Meadows was transferred to Abraham Wallace. Panton moved further east and took up land in the Mootwingee area. So it is difficult to ascertain who really named Sturts Meadows--Wallace or Panton.                                        In 1876 Sturts Meadows was an area of nearly 100,000 acres. Three years later it had increased to 251,000 acres. The southern boundary was at Gairdners Creek and ran northwards past where Euriowie later stood. It extended on the eastern side towards Mootwingee.                                                        Water was still the problem and the nomad existence continued for eight years. Then well-sinkers found an abundant supply of good water in a well down the creek from their original camp. Matilda, in her diary, says she was at Packsaddle shepherding 18,000 sheep with only one white man and the natives when the good news came.                                                             Wallace built a stone house near the creek and Matilda moved into her first home in July 1872, eight and a half years after they had arrived. This house was flooded out, so house No. 2 was built on a rise overlooking the creek and the well. This consisted of a large room, 18 x 36, and two smaller ones. Unlined, it was very hot in summer and cold in winter, and was used until 1956. House No 3, a large, lofty building of eight rooms and a huge passageway through the centre, was built in 1878. It is still in excellent condition, having just been remodelled by having the verandah replaced and some of the stone-work patched up.                                                                              In 1884, the Wallace family left Sturts Meadows and bought the "Braes" at Reynella. Abe died soon after as the result of an accident. He was then 49 years old.                                                                            Following the death of Abe Wallace, Sturts Meadows was transferred to Matilda Wallace. In 1881, Wallace had travelled overland to the gulf of Carpentaria and established the Elsey Station. Severe drought, bad managers and distance, caused Matilda to mortgage her property to the Australian Mortgage, Land and Finance Co. L.t.d Matilda died in 1898 at a time when 12,000 sheep were being shorn.         In 1903 Sturts Meadows came under the Western Lands Act. It then had an acreage of 224,000 acres, the finance Company being the holders.  In 1921 the Government resumed 28,000 acres for soldier settlement, leaving roughly 200,000 acres. Sydney Reid , who was associated with Sidney Kidman, bought Sturts Meadows in 1926, and disposed of it in the same year to William Henry Williams, who sold his milk run and the nine mile Station at Stephens Creek to go there. Drought and ill-health followed him and, after his death in 1928, Sturts Meadows reverted to the Kidman interests under the Yancannia Pastoral Company.          The Western Lands Lease expired in 1946, along with other Kidman holdings. It was subdivided into an original block and extensions for settlers in the vicinity. The homestead block, W.L.L. No 6924, containing 112,000 acres was granted to Albert Beven on 5 March 1951. It is now held by his son, Peter.       The highest number of sheep shorn at Sturts Meadows is doubtful, but I have heard that up to 40,000 were shorn in one year. This was quite possible, as in Kidman's time flocks were brought down from his northern runs and shorn at either Corona or Sturts Meadows according to the amount of feed and water available. They were then taken to Adelaide for sale. In this way, the sheep carried the wool down and saved considerable carting by camels and wagons in the early days. Since 1951, the highest number shorn in one year has been 10,000.   Rainfall records have been kept since 1895. The lowest fall was in 1940, with only 172 points. The highest was in 1974 when 3130 points fell. The water shortage problem has been solved and there are now 25 watering places with good stock water.                                                                    Although Sturts Meadows is near the old tin mines of Euriowie and the Lady Don  gold fields, the numerous shallow shafts have not revealed any minerals. The Sturts Meadows Mining Company is believed to have originated from a story circulated in 1925 that an old man named Haley died in Adelaide hospital leaving instructions with a nurse where to find gold on Sturts Meadows. Despite six months of intensive search, no gold was ever found.