Yarraloola
{{Short description|Pastoral lease in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Location map|Western Australia|label=Yarraloola
|position=right
|lat_deg=21.568|lat_dir=S
|lon_deg=115.878|lon_dir=E
|caption=Location in Western Australia}}
{{coord|21.568|S|115.878|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Yarraloola|display=title}}
Yarraloola or Yarraloola Station is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station but is currently operating as a cattle station in Western Australia.
It is located {{convert|47|km|mi|0}} west of Pannawonica and {{convert|80|km|mi|0}} east of Onslow along the Robe River in the Pilbara region.
Messrs. H. and W. Woolhouse took up Yarraloola in 1878{{cite web|url=http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/7c60f85c-047c-4774-9275-554730b74a6b|title=Yarraloola Pastoral Station Pannawonica|date=30 January 2012|access-date=21 October 2013|publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia}} and had developed a good reputation for their breeding program for horses and sheep by 1886.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3757121 |title=A trip overland from Roebourne|newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth|date=4 May 1886 |access-date=22 October 2013 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} Floodwaters following heavy rain caused severe damage to Yarraloola in 1894, with many parts of the homestead flooded under {{convert|1|ft|m|1}} of water. A total of 400 sheep were washed away in the floodwaters as was about {{convert|10|mi|km|0}} of fencing.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3057864 |title=The floods in the Nor' West |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=7 February 1894 |access-date=22 October 2013 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} By the end of the same year 10,500 sheep were shorn for a clip of 150 bales of wool.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33110398 |title=South Australian news |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth |date=10 November 1894 |access-date=22 October 2013 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The property was put up for auction in 1898; at this time it occupied an area of {{convert|295400|acre|ha|0}} and had {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} of double frontage on the Robe River. The area was grassed with silver, plain and bundle-bundle grasses as well as areas of salt bush. Two three-room cottages made from jarrah with iron roofing, a corrugated iron woolshed, yards, sleeping quarters, kitchen and blacksmith shop had been built along with seven paddocks contained within {{convert|80|mi|km|0}} of fencing. Stocked with 11,600 mixed sheep, 230 cattle and 180 horses watered by the river and seven windlasses,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71314965 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=Australian Town and Country Journal |location=New South Wales |date=9 July 1898 |access-date=22 October 2013 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} it was acquired by G.P Paterson and A.R. Richardson, who had previously partly owned Yeeda Station.
In 1915, the property passed 16,500 sheep over the boards during shearing producing 250 bales of wool. This followed an excellent season where the {{convert|17.5|in|mm|0}} of rain was recorded in six months.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75407743 |title=Ashburton |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia|date=9 October 1915 |access-date=21 October 2013 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} Although the 1919 season was poorer, with Yarraloola only receiving {{convert|1.59|in|mm|0}} over seven months, 19,500 sheep were shorn yielding 252 bales of wool.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75270168 |title=Ashburton |newspaper=The Northern Times |location=Carnarvon, Western Australia |date=6 September 1919 |access-date=21 October 2013 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The current homestead was constructed by Keith Paterson in 1919; the building process was quite slow but improved as road access to the station for motor vehicles arrived in the 1920s.
Station workers felt the tremor and saw the mushroom cloud produced by a nuclear test conducted on the Monte Bello Islands in 1952, situated approximately {{convert|80|mi|km|0}} from the property.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47425182 |title=Slight Earth Shock felt at Onslow |newspaper=The Advertiser|location=Adelaide |date=4 October 1952 |access-date=23 October 2013 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The station was severely flooded in 2009 when the Robe River burst its banks. Jason Reimers, the station manager, his family, ringers, Matt Jordan and Cody Harper had to be evacuated from the property{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/content/2008/s2495278.htm|title=West Pilbara under water|date=18 February 2009|access-date=21 October 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} after a tropical depression crossed the coast.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/02/18/2494947.htm|title=No cyclone but plenty of rain|date=19 February 2009|access-date=21 October 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}
Yarraloola is currently owned by Robe River Iron Associates joint venture through the Yarraloola Pastoral Company and managed by Rio Tinto.{{cite web|url=http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/301_pilbara.asp|title=Pilbara operations|year=2013|access-date=21 October 2013|publisher=Rio Tinto Group}}