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Stone buildingsof Kanyaka Station.Leasehold taken 1851. Resumed by govt 1881. Opwners walked off and left station. Nothing has happened there since. Between Quorn and Hawker in Flinders Ranges.

Kanyaka Homestead.

As explained in relation to the Pekina Run this run was established in 1851 by Hugh Proby who disappeared shortly afterwards whilst returning from a visit to Pekina Run. The next leaseholder John Phillips (with Alexander Grant) had the many fine stone buildings erected. It was a large and prosperous run except during drought years. 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, especially for towns like Wilson, the run became unviable. Phillips just walked out of the leasehold in 1881 and the buildings were left to crumble. 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.

 

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Uploaded on September 16, 2013
Taken on October 2, 2009