Rocklea Station

{{Short description|Pastoral lease in Western Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Location map|Western Australia|label=Rocklea

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|lat_deg=22.887|lat_dir=S

|lon_deg=117.448|lon_dir=E

|caption=Location in Western Australia}}

{{coord|22.887|S|117.448|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Rocklea|display=title}}

Rocklea Station, often referred to as Rocklea, is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station but now operates as a cattle station.

It is located about {{convert|41|km|mi|0}} south west of Tom Price and {{convert|42|km|mi|0}} north west of Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Rocklea occupies an area of {{convert|1849|km2|sqmi|0}} and shares boundaries with Turee Creek Station, Ashburton Downs, Mininer and Wyloo Stations as well as vacant crown land.{{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=13 May 2014|publisher=Department of Agriculture}} The property is divided by a line of basalt hills, including Mount Jope, that splits it into a northern and southern half. Otherwise the station is composed of broad sandy and clayey plains.

Established prior to 1911, the property was producing wool in that year.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38827832 |title=Shearing Dates |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=13 May 1911 |accessdate=13 May 2014 |page=22 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} In 1925 Rocklea was owned by Smith and Smith.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37643377 |title=Sheep and Wool. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=30 July 1925 |accessdate=13 May 2014 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} In 1949 Oscar Leonard Smith died in his sleep at a well on the property.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47638858 |title=Death on a Station |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=18 January 1949 |accessdate=14 May 2014 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The property changed from grazing sheep to cattle in the 1960s.

In 1979 Rocklea was running a herd of 1,200 head of cattle, and is estimated to be able to run 2,660 head in a good season.

The mining company Hamersley Iron, a part of Rio Tinto, currently own Rocklea. Rio Tinto own another five stations in the Pilbara, including Yarraloola, Hamersley and Juna. Collectively the properties run a herd of approximately 24,000 cattle.{{cite web|url=http://www.riotinto.com/ironore/operations-9602.aspx|title=Operations|year=2013|accessdate=13 May 2014|publisher=Rio Tinto}}