26°30′58″S 122°48′25″E / 26.516°S 122.807°E / -26.516; 122.807 (Prenti Downs)

Prenti Downs is located in Western Australia
Prenti Downs
Prenti Downs
Location in Western Australia

Prenti Downs Station is a pastoral lease and cattle station located in the Mid West region of Western Australia.

It is situated approximately 257 kilometres (160 mi) to the east of Wiluna and 237 kilometres (147 mi) north of Laverton. Neighbouring properties include Carnegie and Windidda Stations.[1]

The area is composed of a mixture of landscapes including saltbush dominated clay pans, mulga country and grasslands. The stock can be watered at 34 different water points as well as numerous claypans and fresh water creeks. In 2013 Prenti Downs was carrying a herd of 4,000 shorthorn cattle.[2]

The property was put on the market in 2013, when it occupied an area of 3,835 square kilometres (1,481 sq mi); Prenti Downs was sold in late March 2015 to the Carmody family who have since taken over management of the property.[3] An area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres (386 sq mi) in the middle of the property making up the area of Lake Carnegie was not included in the sale.[3]

New Management edit

After purchasing the property a new style of management of livestock was introduced, self mustering yards, in an effort to manage large feral herbivores and wild cattle. This reduces animal stress, and non-productive grazers.[4][5]

 
Set of Self mustering yards on Prenti Downs

Technology Driven edit

Since registering a Human-induced regeneration carbon sequestration project Prenti Downs have started to deploy a remote monitoring system[6] across the property to better manage the total grazing pressure in an effort to promote the restoration of native forest cover.[7][8]

 
Repurposed windmill frame hosts a wireless monitoring unit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Prenti Downs Station". Wild Horses of Western Australia. 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Prenti Downs Station Wiluna". realestate.com.au. 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b "'Prenti Downs' Station Wiluna WA 6646". allhomes. 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Farming family keeps the dream alive by diversifying — 1,000km away". ABC News. 14 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Self Mustering Yards". 10 September 2022.
  6. ^ "No mobile signal, no worries: Pastoralist's wireless tech remotely manages outback livestock". ABC News. 20 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Communications Network". 9 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Inventive solutions for cattle monitoring". 4 July 2022.