Census 2021 QuickStats
. Retrieved
28 June
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Balladonia"
.
WA Now and Then
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
Shire of Dundas.
"Eyre Highway"
.
Archived
from the original on 6 October 2006
. Retrieved
17 October
2006
.
- ^
"Balladonia, W.A."
Western Argus
. Vol. 24, no. 5052. Western Australia. 4 March 1924. p. 18
. Retrieved
5 March
2017
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
"The Substantial Homestead on Balladonia Station"
.
Sunday Times (Perth)
. No. 1849. Western Australia. 2 July 1933. p. 11 (First Section)
. Retrieved
4 March
2017
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
"Balladonia"
.
Western Mail
. Vol. XIV, no. 685. Western Australia. 10 February 1899. p. 25
. Retrieved
4 March
2017
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
"Balladonia Station, owned by Messrs. Panton Bros, and Sharpe, is a very popular stopping place for overlanders"
.
The Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express
. Vol. 36, no. 5452. Western Australia. 5 April 1929. p. 5
. Retrieved
4 March
2017
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
Wynne, Emma; Carmichael, Alan (28 February 2012).
"Sun sets on the old shearing shed"
(photos + text)
. photos by Alan Carmichael.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Western Australia's Balladonia aggregation under offer"
.
Beef Central
. 4 September 2019
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Stranded on the Nullarbor Plain"
.
Trucks at Tracks
. 18 September 2021
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Home Page"
.
Balladonia Hotel Motel
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Balladonial Museum"
.
Balladonia Hotel Motel
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Afghan Rock WA"
.
ExplorOz
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
Sydney Morning Herald
(8 February 2004).
"Travel ? Balladonia"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
17 October
2006
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Afghan Rock WA"
.
ExplorOz
. 27 September 2018
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"The Knowles shooting case"
.
The Daily News
. Vol. XIII, no. 6121. Western Australia. 10 December 1894. p. 2
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Butta, Ryan (2022), "Chapters 18?20",
The Ballad of Abdul Wade
, Affirm Press,
ISBN
978-1-922806-00-0
- ^
"Afghan Rock"
.
Shire of Murchison
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Afghans in Western Australia"
.
WA Now and Then
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"The Knowles shooting case"
.
The Inquirer and Commercial News
. Vol. LV, no. 3, 001. Western Australia. 14 December 1894. p. 4
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
"The tragedy at Point Malcolm"
.
The Australian Advertiser
. Vol. VII, no. 1011. Western Australia. 5 December 1894. p. 3
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
– via National Library of Australia.
- ^
"Afghan Rocks"
.
Roadtrippers
. Retrieved
6 December
2022
.
- ^
"Climate statistics for Balladonia"
. Australian Bureau of Meteorology
. Retrieved
12 May
2009
.
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
Balladonia, Western Australia
at Wikimedia Commons