Canowie Station


Canowie or Canowie Station is a pastoral lease located about north west of Hallett and south west of Terowie in the state of South Australia.
William Warwick was appointed as manager of the property up until 1853 when he left to develop his own run, Holowiliena Station.
Thomas Goode was made the manager of Canowie in about 1858.
Canowie station is situated midway between Hallett and Jamestown in an amphitheatre of green bald hills, which surround it on the western side, the eastern opening out into a broad valley. The country around is bare of timber, with the exception of plantations of various kinds of eucalypt planted around 1880. The estate consisted principally of rich land, well suited for agriculture, about 60,000 acres in extent, freehold, and depastured 60,000 sheep and about 1000 pure Shorthorn cattle.
William Sanders acquired an interest in Canowie in 1869 along with his partners Frederick Hayward, R. B. James and J. B. Graham. Together the partners survived drought and land resumption by the government. By 1894 the Canowie Pastoral company was formed and continued until 1910 when it began to sell off parcels of land with the last being sold in 1925.
Canowie was renowned for its hospitality toward swagmen which in around 1903 provided over 2,000 sundowners each year with their customary two meals and a bed.
The manager in 1919 was Mr. A. J. McDonald who introduced Derrimut blood into their shorthorn cattle herd. Cattle from this herd fetched record prices at markets at the time.
The part of the property that remains is now known as Old Canowie Station. A shepherds hut, known as Coolootoo Hut, that is situated within the property boundaries was placed on the South Australian Heritage Register in 2012.