Old Koomooloo

Old Koomooloo is a pastoral lease in the Murray and Mallee region of South Australia that operates as a sheep station.[1]

Old Koomooloo
Location in South Australia[1]

It was established by Thomas Warnes in 1868. He called it 'Koomooloo', but then in 1892, Mr Warnes built a new and larger station nearby, which he also called 'Koomooloo', leading to the older station being known as 'Old Koomooloo'.[2] The origin of the name 'Koomooloo' is unknown.

Old Koomooloo is connected with the foundation of the South Australian Country Women's Association. Thomas Warnes' sons took over Koomooloo and Old Koomooloo, and their respective wives Mary (from Koomooloo) and Deborah (from Old Koomooloo) would ride bicycles along bush tracks to meet for tea in the scrub. It was this habit that inspired Mary Warnes eventually to establish the South Australian Country Women's Association.[3]

The station was at one point thriving, even leading to the establishment in 1910 of the 'Old Koomooloo, Woolgangi and Sturt Vale Athletics Club'.[4]

For many years, Old Koomooloo was owned by Isaac Warnes. By the 1940s, it was owned by Tom Warnes. The station caused headlines in 1947, when Tom Warnes' daughter Christobel was lost at the station. After 30 hours, during which time large numbers of volunteers came from Burra in order to help search for her, and the police brought two Aboriginal trackers from Berri, she was found unharmed.[5]

Old Koomooloo is now owned by the Thomas family.


References
  1. "Search results for 'Old Koomooloo, HMSD' with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and localities', "SA Government Regions', 'Gazetteer' and 'Pastoral Stations'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  2. "Death of a Successful Woolgrower. - Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) - 15 Jul 1896". Trove. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  3. Whittle, Nancy Robinson. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  4. "Sheep Raisers at Play - THE OLD KOOMOOLOO, WOOLGANGIE, AND STURT VALE ATHLETIC CLUB. - Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951) - 4 Feb 1910". Trove. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  5. "Fire at Renmark Methodist Hall - To the Editor - Murray Pioneer (Renmark, SA : 1942 - 1950) - 23 Oct 1947". Trove. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
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