Pinnacles Station

28.198°S 120.439°E / -28.198; 120.439 (Pinnacles)

Pinnacles

Location in Western Australia

Pinnacles Station is a pastoral lease that once operated as a cattle station and now operates as a sheep station in Western Australia.

It is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south west of Leinster and 116 kilometres (72 mi) north west of Leonora in the Goldfields-Esperance region. The station surrounds the now abandoned town of Lawlers;[1] it shares boundaries with Leinster Downs Station to the north,[2] as well as Dandarraga, Sturt Meadows and Ida Valley Stations to the south.[1]

Pinnacles was established in 1896 by Messrs Routledge, Morris and Willis.[3] Droughts followed but in 1909 it experienced the best season since 1896, with wildflowers blooming across the grazing lands and 300 cattle being overlanded down from the Kimberley region.[3] The property was put up for auction in 1920 when it occupied an area of 755,100 acres (305,578 ha) and was stocked with approximately 1,100 head of cattle.[4] Still owned by Routledge and Co. it had 18 wells, a homestead, approximately 25 acres (10 ha) of miners' cottages and special leases and five town blocks.[1]

It was acquired by Mr. A. Geerling, who continued to breed cattle on the run and make improvements to make it ready to stock with sheep.[5] By 1925 the property had been acquired by Hawker, Chomley and Co., who were expanding neighbouring Sturt Meadows Station and were stocking both with sheep from the eastern states.[6] By the following year it had changed hands again, Messrs Manifold, Black and McKenna purchasing Pinnacles for £30,000.[7] The company formed by the group, Pinnacles Proprietary Limited, appointed a new manager named McKinnon to run the 760,000-acre (307,561 ha) station, which had recently had a new homestead constructed and was building a new shearing shed. Other improvements included 55 equipped wells, 200 miles (322 km) of fencing and a telephone line. The property was stocked with 7,000 sheep and 2,000 head of cattle. It was estimated the run would be capable of supporting a flock of 40,000 sheep.[8] In 1928 the flock had grown to 10,000 sheep.[9]

An aerodrome had been built on the property at some time prior to 1939. In the same year the area was flooded following heavy rains.[10] For the next four years the area was struck by drought.[11] The McKinnon family eventually acquired Pinnacles and retained possession until 1987 when the family sold it.[12]