One of the oldest leases in the area. Founded by an English family, the Parkes bros (check as Forrest says the name was Parke), Walter and Edmund in around 1870. Walter was a titled man, ‘The Honorable Walter Parkes’, and when his father died he inherited Henbury in England, which was the family estate. Walter sold Henbury to the Breadens and returned to England to run his father’s property. Joe Breaden held onto Henbury until about 1923, when he sold it to Stan Young from South Australia.
Peter Forrest wrote a series on station histories for the Centralian Advocate. The one on Henbury is undated but says that Edmund Parke and Charles Walker applied for the Finke River country lease in 1875. Parke was apparently a well-educated Englishman with some capital behind him. Little is known about Charlie Walker. The two men explored the country in 1876 and decided to establish a station. They went north with 400 cows, arriving in Ellery Creek on 30 August, 1877. They built their first homestead on Ellery Creek and by 1883 were able to claim their country (2130 square miles), fully stocked and with leases. In 1886 a new homestead was built on the present site, which is probably the log building that survives today. The two men managed to hold onto the property despite the drought and market collapses of the 1890s. But by around 1900 they went into ruin. The Breadens then acquired the property, holding onto it for many years, ‘despite a sale to Young, who became bankrupt and handed the property back after seven years.’
During the Breaden’s reign, the station was first managed by Allan Breaden, Joe’s brother. Allan was involved in exploration in the early days and had led an expedition to the Peterman ranges. Louie Bloomfield was on Henbury as a stockman. Allan eventually retired as manager but stayed living on the station. Bob Buck, a nephew of the Breadens, then took over. Buck was still the manager when the station was sold to Stan Young. He only stayed for a few more years before leaving due to managerial differences. Was replaced by Joe O’Brien in 1927. Buck and Butler went on to establish a station at Middleton Ponds. (Last line, p.19) • The 1927-30 drought hit the station hard. • The station was wholly dependent on water holes along the Finke. Due to the winding nature of the river, the Finke watered approximately 75% of Henbury country during good seasons, but in dry seasons the permanent waterholes were fouled with dead cattle and excrement.
Of the Henbury history Jose Petrick says that Walter Parke’s elder brother Edmund William came from the Henbury House estate in Dorset in 1876 and took up ‘blocks’ along the Finke Valley (including Henbury) with another Englishman, Charles Harry Walker. Walter, however, was the driving force behind the establishment of Henbury as a cattle station. Bloomfield was the head stockman. The brothers abandoned the station in the 1890s, however, and returned to England because of the drought, high freight costs, and the long mustering and steering distance for cattle (to SA) for sale. The station was sold in 1902 after Edmund’s death
References:
Peter Forrest, ‘Henbury, Centralian Advocate, 18/5/1984, p 7
A History of Central Australia 1930-1980, by Bryan Bowman, 1989, held at SRC, pamphlet, pp 1-91, p 16
The History of Alice Springs Through Landmarks and Street Names, by Jose Petrick, 4th edition, 2005, published? Self?, p 146
