When I first arrived at Hamelin Station Reserve, I remember being immediately struck by its beauty. Watching the sun setting over Hamelin Pool and wandering the complex network of spinifex woodland and shrubland tree-heath you can’t help but feel truly connected to this ‘big sky’ landscape.
Hamelin Station Reserve is a former pastoral station and is one of the newest properties to come under Bush Heritage care. The property is such a unique blend of history, ecology and biodiversity, its protection is essential.
Throughout the 202,000 hectares is habitat for the nationally vulnerable Hamelin Skink, Western Spiny-tailed Skink, threatened Beard’s Mallee, nationally vulnerable Malleefowl and endemic reptiles. Under Bush Heritage care, Hamelin will also offer a brighter future for the Western Grasswren, the Little Long-tailed Dunnart, the Spinifex Hopping-mouse, and other unique creatures. I am immensely proud that Bush Heritage Australia will be at the forefront of conserving this vital landscape.
Neighbouring this glorious property is the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, including Hamelin Pool and its incredible stromatolites, which hark back to the very beginnings of life on Earth. It is just one of less than 20 World Heritage sites that meet all four of UNESCO’s criteria for World Heritage listing; Natural Beauty, Earth’s History, Ecological Processes and Biological Diversity.
Protecting Hamelin means...
By purchasing Hamelin we have expanded the total area protected and managed for conservation in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area region by a further 10%. It's not often that we have the opportunity to protect a vast property of such national and international importance.
We’ve assembled a small team tasked with the challenge of caring for Hamelin. Our long-term vision is to retain and restore the outstanding conservation values of the reserve and establish Hamelin Station at the forefront of marine and rangelands restoration research.
Essential to our work will be collaboration with the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the Malgana and Nhanda Traditional Owners. They're enthusiastic about our purchase of Hamelin and the cultural, conservation and economic opportunities it will create.
Our purchase of Hamelin, with your help, is just one of the many wonderful places that have been protected over the last 25 years. In fact, in October this year, we celebrate 25 years since our founding. That’s 25 years of conservation excellence, 25 years of protecting Australia’s bush and precious native species, and 25 years of everyday Australians like you, making a difference.
Thank you
Gerard O’Neill, Chief Executive.