# Australian family turns sheep farm island into $4.8m wildlife haven 2026-08-13T07:48:39+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Peter and Pamela Woolford, who raised their family on Flinders Island off South Australia's Eyre Peninsula while running a Merino sheep station for nearly five decades, have transformed it into a conservation project backed by $4.8 million from the Australian and South Australian governments. The project, launched in 2024, has removed livestock and targeted invasive cats, rats and mice to prepare the island for threatened wildlife. The Woolfords retain ownership of the 3,854-hectare freehold island and are working with government agencies and conservation experts. If eradication is formally confirmed in 2027, endangered mammals like the Shark Bay mouse, greater stick-nest rat, southern brown bandicoot and banded hare-wallaby could be reintroduced. The family has placed a conservation agreement on the island's title to protect its ecological value. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Australia, conservation, endangered mammals, Flinders Island, invasive species, wildlife refuge Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/australian-family-turns-sheep-farm-island-into-4-8m-wildlife-haven/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/australian-family-turns-sheep-farm-island-into-4-8m-wildlife-haven/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.