Prominent Balah wool producer Sonya Irwin remembered as passionate, clever business woman with ‘incredible mind’

Just days ago, pastoralists Sonya and James Irwin celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. But after a routine farm job went wrong, he’s now saying his final goodbye.

• Woman dead after dam tragedy

For Sonya Irwin, Balah Station was a special place.

It was where she grew up, raised her children and made her mark not only as a wool producer but in the wider community.

Mrs Irwin operated Balah Station, alongside her husband James, for four decades.

Sonya Irwin and her husband James. Picture: supplied

But on Wednesday, tragedy struck when a routine farm job went wrong and police had to recover her body from a dam.

It is believed Mrs Irwin went to the dam to start a pump and water the livestock when disaster struck.

Some 36km from Morgan, Balah has limited service but Mr Irwin said he knew something was wrong when he couldn’t reach his wife after several hours and 15 phone calls.

He called a neighbour, who found the ute in the dam with the door open.

Mr Irwin then called emergency services who rushed to the station at around 5.45pm on Wednesday.

Police said 62-year-old Mrs Irwin was recovered from the water that evening and pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Irwin said the pair had plans to attend a cocktail party that night.

The family said Mrs Irwin was known for getting her hands dirty at the station during the day before becoming the life of the party at night.

Just days ago, the pair were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary — at a friend’s 60th birthday.

Sonya Irwin (left) from Balah Station with her Skye. Picture: Supplied by family

‘A very special place’

Mr Irwin, known widely as “Oigle” described his wife as the backbone of the 65,000ha wool-growing station.

He said “she ran everything really”, from mustering to dealing with the bank.

“She was a great pastoralist, great stockman, clever business woman,” he said.

“She was basically the boss.

“She’s got an incredible mind.

“That’s what used to annoy me, because what she says is usually right.”

The pair met at a Sandblasters Ball in Keith while they were studying in high school in Adelaide — her at Seymour College and him at St Peters.

“She was hard to catch,” he said.

They married in 1986 and spent some time on Mr Irwin’s family property at Keith before returning to Balah Station when Mrs Irwin’s parents decided to retire and sell the homestead to the couple.

Sonya Irwin at her 21st birthday. Picture: supplied.

The pair would come to own both properties, with their son “Jamo” running the Keith farm and the couple running the wool growing operation at Balah.

Their daughter Skye said her mum was “very passionate and dedicated to the land”.

“It was one of her biggest loves,” she said.

“She always knew this is what she wanted to be part of. This is a very special place to her.”

The station has been home to the prominent wool growing family for generations.

Sonya Irwin with her husband James and children Syke and Jamo. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Irwin said his wife grew up at the station, buzzing around on a Mini Moke and catching rabbits with traps before selling them at school for 50 cents.

He said in the 1960s, her father built Balah Road so she and her three sisters could attend Morgan Primary School.

After four decades of working at the station, Mr Irwin said the couple were just starting to have conversations about retirement.

“We’ve started our succession plan,” he said.

“We don’t want to get out of the business, but we just want to go off and, you know, we’ve worked pretty hard for 40 years.”

Sonya Irwin working sheep with her husband James. Picture: Supplied.

Avid sportswoman

Mrs Irwin was active in the Riverland community and a keen member of the Burra Golf Club, where she starred in ladies competitions.

Mr Irwin said she took up the sport with a neighbour during Covid. What started as “swinging and swearing” turned into a skill.

The golf club’s website notes Mrs Irwin shone during a winter ladies’ competition in 2023, blitzing the field to take the best score of the day in the Barossa Valley Open.

“She’s determined when she sets her mind to something,” Skye said.

“She’s competitive.”

In addition to golfing, Skye said her mum was an avid waterskier.

On Wednesday, police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mrs Irwin’s death and a report was being prepared for the Coroner.

Originally published as Prominent Balah wool producer Sonya Irwin remembered as passionate, clever business woman with ‘incredible mind’