Murchison Patrol

Meekatharra, Western Australia

Reverend Lesley deGrussa-Macaulay is the Patrol Minister based in Meekatharra. This patrol covers an area of approximately 500,000 square kilometres and is one of our largest patrols.

Its boundaries are Kumarina Roadhouse in the north-east across to Mt Augustus Station, Murchison Settlement in the south, south-west "dog'-leg" to Yallalong Station, Yalgoo and Paynes Find in the south-east to Bibijy Station (the southern most point of the patrol), north-east towards Leonora following north to Wiluna and back east to the Murchison Settlement Roadhouse.

The patrol has a number of small townships within its bounds including Meekatharra (population 700), Mt Magnet (population 1,000), Sandstone and Yalgoo (population 50 - 150), Wiluna (population 200). The township of Wiluna is a special place as it has become a community where many Aboriginal desert clans have settled.

Some towns are experiencing population decline as mining companies fly in and out their employees. Some of the stations have diversified their operations to include different methods of management to gain new markets.
For example bio-organic beef production, station stay tourism, orchards including table grapes and the harvesting
and sale of sandalwood.

The first "missionary" was sent to Wiluna in 1930 and the first patrol padre was appointed to Meekatharra soon after that. There are 130 stations and various mining operations and the Patrol Minister tries to keep in contact as much as possible - providing pastoral care, worship services, funerals, weddings, counselling and support, together with a simple hand of friendship.