Deep Well Station
{{Short description|Pastoral lease in the Northern Territory}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Location map|Northern Territory|label=Deep Well
|position=top
|lat_deg=24.2987|lat_dir=S
|lon_deg=134.1444|lon_dir=E
|caption=Location in the Northern Territory}}
{{coord|24.2987|S|134.1444|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Deep Well|display=title}}
Deep Well Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Description
It is situated about {{convert|60|km|mi|0}} south south east of Alice Springs and {{convert|60|km|mi|0}} east of the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory, just off the Phillipson stock route. Lying between the MacDonnell Ranges and the Simpson Desert and taking in much of the Ooraminna Ranges, the property is composed of a variety of land types including red sand hills, rocky outcrops and spinifex plains. Deep Well is just east of the former Central Australia Railway, which had a stop also called Deep Well.
History
William Hayes and his wife Mary arrived in Alice Springs in 1884 with steel telegraph poles to replace the original wooden ones used to build the Overland Telegraph. They also worked on other properties in the area such as Mount Burrell and Owen Springs Station.{{cite web|url=http://www.pioneerwomen.com.au/index.php?option=com_exhibition&task=showcategory&cat_id=29&Itemid=/|title=Exhibition - Women on the land|year=2014|accessdate=21 March 2015|publisher=National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame}} The Hayes established the property in the late 1880s{{cite web|url=http://www.hoofsandhorns.com.au/stations-deep.asp|title=Deep and meaningful|date=1 September 2002|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=Outback Magazine}} and it has remained in the Hayes family ever since.{{cite web|url=http://www.australialesstravelled.com/propertyprof2.html |title=Deep Well Station - Northern Territory |year=2001 |accessdate=21 March 2015 |publisher=Outback Encounters |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063710/http://www.australialesstravelled.com/propertyprof2.html |archivedate=4 March 2016 |df=dmy }} Billy Hayes, the fifth generation of the Hayes family, was inducted into the Stockman's Hall of Fame in 2009. Hayes was the hero in Turbulence, the bush poem written by Murray Hartin.
A drought from 1964 to 1965 resulted in Ted Hayes moving all the stock to Undoolya Station and temporarily leaving Deep Well abandoned. All the Aboriginal workers also left the property and set up camp at Undoolya as well.{{cite web|url=http://www.cifhs.com/ntrecords/ntcensus/deepw.html|title=Deep Well 1965-1970|publisher=Paul Mackett|accessdate=22 March 2015}}
During the early 1990s the area was struck by drought once more and had large debts. Some 5,000 cattle had been grazing at Deep Well up until the drought started.{{cite web|url=http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/smallbusiness/planning/8123442/a-family-affair|title=A Family Affair|author=Miles Clarke|date=13 July 2008|accessdate=22 March 2015|publisher=Ninemsn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022942/http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/smallbusiness/planning/8123442/a-family-affair|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}} The Hayeses decided to diversify into tourism and built a lodge on the northern side of the station at Ooraminna. Shortly afterwards Ted Egan approached the family asked if he could build a movie set in the same location for a film version of his song The Drover's Boy. The film did not progress but the replica buildings of Newcastle Waters from 1921 remain at Ooraminna and are used for tourist accommodation.{{cite web|url=http://www.australiasnorthernterritory.com.au/_layouts/download.aspx?SourceUrl=/publications/Documents/2009/TQ-1-2009.docx|title=Ooraminna - Home of the wow factor|year=2009|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=Territory Q|publisher=Northern Territory Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402094218/http://www.australiasnorthernterritory.com.au/_layouts/download.aspx?SourceUrl=%2Fpublications%2FDocuments%2F2009%2FTQ-1-2009.docx|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}
The property was again struck by drought starting in 2002, with Billy Hayes destocking the property in 2006 when the last of the dams dried up.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nt/content/2006/s1686232.htm|title=Central Australian cattle stations struggle to survive|date=14 July 2006|accessdate=21 March 2015|work=Stateline|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}
Billy Hayes died in 2011 died in a quad bike accident at the property.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/05/06/3210135.htm|title=A stockman's farewell|author=Nadine Maloney|date=11 May 2011|accessdate=21 March 2015|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} Following the death of her husband Jan Hayes placed the property on the market in 2013 with their son Billy Hayes Junior taking on the management of the property.{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/1364200/jans-ready-to-hang-up-her-outback-books/|title=Jan's ready to hang up her outback books|author=Breanna Tucker|date=27 March 2013|access-date=21 March 2015|work=Newcastle Herald}} {{As of|2014}} the {{convert|1641|km2|sqmi|0|adj=on}} property was still on the market.{{cite web|url=http://www.beefcentral.com/property/ntkimberley-property-15-pastoral-holdings-for-sale/|title=NT and Kimberley - 15 Pastoral holdings for sale|author=James Nason|work=Beef Central|date=28 March 2014|accessdate=21 March 2015|publisher=Nascon Media Pty Ltd}}
In 2016 Billy Hayes Junior died in a plane crash while mustering on New Crown Station.{{cite news|last1=Maddocks|first1=Tom|title=NT 'a poorer place' after death of pastoralist Billy Hayes in plane crash|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-13/nt-a-poorer-place-after-death-of-pastoralist-billy-hayes/7626094|accessdate=20 August 2016|agency=ABC News|date=13 July 2016}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}