Dalhousie Station (South Australia)
{{Short description|Former pastoral lease in South Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Location map|South Australia|label=Dalhousie
|position=bottom
|lat_deg=26.422|lat_dir=S
|lon_deg=135.5031|lon_dir=E
|caption=Location in South Australia}}
{{coord|26.4224|S|135.5031|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Dalhousie|display=title}}
Dalhousie Station, most commonly known as Dalhousie Springs Station, was a pastoral lease that once operated as a cattle station in South Australia. Dalhousie and other surrounding leases were acquired by the Australian Government in 1985 to make up Witjira National Park.
The property was situated approximately {{convert|125|km|mi|0}} north of Oodnadatta and {{convert|131|km|mi|0}} south east of Aputula. The ephemeral Finke River passes for a distance of {{convert|30|mi|km|0}} through the property with several semi-permanent water holes,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48161733 |title=Sanhills and Saltlakes |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=15 July 1936 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}} before petering out well short of Lake Eyre{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54142142 |title=Central Australia |newspaper=Morning Bulletin |location=Rockhampton, Queensland|date=1 October 1923 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}} further to the south east.
The lease was initially won by Edward Meade Bagot in 1873. Bagot was a surveyor who had won the contract to construct the {{convert|500|mi|km|0}} section of the Overland Telegraph from Port Augusta to the Peak.{{cite web|url=http://www.ausemade.com.au/sa/destination/w/witjira-np/dalhousie-ruins/dalhousie-homestead.htm|title=Dalhousie Homestead Ruins|accessdate=8 September 2014|publisher=Ausemade}}
Bagot and Smith put the {{convert|1738|sqmi|km2|0|adj=on}} property on the market in 1889. At this time the station was stocked with 5,000 head of cattle and 130 horses.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47066018 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=8 May 1889 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The property was acquired by the Lewis family and in 1904 was being managed by A. Ross.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56582749 |title=Stock Movements |newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=2 December 1904 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} R. Sandford was running the property in 1924; the same year good rains fell, filling the water-holes along the Finke.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89382238 |title=Rain at Blood's Creek |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=15 November 1924 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=54 |via=National Library of Australia}}
File:Dalhousie Ruins - palms and old buildings in Witjira.JPG
In 1908 the area of the station was estimated as being {{convert|1500|sqmi|km2|0}} along with the {{convert|20|sqmi|km2|0}} of springs that are found on the property.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45043596 |title=In the cattle country |newspaper=The Barrier Miner |location=Broken Hill, New South Wales |date=4 December 1908 |accessdate=8 September 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} In the same year massive floods caused a huge tract of land {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} long and the same width including parts neighbouring Macumba Station to be submerged following heavy rains in the area.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77444983 |title=Great floods in interior|newspaper=The Border Watch |location=Mount Gambier, South Australia |date=18 March 1908 |accessdate=19 January 2013 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} Nearby Todmorden Station recorded a fall of {{convert|6.5|in|mm|0}} in a 24-hour period.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88287616 |title=Heavy Northern floods |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=21 March 1908 |accessdate=19 January 2013 |page=44 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The Dalhousie Homestead Ruins are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.{{cite web | url=http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=87 | title=Dalhousie Homestead Ruins, Witjira National Park | work=South Australian Heritage Register | accessdate=12 February 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215213336/http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=87 | archive-date=15 February 2016 | url-status=dead }}