The farms averaged 3,500 acres each and were boundary fenced and divided into eight 200-acre and one 50-acre pastured paddocks. Two windmills fed into a 5000-gallon concrete tank, which supplied water to a galvanised iron trough in each paddock.
Other standard infrastructure included a two or three-bedroom timber and asbestos house, a timber framed 2-stand shearing shed with machinery lean-to, a one room timber framed single men's quarters with bathroom, and timber sheep yards. Cattle yards were added if desired.
Long term low interest government loans were made available to enable the settlers to repay the cost of the supplied infrastructure and to purchase machinery and livestock. Settlers were granted a living allowance of 9 pound per week for the first twelve months.
When the first settlers arrived there was no town, no telephones or power and the schooling for the first year was in a shearing shed divided into a classroom and assembly area. The winters were wet and the roads poor. Settlers also faced stock losses to native poisonous plants, and poor lambing percentages as a result of the type of clover sown for pastures.
In 2018 a memorial was unveiled as a tribute to the determination, perseverance and fellowship of these settlers, and the private settlers and business owners who followed. The memorial is located on Eneabba Drive in the Eneabba townsite.
The following photographs were taken by the Millard family who worked clearing the farms before purchasing one of the unsold properties.
2019 Australia Day: Tammy Sandison will be giving a talk on the War Service Land Settlement at Eneabba as part of the Australia Day celebrations at the Carnamah Hall, starting at 9.39am on Saturday 26 January 2019.
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