- 1,500 kilometre De Grey - Mullewa Stock Route No. 9701 is the longest place listed in the State Register of Heritage Places
- Listing recognises the significant role the Route played in WA's farming history
- Route features 55 Government wells, dating back to 1895
A 1,500-kilometre track that paved the way for pastoralism in the north of the State has become the first complete stock route and the longest place to be included in the State Register of Heritage Places.
The De Grey - Mullewa Stock Route No. 9701 (Stock Route) runs from just east of the De Grey River at Pardoo near Port Hedland to north of the Mullewa townsite near Geraldton.
From the late 1860s, the Stock Route enabled the movement of large numbers of livestock south to Mullewa and onto Perth and, in later years, extended to the Eastern Goldfields.
In 1891, the State Government investigated the formal establishment of stock routes to improve supply of livestock overland from the North-West to the Goldfields where the population was booming.
Government wells were also constructed along the track to provide travellers and livestock with a guaranteed water supply.
The Register Entry and Assessment Documentation for the Stock Route is available at inHerit - State Heritage Office
As stated by Heritage Minister David Templeman:
"The inclusion of this stock route is a magnificent addition to the State Register of Heritage Places and shows it is not just built heritage of bricks and mortar that is conserved but expansive landmarks like the De Grey to Mullewa Stock Route.
"It is a physical reminder of the harsh conditions and immense difficulties early pastoralists would have encountered in transporting livestock more than 130 years ago.
"It instils a profound sense of isolation and provides Western Australians with both a connection to - and an understanding of - the enormity and ambitious nature of the journey."
