Erlistoun Station is a pastoral lease that has operated as a cattle station and more recently as a sheep station in Western Australia.
It is situated approximately 72km (45miles) to the north of Laverton and 162km (101miles) east of Leinster in the Goldfields-Esperance region. Borodale Creek runs through the property from Davis Pool on the northern boundary meandering through waterholes to Namendarra Lake on the southern boundary.
Erlistoun was known as a district in the area before the station was established. The lease was first taken up by Butcher and Uhr in 1904, originally on a block extending northward from Laverton for a distance of 55miles with a width of 40miles. The company was initially running cattle at Erlistoun, 1,000 head of which they had overlanded down from the Kimberley.[1]
The Emanuel brothers owned the property in 1911 when it was sold to Kalgoorlie-Boulder Firewood Company.[2] At this time the property occupied an area of 519000acres and was still running cattle. In 1924 the property was estimated to be carrying 5,500 head of cattle.[3] By 1925 the size of the property was estimated as being 1000000acres and was stocked with 4,000 head of cattle.[4] Sheep had been introduced to the property by this time and in 1926 it was stocked with 7,000 cattle and 5,000 sheep.[5] Shearing the same year yielded 31 bales of wool per 1,000 sheep. Another 4,000 sheep were due to arrive at the station in late 1926.[6] Erlistoun was the initial location of the first feature-length film shot in Western Australia;[7] scenes for the film Down Under, directed by Harry Southwell, were shot at the station in 1926.[8]
The area received heavy rains in 1929 with Erlistoun recording over 0.5inches in 24 hours[9] and over 8inches in total for the month. The normally dry creek ran for a length of over 20miles through the property.[10] In 1930, the property was running a flock of 13,000 sheep.[11] In the same year the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Firewood company changed its name to the Erlistoun Pastoral Company; the directors were Alex Porter, J. McCalmont and E.H. Jolly.[12]
In 2003 the property was being plagued by wild dogs attacking the sheep. Other properties in the area were similarly affected.[13]
The area is popular amongst gold prospectors. Guest accommodation is available on Erlistoun in the shearers' quarters.[14]