Murchison Patrol

Meekatharra, Western Australia

The Patrol Minister is the Reverend Lesley deGrussa-Macaulay who commenced in February 2008 and is 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 area 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. The area is in a state of flux due to the effects of mining and the land drought that has caused great hardships for those on the pastoral leases.

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, each which may only be contacted once or twice a year. Contact with various mining companies is also important in the patrol.

There are the normal duties of ministry such as pastoral care, worship as and when appropriate, funerals and weddings. Counselling and support is an important part of this ministry.