Aboriginal History
Tolarno, Peppora and Wyoming Stations is the traditional land of the Barkindji people. The traditional land of Barkindji people is the lower Darling, known as Barka in Barkindji, and understood to extend from around Wentworth to beyond Wilcannia, with connections into Queensland via the river system.
First British settlement
The first selectors arrived in the Tolarno, Peppora and Wyoming region on the late 1830s, and sought to develop land holdings (known as runs). In 1851, Tolarno Station was first consolidated and named by William and Ross Reid. Tolarno Station, and those living on the property, were at the forefront of British exploration and expansion across Australia. In 1860, the infamous explorers Bourke and Wills celebrated their last party at Tolarno Station - the home where they stayed still stands.
Development of a pastoral dynasty
Over the next 40 years, the brothers developed Tolarno Station to a hold of 1,100,000 acres with over 330,000 head of sheep. Tolarno Station witnessed the growth of the Australian wool industry.
As the Station grew, a small township was developed, with outer offices, stores, stables, blacksmith shop, saddlers shop, cart shed, chaff stores, shearing shed and shearers quarters, bachelors quarters and a large fruit and vegetable garden to feed the community. A school was developed to educate the children station workers, and those on neighbouring stations. At it's peak, the Station was also home to 3 hotels. The original Tolarno homestead was built in 1868 to celebrate the marriage of Ross Reid to Lucy Reynell.
In the 1870's, the growth of paddle steamers opened up inland Australia. The Reids operated their own fleet of paddle steamers to transport the valuable wool clip to Adelaide for export, predominantly to England. In 1878, a new shearing shed was built to cope with the increased capacity. The 100-stand shed was build from local wood and iron. The shed, which still stands, is located close to the banks of the Darling River and is located close to the homestead and the Tolarno community. This location was enabled the convenient loading of wool onto paddle steamers. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, shearing would have occurred 6 days a week, all year round.
In 1892, the Reid family was forced to sell the property following the collapse of the Union Bank of Australia. The property was purchased by Benjamin Chaffey, who held the property until 1911. During his time, the property continued to grow. At the turn of the century, a new homestead was constructed and remains the current homestead of Tolarno Station. As one of the historic homesteads which remains on the Darling River, the home features over 20 rooms and over an acre of roof, and tells a story of the heyday of the Australian pastoral properties.
As the Station grew, a small township was developed, with outer offices, stores, stables, blacksmith shop, saddlers shop, cart shed, chaff stores, shearing shed and shearers quarters, bachelors quarters and a large fruit and vegetable garden to feed the community. A school was developed to educate the children station workers, and those on neighbouring stations. At it's peak, the Station was also home to 3 hotels. The original Tolarno homestead was built in 1868 to celebrate the marriage of Ross Reid to Lucy Reynell.
In the 1870's, the growth of paddle steamers opened up inland Australia. The Reids operated their own fleet of paddle steamers to transport the valuable wool clip to Adelaide for export, predominantly to England. In 1878, a new shearing shed was built to cope with the increased capacity. The 100-stand shed was build from local wood and iron. The shed, which still stands, is located close to the banks of the Darling River and is located close to the homestead and the Tolarno community. This location was enabled the convenient loading of wool onto paddle steamers. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, shearing would have occurred 6 days a week, all year round.
In 1892, the Reid family was forced to sell the property following the collapse of the Union Bank of Australia. The property was purchased by Benjamin Chaffey, who held the property until 1911. During his time, the property continued to grow. At the turn of the century, a new homestead was constructed and remains the current homestead of Tolarno Station. As one of the historic homesteads which remains on the Darling River, the home features over 20 rooms and over an acre of roof, and tells a story of the heyday of the Australian pastoral properties.
Piracy and burning woolshed
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In 1894, the price of wool dropped and, as the pastoralists sought to drop shearing salaries, a shearers strike commenced. In an effort to maintain a operating woolshed, Chaffey sent the Rodney paddle steamer to Wentworth to collect 50 non-union shearers. On the evening of the 26 August 1894, whilst the Rodney was moored at Moorara Station (45km downstream of Tolarno Station), Tolarno shearers attacked the non-unionist shearers and, after a protracted scuffle, set the Rodney alight and set it down the river. The burning of the Rodney is the only recorded act of piracy on inland waterways in Australia. Six of the union shearers were arrested and taken to Broken Hill, where they were tried and acquitted. On 8 August , following the acquittal, a number of unionist shearers, including Samuel Hoffmeister called raided Dagwood woolshed where 400 ewes were housed. Hoffmeister was found dead the following morning and this death gave birth to the story of Waltzing Matilda.
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The Rodney Paddlesteamer
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Droughts and flooding rains
Over the first half of the 20th century, Tolarno Station had a number of owners as droughts came and went. Owners included Michael Hawker, Albert Barfield, John Warren and Wilfred Hogan. In 1949, Albert James McBride purchased Tolarno (then approximately 250 thousand acres), and the property remains within the family today. Tolarno Station is now owned by Robert McBride and family, whom have also purchased the properties of Peppora and Wyoming Stations. In the last 20 years, Tolarno Station has one of the worst droughts in European records.