Yeeda Station

Yeeda Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The property is located about 41 kilometres (25 mi) south of Derby and 71 kilometres (44 mi) north west of Looma and 160 km east of Broome. It encompasses much of the northern end of the Fitzroy and Yeeda Rivers, the Fitzroy River mouth and vast coastal floodplains. Yeeda station is operated along with several other stations in the area including Kilto and Mount Jowlaenger stations.

The traditional owners of the areas around the Fitzroy river include the Nyikina people to the north west and the Warwa people to the south east, who have lived in the area for at least 40,000 years. The local peoples know the area as Mardoowarra; the river and its vast floodplains are of great spiritual, cultural, medicinal and ecological significance to them.

The first European to visit the area was George Grey, who ventured into the mouth of the Fitzroy River in 1837 aboard HMS Beagle.

The first owners of the station were the Murray Squatting Company, composed of William Paterson, George Paterson, H. Cornish, Alexander Richardson, and Samuel Elliott. The company took up the property in the newly opened West Kimberley in 1880.

Stock was introduced to the area in late 1880. It was first stocked with sheep then converted to cattle a few years later, which were more suited to the environment. The Government revenue cutter Ruby succeeded in passing over the sandbar at the mouth of the Fitzroy and anchored at the confluence of the Yeeda in 1881 where, at low tide, "there was a very good landing for stock". Captain Walcott explored much of the river and the surrounding waterways as part of the same expedition, describing the excellent pasture available, and of landing stock and stores for settlers. Walcott was briefed by George Julius Brockman, who was on the same expedition, that the area around the Yeeda and Meda Rivers was all of "excellent description". Brockman had accompanied by Paterson, one of the station owners, on an expedition on the lands surrounding the Yeeda, Fitzroy and Meda rivers in December 1880 and rejoined the men at their camp in September 1881, where the sheep they had introduced in June were thriving on the land and had produced about 200 lambs.

The main homestead is reported as the first house built in the Kimberley when the property was owned by the Murray Squatting Company, headed by Geo P. Patterson of Pinjarra. The house was erected by Patterson on the banks of the Yeeda River in 1881. The sides are constructed of wood and iron while the roof is made of bark. The nearest neighbours at the time were De Grey Station, about 100 miles (161 km) away.

Cattle were introduced to the station in 1882 when Paterson returned to the north, but sheep were still being shipped to the property from Cossack to Beagle Bay. The Murray Squatting Company sold Yeeda Station in 1883 and acquired Mardie Station shortly afterwards paying a "handsome price for the Fortescue River Station". The property was sold to a London financier, Mr. Game, who handed it over to Mr. A Forrest who in turn placed it under the management of George Rose.