Violet Vale
Located just over ten kilometres east-northeast of the Musgrave Roadhouse and around 117 kilometres south-southeast of Coen on the border between Bakanh and Lamalama country in the Cook Shire bordering Rinyirru National Park, Violet Vale Station contains 1,896 hectares listed as wetlands of National significance.
Since the presence of around a thousand uncontrolled feral and domestic animals posed a significant threat to the wetlands, a 39.7km cattle-proof fence was completed in October 2015. The fence encloses the significant wetlands and prevents the animals' migration to the wetlands as other parts of the property dry up before musters of feral cattle reduce their numbers.
An unexplained accident on the property resulted in the death of one of the Peninsula's last packhorse mail contractors, as reported in the Townsville Bulletin (28 June 1951):
Coen Mailman Still Unconscious
CAIRNS, June 27.- Mystery surrounds the accident which occurred to Peninsula mail contractor James MacDowell, still unconscious in the Cairns* Base Hospital tonight, suffering from concussion and a dislocated collarbone.
The 64-year-old mailman. who is reputed to have ridden over 148.000 miles in 17 years as Coen's mailman, was found unconscious on the roadside eight miles from Violet Vale homestead on Sunday afternoon.
His doctor said to-night tbat there were signs of improvement in MacDowell's condition and he would probably regain consciousness within a few days.
However, the Cairns Post 2 July 1951 reported his passing:
The death occurred yesterday morning in the Cairns Base Hospital of Mr. James Herbert MacDowall, aged 64 years, of Coen. His death followed an accident which occurred on June 24 when he was found unconscious on the roadside eight miles from Violet Vale homestead. Mr. MacDowall was born in Cooktown and lived in that district all his life. His wife died in October, 1949. Until 1934 he worked on different stations in the north and also managed many of them. In 1934 he started mail contracting between Laura and Coen and in the last few years he also had a mail contract between Coen and Morton.
Mr. MacDowall was found by Mr. F. Gostelow when one of his pack horses returned to the station about six hours after he had left for Coen. He was flown to Cairns by aerial ambulance, but did not regain consciousness. Mr. MacDowall was suffering from concussion with cerebral contusion and a dislocated left collarbone.
