Maroonah
{{Short description|Pastoral lease in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Location map|Western Australia|label=Maroonah
|position=top
|lat_deg=23.479008|lat_dir=S
|lon_deg=115.547360|lon_dir=E
|caption=Location in Western Australia}}
{{coord|23.479008|S|115.547360|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Maroonah|display=title}}
Maroonah Station, often referred to as Maroonah, is a pastoral lease that operates as a sheep station.
It is located about {{convert|190|km|mi|0}} east of Coral Bay and {{convert|210|km|mi|0}} south of Onslow in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Maroonah occupies an area of {{convert|1972|km2|sqmi|0}} and shares boundaries with Towera, Lyndon, Mangaroon, Ullawarra, Edmund and Glenflorrie Stations as well as the Barlee Range Wildlife Sanctuary.{{cite web|url=http://archive.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/lwe/rpm/catman/62%20part%202.pdf|title=Station Reports|year=1980|accessdate=5 May 2014|publisher=Department of Agriculture}} The traditional owners of the area are the Tharrkari, who currently lease and manage neighbouring Ullawarra station.{{cite web|url=http://www.wangkamaya.org.au/pilbara-languages/tharrkari-overview|title=Tharrkari – The People and their Traditional Country|year=2012|accessdate=10 May 2014|publisher=Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre}}
Maroonah was established in 1893 by J. H. Mansfield and began trading in wool the same year.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3046099 |title=Commercial Intelligence |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=10 March 1893 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3054353 |title=Sporting Intelligence|newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth, Western Australuia |date=4 November 1893 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} Mansfield had previously managed Karratha and Middalya Stations before acquiring Maroonah.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75548104 |title=Death of Mr. J. H. Mansfield |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=27 April 1907 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} Following the death of Mansfield in 1907 the property was being run his wife, Annie Mansfield, and the manager of the property John Griffin.{{cite book |last=Griffin |first=Hugh |date=2012 |title=John Joseph Griffin: The Life and Times of an Irish Emigrant |url=http://www.savannapress.com/jjg/ }}
The station was flooded in 1909 following severe weather that washed away miles of fencing.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26220265 |title=Weather in the Nor'-West |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=8 February 1909 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} Later the same year shearing produced a clip of over 150 bales of wool from the flock of 10,000 sheep.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74882403 |title=Mr. Matheson's trip. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=4 September 1909 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} Annie Mansfield died in 1911 and the partnership of Mansfield and Griffin was dissolved in 1912,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74892048 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=10 February 1912 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} with Maroonah being put up for auction later the same year.
At the time it occupied an area of {{convert|212300|acre|ha|0}} subdivided into nine paddocks with {{convert|127|mi|km|0}} of fencing. It was watered by nine wells and stocked with 10,200 sheep and 70 horses.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26523575 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=12 October 1912 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} The purchaser was W. S. Finey, who hired G. F. Egan to be the station's manager.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75078863 |title=Maroonah |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=31 May 1913 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} When Finey arrived he found the property in the grip of a drought and plagued by dingos. The stock was mustered and it was found that only 2,000 sheep were present.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75080440 |title=Ashburton. |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=23 August 1913 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Frank Craig, the owner of Portree and Yalbalgo Stations, acquired Maroonah in October 1913.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75081380 |title=Ashburton Maroonah |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=25 October 1913 |accessdate=4 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} The Craig family remained associated with the property, with Gordon Craig dying in 1951.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48199277 |title=Personal |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=1 June 1951 |accessdate=5 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 2009 the traditional owners of the area, the Thudgari people, were awarded native title of some {{convert|1200|km2|sqmi|0}} in the area, including Maroonah, Glenflorrie and Mangaroon Stations. The land use agreement allows the Thudgari access to their traditional lands to hunt, gather and camp.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/wa/content/2009/11/s2746637.htm|title=Thudgari people claim native title rights in the Upper Gascoyne|author=Laurissa Smith|date=18 November 2009|accessdate=4 May 2014|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}
Maroonah, Mangaroon and Diamond Downs were on the market in 2018; the properties had a combined area of {{convert|3070|km2|sqmi|0}} and were carrying about 5,000 head of droughtmaster cattle. The properties were listed at {{AUD}}7 million.{{cite web|url=http://regionalwa.eldersrealestate.com.au/rural/buy/property-pastoral-stations-wa-carnarvon-697288|title=For Sale – Maroonah and Mangaroon Pastoral Stations Lots 354 and 521 Maroonah and Mangaroon Stations and Diamond Downs|accessdate=11 January 2018|publisher=Elders Limited}}