Commonwealth Hill Station
Commonwealth Hill Station,, more commonly known as Commonwealth Hill, is a pastoral lease currently operating as a sheep station. Commonwealth Hill is located about north north west of Tarcoola and south west of Coober Pedy in the state of South Australia. The property occupies an area of approximately or one million hectares, making it the second largest sheep station in Australia, after Rawlinna Station. It is currently owned by the Jumbuck Pastoral Company. History In 1947 the station was enjoying an excellent season after good rains produced an abundance of fresh green feed for stock during the summer. The area was also rife with rumours that the Woomera Test Range was to be expanded and that stations including Commonwealth Hill, Bulgunnia, Roxby Downs and Andamooka would lose some of their land, which in turn would reduce their wool clip. The rumours were confirmed; the station lies within the Woomera Test Range Area. Byron MacLachlan, the leaseholder of Commonwealth Hill in 1947, along with a consortium of pastoralists and lawyers, established a working agreement to ensure the continuation of pastoral activity that would not interfere with the long-range weapons project. In 1956 before the trials of the Black Knight Rocket commenced