The History

The Midland Saleyards is the largest saleyard by throughput in Western Australia and one of the largest in Australia.

A saleyard and small abattoir were first established near the current Midland Saleyard site in the early 1900s. By 1910 it was recognised that the yards that had developed were inadequate. Following considerable debate, 23 acres of Railway Reserve 2299 (created in 1905 for railway purposes), was leased by the Midland Junction Council in November 1910. The Midland Municipal Saleyard was officially opened in February 1911 to cater for 1,200 cattle, 12,000 sheep and 500 pigs.

By 1914 the State Government agreed to take over the running of the saleyard and the adjacent abattoir complex that had been constructed. The saleyards were designed to take stock off rail, be drafted and sold and then driven into the abattoirs where they would be slaughtered and processed on a service kill basis. By the end of World War Two, Midland Saleyard throughput had increased to approximately 35,000 cattle, 870,000 sheep and lambs and 95,000 pigs.

In 1954 Crown Reserve 23917 was created under Part III of the Land Act 1933 for the purposes of abattoirs and saleyards. The reserve was vested in the Midland Junction Abattoir Board in 1968. In 1975 the Midland Junction Abattoir Board ceased to function and its successor the Western Australian Meat Commission took over control of the abattoirs and saleyards.

In 1986 the State Government sold the 24 hectare site containing both the Midland Abattoir and Livestock Saleyards to Pilsley Investments/ Prestige Bricks. This sale caused considerable political discussion. The Saleyard section was leased back to the WA Meat Commission for a peppercorn lease. At this time yardings had decreased to approximately 137 thousand cattle, 1.8 million sheep and 135 thousand pigs.

In 1994 the State Government purchased approximately 13 hectares that accommodates the Saleyards back from Futuris Corporation. A capital works allocation of $1.5 million was made from the consolidated fund in 1994 and 1995 to separate the Saleyards from the adjoining brickworks site and establish the necessary services so that the Saleyards could operate in its own right. In 1994 the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority (Authority) was charged with the responsibility for managing Midland Saleyard under section 16 of the Authority’s Act.