Willochra Plains in the Flinders Ranges. The ruins of Kanyaka sheep station established in 1852 beside a creek. The stone buildings were erected in the late 1850s. They included mens dining room, accommodation etc.
Kanyaka Homestead.
This pastoral leasehold run was established in 1852 by Hugh Proby who disappeared shortly afterwards whilst returning from a visit to his Pekina Run near Orroroo. This was one of the very first leaseholds in the Flinders Ranges. The next leaseholder John Phillips (with Alexander Grant) had the many fine stone buildings erected in the late 1850s. It was a large and prosperous run except during drought years and provided employment for 70 men and their families. The drought in the 1860s saw the sheep numbers drop from 41,000 to 10,000. When the government resumed large parts of Kanyaka Run for agricultural settlement in the late 1870s, especially for towns like Wilson and Gordon which are now both ruined ghost towns, the run became unviable. Phillips just walked out of the leasehold in 1881 and the buildings were left to crumble. So the government closed down a viable sheep station for unviable wheat farms that caused untold heartache and agony for the farmers and their families. Wheat farms were never viable this far beyond Goyder’s line of demarcation between grain growing and pastoral regions. The station cemetery which is not accessible is across Kanyaka Creek. Dozens were employed on the run in its heyday and many died there too. The large woolshed catered for 24 shearers at once. The property buildings included: station homestead; overseers house; men’s kitchen and dining room; carpenter shop; stables; shearers’ quarters; various huts and sheds; blacksmith shop; cellars etc.
Willochra Plains in the Flinders Ranges. The ruins of Kanyaka sheep station established in 1852 beside a creek. The stone buildings were erected in the late 1850s. They included mens dining room, accommodation etc.
Kanyaka Homestead.
This pastoral leasehold run was established in 1852 by Hugh Proby who disappeared shortly afterwards whilst returning from a visit to his Pekina Run near Orroroo. This was one of the very first leaseholds in the Flinders Ranges. The next leaseholder John Phillips (with Alexander Grant) had the many fine stone buildings erected in the late 1850s. It was a large and prosperous run except during drought years and provided employment for 70 men and their families. The drought in the 1860s saw the sheep numbers drop from 41,000 to 10,000. When the government resumed large parts of Kanyaka Run for agricultural settlement in the late 1870s, especially for towns like Wilson and Gordon which are now both ruined ghost towns, the run became unviable. Phillips just walked out of the leasehold in 1881 and the buildings were left to crumble. So the government closed down a viable sheep station for unviable wheat farms that caused untold heartache and agony for the farmers and their families. Wheat farms were never viable this far beyond Goyder’s line of demarcation between grain growing and pastoral regions. The station cemetery which is not accessible is across Kanyaka Creek. Dozens were employed on the run in its heyday and many died there too. The large woolshed catered for 24 shearers at once. The property buildings included: station homestead; overseers house; men’s kitchen and dining room; carpenter shop; stables; shearers’ quarters; various huts and sheds; blacksmith shop; cellars etc.