A Brief History “..There is no doubt at that time I thought it one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen, such diversity of hills and plains, the hills covered with pines, and the open country dotted with clumps of pine and bulloak…” Mr  George Everard intinerant worker circa 1856 On August 23, 1847 James Maxwell Clow’s application for the Pine Plain Run was accepted and registered. Owing to the scarcity of water between this wild country and Lake Hindmarsh, he stocked it only from May till November 1848. “..ridges of loose drift sand covered with a few stunted bushes, a very prickly grass, stunted mallee and dwarf honeysuckle trees. Interspersed were a few acres with grass and small amount of water.” Lack of water was Clow’s main concern which led to Andrew Russel Esquire, merchant of Melbourne, purchasing the station in April 1849 for £15. A surfeit of water was Russel’s predicament. For twenty years, water had not followed the route between Hindmarsh to the dry lake, Albacutya, and over the 70 miles to the Wirrengren plain. However, in 1853 a flood to massive proportions caused Russel to sell. In 1855, Henry Clarence Ellermen acquired the run for £1500. Ellerman continued to divide the run into Pine Plain and Wonga Lake stations. The successive owners of Pine Plains were brothers: Ewan and Paul Cameron. On Octoper 12, 1868, Henry ‘Money’ Miller took over Pine Plains. Henry Miller was an acknowledged financial titan, first chairman of the Bank of Victoria – a reputed midas. The editor of The Age wrote “Mr Henry Miller is King of Victoria and not a merchant or journalist dares squeak without his permission.” It was Miller who made Pine Plains famous for horses bred there, being “synonymous for hardiness, endurance and plenty of temper.” In 1887 Pine Plains was sold to W.C. Carter. The land was taken over by the National Bank and auctioned in 1901, however, it did not sell. From 1903 to 1905 Pine Plains remained abandoned until John Poultan of Cambacanya took a grazing lease, together with the rights for the Wonga Lake run. The Poultans connected Cambacanya and Pine Plains with a single-strand telephone line of fencing wire. It was later relocated between Rainbow and Pine Plains, however, in 1934 it was removed when Pine Plains was connected to the Baring exchange. The Poultans owned Pine Plains until 1917. Mr Poultan is credited with many stories about his huge farming and grazing enterprises. One is that, thinking  that his farm horses were overworked and tired, he turned them all out for a rest and bought 100 fresh horses to do their work. In 1907, naturalist A.H.E. Mattingley recounted his visit to Pine Plains. “We were not sorry to reach the homestead after our 35 mile tramp along the sandy track, and did ample justice to a sumptuous repast set before us by the married couple in charge, who treated us right royally throughout our stay.” He later described the surrounding country, “There were miles of country without a trace of Mallee; large plains without a vestige of timber, evidently the dried-up beds of ancient lakes, were fringed with picturesque Red Gums, whilst graceful Murray Pines grew profusely on the sand ridges. Box-tree flats intervened, and as the trees had been rung for some years, innumerable hollows had formed in the trunks and branches, which were tenanted by cockatoos and parrots of many species.” In 1915, Owen ‘Hugh’ O’Sullivan, a keen horseman and Michale Kelley took possession of the place, and two years later were the registered owners of the freehold property. The Kelley family resided in the old homestead. Iin 1919 Kelley became so alarmed by the bird poaching he appointed himself as Wildlife Warden. In 1924 Hugh O’Sullivan became sole owner of Pine Plains. From 1925 until 1948 the lessee acted as park curators. His sons, Jack and Francis, became the owners in 1949, with Jack becoming sole owner in 1964. In 1983 the property was passed on to Jack’s sons Brian and Tim, who both lived on the property. Tim O’Sullivan, who introduced camels to Pine Plains, sadly died in 1995. Before his death, he built O’Sullivan’s Pine Plains Lodge which offers group accommodation. The O’Sullivan family reside on the station today and run the lodge. The O’Sullivans Pine Plains Lodge offers visitors a civilised way to see Wyperfeld Park and its friendly owners Adrian and Susan  offer free tours of the surrounding country. In effect they act as knowledge ambassadors for Wyperfeld Park. While Wyperfeld park has dry camping grounds most visitors cannot hope to see or understand all that is on offer. “We were amazed at how much we had missed when we explored the park by ourselves. We even missed the canoe trees. Adrian’s tour and  non-diadactic explanations were very helpful and we came to an understanding of what Wyperfeld was about. Moreover we could return to the airconditioned lodge at the end of the day. I think you would have to be very keen to camp out as the weather was hot (41 dgerees centigrade) and the area around the public campsite very dry and barren with ferocious Bindii and three corner jacks lying in wait for thinly clad feet. So instead of roughing it we saw Wyperfeld in comfort and came away feeling pleased that we had learned something about this incredible part of the world” Marilyn Strauss.   Interesting Facts: Pine Plains station was the only run in the Big Desert to survive as a station property. Its endurance can be credited to its extensive lake beds and grasslands with better soils and comparatively reliable water. Pine Plains holds the palm for tragic deaths over any other station in Australia. Brian O’Sullivan has called Pine Plains ‘Victorias outback back Australia’. And life here was tough. Everard sates “It is hot in summer, but a thoroughly healthy dry heat. This I can safely say after 55 years. I was on it for years, and never knew of anyone contracting diseases there..” Clow, first owner, 1848 states: “..the lake Hindmarsh tribe having been taken to assist in driving the stock thither, and in finding water for us on the journey, it obtained for us a friendly reception from the aborigines of this isolated tract. For months afterwards it existed, until the overseer (Mr Jenkins), one night about eleven o’clock, fired at what he supposed to be a wild dog rushing the sheep in the yard, but which unfortunately turned out to be a black fellow. The aim was fatal, the ball of the pistol going through his head.”             - the grave is directly east between the first yards and the well George Everard, itinerant worker, 1858 “A swagman started from the lakes with a blackfellow and his lubra. They had a kangaroo skin full of water with them but the head of the weather and the swag proved too much for the white fellow. At last he jibbed and they stayed (the blacks) with him one day trying to coax him along, but it was no go, so they filled his quart pot and left him. 1880 – tragic death occurred of a man who was found dead in a dog trap at the twelve-mile hut on Kulkine road. The trapper rode out in the morning and about a chain off the track was horrified to a find a dead man instead of a dingo. 22nd December 1867 – suicide of Joseph Everard             The story is told of the Everard brothers and two tohers becoming drunk a few days before Christmas. While in a maudlin state they made a suicide pact. Joseph Everard jumped down the well first, breaking his neck. This immediately sobered the other three. His grave is marked on the northern side of the homestead the inscription reads “Beneath lies the respose of Joseph Everard”. In the early 1980's Tim O’Sullivan replaced the logs to preserve the grave site.  After consultation with the dept. of Human Services, this grave site has been names"Pine Plains Pioneer Cemetry" & is maintained by Tim's family. Tim's remains were interred in this cemetry. George Everard in retrospect (he began work at the station in 1856) “There are four graves near the home station – all suicides – and the poor old Chinamans. The Chinaman (probably a shearer) died through want of opium. Three graves were occupied by victims of drink; the fourth, the disappointment was the cause.” Mr M.F. Kelley (former part owner) recounted some of the history of the station: “There are certainly six graves in the horse paddock  on that historic estate. Two perished from thirst, one found dead in a dingo trap; four suicides, an aboriginal shot and a Chinese died from want of opium. The occupants of the graves were: Alexander McDonald, overseer for Carter A bullock driver Mrs Cookie, housekeeper in Miller’s time (grave south of homestead) Joseph Everard – aged 27 Mr Kelley had these graves securely fenced in 1922.