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Famous Ranches and Stations

Austral Downs: A Barkly Tableland Station Run Alongside Avon Downs

Taken up in 1883, the station has survived floods, quarantine and drought and now runs a Santa Gertrudis, Angus and Wagyu cross herd.

What is Austral Downs?

Austral Downs is a cattle station on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, about 70 kilometres west of Camooweal in Queensland and 250 kilometres north-west of Mount Isa. The Wikipedia article on Austral Downs gives its area as 4,692 square kilometres.

It is run with neighbouring Avon Downs, which covers 3,939 square kilometres, by the Australian Agricultural Company. The two properties together turn off an average of 25,000 head a year.

A note on Kidman

Some summaries link Austral Downs to the holdings of Sidney Kidman. The article reviewed for this profile does not mention Kidman or any Kidman ownership, so this profile does not claim a connection. Where the record is silent, it is better to say so.

What the record does show is a sequence of owners from Richardson, Little and Carr in the 1880s to AACo today.

How was Austral Downs started?

In 1883 Richardson, Little and Carr took up the land, initially intended for sheep. By mid-1884 it was stocked with 1,400 cattle and 140 horses, and a flock of 8,200 ewes was overlanded later that year. In 1885 flooding caused about 1,000 pounds in earthworks damage.

In 1901 floods from the Georgina, Rankin and James Rivers reportedly swept the station away. The records of this period show how exposed the Georgina River country is to floods.

Owners from Brabazon to AACo

Brabazon and Company bought the property in 1911, about 794 square miles, sold unstocked. In 1921 a Qantas flight carried C. J. Brabazon from Elderslie Station to Austral Downs, reported as the first commercial flight in the Northern Territory.

The Scottish Australian Land Company acquired the station in 1925, and a redwater outbreak led to quarantine later that year. In 1980 it was sold to American billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt along with other Scottish Australian Company assets. In 1990 AACo acquired it to be run with Avon Downs, which AACo had bought in 1921.

The herd and the country

Carrying capacity is about 42,000 head of Santa Gertrudis, Angus and Wagyu cross cattle. The soil is black to brown loam with considerable limestone, and the vegetation is Mitchell grass on rolling downs with Gidyea woodland. The Herbert River and Happy Creek, tributaries of the Georgina, run through the station.

For more on how Australian stations manage cattle, see a farm.FM story about AACo cattle stations.

What Made It Work

Austral Downs has lasted from 1883 through floods, quarantines and droughts. The record points to institutional ownership and pairing with a neighbor.

Natural hazards are the main recorded cost.

  • Institutional owners: the Scottish Australian Land Company held it from 1925 and AACo has run it since 1990.
  • Run with Avon Downs: pairing two properties gives a combined turnoff averaging 25,000 head a year.
  • Crossbreeding: Santa Gertrudis, Angus and Wagyu crosses suit the country.
  • Flexible response to drought: in 1952 stations trucked stock to the Mount Isa railhead for agistment.
  • Starting with sheep and cattle: the first owners stocked 1,400 cattle and 8,200 ewes in 1884.
  • Water risk acknowledged: floods in 1885, 1901 and 1927 repeatedly damaged works and crossings.

Floods, drought and a rocket shelter

In early 1927 floods submerged the crossing under about six feet of water and cut the telegraph line. A drought from 1934 to mid-1935 was broken by 28 millimetres of rain in one day. In 1952 drought led stations, including Austral Downs, to truck stock to the Mount Isa railhead.

In the 1950s a rocket shelter was built on the property for the Woomera space program. For broader reading on ranching, see the farm.FM ranching section. For the full record, see the source article's ownership history and its notes on the land and climate.

Timeline

  1. 1883Richardson, Little and Carr take up the land
  2. 1884Stocked with 1,400 cattle and 140 horses
  3. 1901Floods reportedly sweep the station away
  4. 1911Brabazon and Co buy the property
  5. 1925Scottish Australian Land Company acquires it
  6. 1952Drought; stock trucked to Mount Isa railhead
  7. 1980Sold to Nelson Bunker Hunt
  8. 1990AACo acquires it to run with Avon Downs

Frequently asked questions

Where is Austral Downs?

Austral Downs is on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, about 70 kilometres west of Camooweal and 250 kilometres north-west of Mount Isa.

Who owns Austral Downs?

The Australian Agricultural Company, known as AACo, acquired it in 1990 and runs it with neighbouring Avon Downs. It was previously held by Nelson Bunker Hunt from 1980.

How big is Austral Downs?

It covers 4,692 square kilometres. Neighbouring Avon Downs adds 3,939 square kilometres, and the two stations are run together by AACo.

What cattle does Austral Downs run?

The station carries about 42,000 head of Santa Gertrudis, Angus and Wagyu cross cattle. Together with Avon Downs it turns off an average of 25,000 head per year.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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