Commonwealth Hill Station

Commonwealth Hill Station more commonly known as Commonwealth Hill is a pastoral lease currently operating as a sheep station.

Commonwealth Hill is located about 96 kilometres (60 mi) north north west of Tarcoola and 120 kilometres (75 mi) south west of Coober Pedy in the state of South Australia.

The property occupies an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi) or one million hectares, making it the second largest sheep station in Australia, after Rawlinna Station. It is currently owned by the Jumbuck Pastoral Company.

The land on which the station is situated is described as a flat sandy plain on the north western margin of the Gawler Craton covered with sand sheets and dunefields. Low mulga woodlands and tall myall shrublands over perennial grasses dominate with occasional salt lakes and lunette systems.

In 1947 the station was enjoying an excellent season after good rains produced an abundance of fresh green feed for stock during the summer. Unfortunately the area was also rife with rumours that the Woomera Test Range was to be expanded and that stations including Commonwealth Hill, Bulgunnia, Roxby Downs and Andamooka would lose some of land which in turn would reduce their wool clip. The rumours were true and the station lies within the Woomera Test Range Area. Byron MacLachlan, the leaseholder of Commonwealth Hill in 1947, along with a consortium of pastoralists and lawyers established a working agreement to ensure the continuation of pastoral activity that would not interfere with the long range weapons project.

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