Ketchowla Station
Coordinates: 33°17′31″S 139°13′01″E / 33.292°S 139.217°E
Ketchowla Station is a pastoral lease operating as a sheep station in the Mid North region of South Australia.
The property is situated approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) south east of Terowie and 92 kilometres (57 mi) north west of Morgan. The property is composed of open plains and salt bush country and is watered by a surface spring in the Ketchowla range and by several bores.
Stations in the local area including Ketchowla are home to some of the world's oldest rock art dated at being approximately 44,000 years old.
Ketchowla was established in 1852 when Christopher Giles, had only arrived in the colony in 1849, took up the lease. Giles advertised the property to be put up for auction in 1860 when it occupied an area of 135 square miles (350 km2) and had was carrying a flock of 3,700 sheep that were watered by the spring and by two bores. The homestead contained seven rooms constructed out of wood and stone with a detached kitchen. Other infrastructure included a shearing shed, stock yards and four other huts The run was purchased in 1861 by Captain Hillary Boucart who took a half share with Giles retaining the other half. Boucart and a young Alfred Giles resided at Ketchowla where the property served the men well supporting a flock of about 17,000 sheep. The men had spent over £10,000 mostly on dams and other improvements when the area was stuck by drought from 1864 to 1866 so the flock was greatly reduced even having to kill the lambs to save the ewes. The men had to sell off the property as a result, losing nearly everything as a result. The station then passed onto the Austin Brothers who dissolved their partnership in 1873 and attempted to auction the 245 square miles (635 km2) that was stocked with 26,000 sheep.
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