Page 5 - OurStories-2022_Preview

OUR STORY: GRUNDY | 5
H Y D R O S M A R T

Grundy family

LOCATION: Mundoo Island
FARMING SINCE: 1870s
OPERATION: Cattle, sheep and horse enterprise

BY QUINTON MCCALLUM just a few of the practices ensuring Mundoo
is ready for future generations to write its next
OWN where the river meets the sea, chapter.
at the mouth of the River Murray, lies a
Dstation unlike any other. Mundoo origins
A place where mustering is still done on
Mundoo Island was first established as a
horseback. A place untouched by urban and
pastoral property in 1843.
regional sprawl.
Colonial pastoralists, for a long time, had no
Mundoo Island Station is a series of islands
legal claim on the land, but had ‘runs’ on which
about 100 kilometres south of Adelaide, with
they de-pastured their sheep and cattle.
Mundoo the largest at 1200 hectares.
Being surrounded entirely by a marine
The island chain is surrounded by the salt environment, there were many challenges to be
water of the Coorong to the south and fresh
faced in running a station, but the pioneering
water of the River Murray to the north. families persisted in the harsh, salty, windy
The islands themselves are unwooded, low- landscape that received low rainfall.
lying land with a mixture of alkaline soils, sand, Owners of Mundoo included the McLean,
▲ AT HOME: Sally, Jack, Jessie and Colin Grundy of Mundoo Island swamp and mud. Holme, Dodd and Beckwith families before Walter
Station. While stepping onto Mundoo Island Grundy bought a half share in 1922 and took full
Station gives a glimpse into days gone by, ownership in July 1932.
its inhabitants, the Grundy family, are at The Grundys had bred sheep on the adjacent
the forefront of environmental and livestock Hindmarsh Island since the 1870s and with
industry innovation. the purchase of Mundoo, one of Walter’s sons
The Grundys have farmed on adjacent Norman farmed the ‘Riverside’ property on
Hindmarsh Island since the 1870s and first Hindmarsh Island, while Jack, who married
took a half share in Mundoo Island Station in Dorothy Basham and had two surviving adult
1922. children Barbara and Peter, took charge of
Across the course of 100 years, previous Mundoo.
generations have encountered plenty of The two would collaborate often - moving
challenges associated with island farming, between properties when shearing, mustering
overcome numerous obstacles and made and cropping, while sharing the cost of equipment
copious changes to continue surviving and like harvesters and binders.
thriving. Jack’s son Peter would go on to farm the
The present generations, Colin and Sally and station, before handing the reins to his son Colin.
their children Jessie and Jack, are no different. Colin and Sally are the fourth generation of the
Increasingly using drones to muster and Grundy family running Mundoo Island Station,
check livestock, tailoring breeding to suit and fifth on Hindmarsh Island, with their children
their environment, and planting hundreds of Jessie and Jack the fifth generation to call
▲ MEETING PLACE: The view from the Mundoo Barrage facing the Island thousands of trees, shrubs and grasses are Mundoo home.
Station's entrance. The river water is to the left and saltwater to the
right.

▲ HORSE POWER: Walter and Charlotte Grundy at the Riverside property
on Hindmarsh Island circa, 1910.

PONY PRANKS: Peter Grundy standing on his saddle atop his pony on ▲
▲
his way to school on Hindmarsh Island. SECURED: Peter Grundy tying off the pram to the
PS Wilcannia rudder.