Sherlock Station

Sherlock Station is a pastoral lease and sheep station located approximately 54 kilometres (34 mi) East of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Covering an area of 216,700 acres (87,695 ha) pasture the lease provides good grazing land. The station is currently owned by Peter Cook, a pharmacist, who owns four other stations in the Pilbara including Croydon, Mallina and Pyramid Stations. Sherlock is operating under the Crown Lease number CL311-1966 and has the Land Act number LA3114/558.

The homestead was placed on the register of the National Estate in 1986. The homestead complex is composed of the main homestead, the kitchen block, meat-house, storeroom, quarters, stables, wool-shed and overseer's house all spread apart in a typical Pilbara layout. The main buildings are constructed from rubble masonry and have corrugated iron roofs mostly with Pilbara vaulting.

In 1879 John and Emma Withnell bought the station after selling Mount Welcome Station. They retired to Guildford in 1890. Emma Withnell was known as Mother of the North West among the aborigines in the area as she often tended to the sick and delivered babies in her own house.

1882 was a dry year on the station when John Withnell contracted a Mr Lock to cut 7,500 fencing posts and erect 27 miles (43 km) of boundary fencing.

The station was sold by John Withnell Snr. to Messrs Meares and Withnell in 1890 for the figure of £24,000. The cost included all of the plant and equipment, 16,000 sheep, 50 head of cattle and 60 horses.

A large grassfire occurred at the station in 1893 when a station hand accidentally started it when lighting a campfire. The fire cost Withnell and Meares a paddock 20 miles (32 km) long that has been destocked for 6 months in preparation for lambing.

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