Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 17/4/1875
BURRABOGIE STATION-MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER, NSW
represents the head station of Messrs, McGaw and Company, on the Murrumbidgee, 25 miles from Hay, and 470 from Sydney.
Burrabogie is said, to be a compound aboriginal word, and is translated as "Burra" quick, and "bogie" swim. The station is made up of six distinct leaseholds, or runs, embracing an area of 500 square miles. The station has a direct river frontage of 22 miles, or with bends 40 miles, and extends for 25 miles back. The whole of the vast area is fenced-in and subdivided into 49 paddocks, ranging from 40 acres to 10,000 acres in extent. Upwards of 350 miles of sheep-proof fencing have been erected at a cost ranging from £50 to £80 per mile. The larger paddocks are now in course of sub-division, so it is probable that before the end of the year 400 miles of fencing will have been completed. Several of these paddocks are watered by the Murrumbidgee, the others by dams and wells. Twenty-four dams at a cost of over £6000; and fourteen wells, at a cost of £7000 have been constructed on Burrabogie. One of the dams throws the water back seven miles.
On Burrabogie there are 140,000 sheep. The superior character of those may be judged by a glance at the side-board in Burrabogie House, which is well filled with cups and champion prizes obtained at the Riverina Pastoral Shows. To improve the flocks still further, several stud rams have been imported at long prices-as high as £210 having been paid for one animal. In addition to the sheep there is also kept a small herd of about 200 head of choice cattle. A portion of the station is set apart for a stud farm, where the pure merino sheep and short-horn cattle are kept. An addition has lately been made to the cattle stock by the purchase of a bull from the Nepean Towers herd at a coat of 400 guineas. A boiling-down establishment is also erected, capable of melting 2000 to 3000 sheep per week. This has not been used for several years, but it is said is likely to start shortly, as in the opinion of many stock holders, fat stock is rapidly reaching boiling-down price in that part of the colony.
Two steam-engines are constantly employed on the station, sawing timber for the numerous improvements going on, and in raising water for the use of the stock.
The station is worked on an excellent plan. Beside the head station there are eight out-stations, and twenty accommodation huts for the people employed.
The station requires about fifty constant hands, independent of the men employed by the contractors in fencing, dam-making, &c. At shearing time about 200 men are employed.
Burrabogie House is one of the finest in Riverina. Shearers, shepherds, and others define it as "the swell place" of that part of Riverina. The residence has spacious and lofty apartments, the whole well designed and well arranged. The garden and shrubbery are excellently kept. The grounds are arranged with considerable taste, and the trellis-worked avenue covered with vines proves a great boon in the heat of summer. The kitchens, stores, blacksmiths' and carpenters' shops, overseers and men's quarters, stables, coach j houses, and other out-buildings at the head station, cover an area of two acres, and are of a first-rate character, being both substantial and ornamental. The present spirited proprietors have expended upwards of £40,000 during the past six years in improvements.
The accompanying engraving is from an excellent sketch, for which we are indebted to Mr F A Franklin, whose talents in that line are well known.
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