Murchison House Station
|
Come and visit a working station with 150 years of history! The Carruth family are pleased to
be able to offer you a genuine outback experience within " coo-ee" of Kalbarri.
Our comfortable coaster bus will pick you up from your accommodation for the brief journey out to the
station homestead where you will begin a tour that offers a remarkable insight into station life, both today and in
years gone by.
Your guide, Calum Carruth, will begin with a brief outline of Murchison Station's founding and formative years,
then invite you to tread the boards of our historic shearing shed ( C 1900) to continue an informed commentary on what
was effectively the heart and lifeblood of the station for over 100 years.
The tour progresses to one of our more surprising exhibits, an amphibious landing craft from WWII that
belonged to the previous owner of Murchison House, the Eighth Nizam of Hyderabad. We then move on to view the convict
built shearer's quarters and original 1860's homestead, " Von Bibra's cottage". This stone and mud brick dwelling
has been set up as a museum, displaying relics and stories from the station's colourful past.
There will be plenty of time to browse the cottage before morning tea is served on the verandah of the
old shearer's quarters. Relax with a cuppa and a slice of cake and take time to meet the rest of the family,
Belinda, Aidan and Emma Carruth.Take the opportunity to have a chat and ask the questions that have arisen
in the course of the morning or take the photos that you may have missed during the tour.
Following morning tea its time to head off with Belinda Carruth to take a look at the magnificent "new" homestead,
constructed around 1900, and marvel at the high water marks from the devastating floods of March 2006.
Then climb aboard our custom built 4WD Charabanc and head out onto the station.
First up you will cruise slowly down "depreciation row", an outstanding collection of military vehicles,
earth moving equipment, vintage cars and machinery that outline the development of Murchison House Station
from 1850 to present day. The row will eventually lead us down to our very own pioneer cemetery where amongst
others you will find the graves of Robert Fawcett and Edward Broad, the pilot and mechanic from
Australia's commercial airline flight, tragically killed when their aircarft crashed in 1921.
Once we leave the graveyard it's over the Murchison River and into the outback.
The seasonal display of wildflowers can be quite amazing, but even out of season the scenery is always
spectatcular and as well as the sheep and cattle you are almost certain to encounter
some of the wild denizens of the area. Kangaroos and emus are plentiful, feral goats common and the bird life
has to be seen to be believed.
An approximately 20 km circuit of the home paddocks will return you to the homestead, where your bus awaits to
transport you back to Kalbarri's fine restaurants or watering holes, a fitting way to round off a unique
and fascinating morning.
Two adventure tour operators also operate within the boundaries of Murchison House Station. We encourage you to have a look at their websites by clicking the pictures.
