Balladonia is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the first stop east of Norseman on the journey east across the Nullarbor Plain. Between Balladonia and Caiguna is a 146.6-kilometre (91.1 mi) stretch of the highway which is one of the longest straight stretches of road in the world.
The arid climate and lack of suitable water sources restricted the town's development.[citation needed]
In July 1979, the area gained worldwide attention when the re-entry of the Skylab space station left a trail of debris across the nearby countryside.[3]
The station was visited and written about in a newspaper in 1924, and the reflections on the conditions at that time included concern about rabbits.[4] By the 1930s, the homestead of the station was notable for its substantial size and architecture.[5] An earlier photograph in the 1890s reveals the stone walls in the vicinity of the homestead, and a possible earlier stage of the homestead building.[6]
During most of the twentieth century the station was a popular stopping place on the Eyre Highway.[7]
In 2012, the property was converted into a cattle station, and the old shearing shed was no longer used for its original purpose.[8]
In September 2019 the 671,277-hectare (1,658,760-acre) pastoral lease known as the Balladonia Aggregation, comprising four stations – Balladonia, Nanambinia, Woorlba, and Noondoonia – was sold. It had been advertised for A$8,500,000, including all stock, comprising 5,300 head of cattle.[9]
In September 2021, the station was operated by John Croker.[10]
Facilities and attractions
The Balladonia roadhouse, located on the Eyre Highway,[2] is known as Balladonia Hotel Motel, and includes a caravan park.[11] Its Balladonia Museum has a display of Skylab debris and newspaper clippings, as well as information and artefacts relating to Aboriginal heritage; European exploration and settlement; the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service; the construction of the Eyre Highway; and local flora and fauna.[12]
There is the ruined shell of the telegraph station just to the east of Balladonia at the start of the "Ninety Mile Straight". However, it is signposted as being private property.
Afghan Rock
Also in the area, on the Balladonia–Rawlinna Road,[13] are freshwater pools 14 km (8.7 mi) east at Afghan Rock(s), named for an cameleer who was shot nearby[14][15] on 13 October 1894.[16][17]
The pools were a vital stop for drinking water during the 19th century, when goods were being transported across the Nullarbor by teams of horses or camels,[15] especially during the days of the Western Australian gold rushes.[18] On this date, there were two groups of men and their beasts: white men, using horses, and "Afghan" cameleers. Tom Knowles, after noticing one of the "Afghan" cameleers, Noor(e) Mahomet, washing his feet in one of the rock holes (known as gnamma in WA). After being met with a refusal to desist, Knowles knocked Mahomet down and drew his gun. Mahomet's friends came to his aid, throwing stones and waving sticks. Knowles shot one of the other men dead and wounded Mahomet, who died later of his wounds. After running out of ammunition, he ran away, but the cameleers caught him, tied him to a tree, and beat him until he lost consciousness. His companions came to the Afghan camp, where they were tied up against trees for the night. In the morning, the cameleers untied the men, whereupon Knowles rode to Israelite Bay (then referred to as Point Malcolm[16]), 120 mi (190 km) away, and report the incident to police.[17][19]
The case was extensively reported in the newspapers at the time,[20][21] which also followed the trial of Knowles, on charges of manslaughter.[17] Knowles was acquitted, but the decision was controversial and Knowles fled to the Northern Territory.[19] The case is described in detail in The Ballad of Abdul Wade (2022), a book about cameleer Abdul Wade, by Ryan Butta.[17]
Today, Afghan Rock is accessible by soft roaders, but travellers need to obtain permission and directions from the manager of Balladonia Station.[15] It is approximately 447 m (1,467 ft) above sea level.[22]
^ ab"Balladonia". WA Now and Then. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
^Shire of Dundas. "Eyre Highway". Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 17 October 2006.
^"Balladonia, W.A."Western Argus. Vol. 24, no. 5052. Western Australia. 4 March 1924. p. 18. Retrieved 5 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Balladonia". Western Mail. Vol. XIV, no. 685. Western Australia. 10 February 1899. p. 25. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abc"Afghan Rock WA". ExplorOz. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
^ ab"The Knowles shooting case". The Daily News. Vol. XIII, no. 6121. Western Australia. 10 December 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 6 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcdButta, Ryan (2022), "Chapters 18–20", The Ballad of Abdul Wade, Affirm Press, ISBN978-1-922806-00-0
^"Afghan Rock". Shire of Murchison. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
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