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Famous Ranches and Stations

Auvergne Station: A Victoria River Cattle Run Taken Up by the Duracks

A pastoral lease south of the Victoria River, Auvergne was taken up in 1886 and today sits within native title country of the Ngarinyman-Wulayi.

What is Auvergne Station?

Auvergne Station is a cattle station in the Victoria River district of the Northern Territory, Australia. A page from Environmental Justice Australia places it hundreds of kilometers southwest of Katherine, near the Western Australia border, stretching south of the Victoria River, the Territory's longest. It covers about 61,000 hectares.

Like most Territory cattle properties, Auvergne is a pastoral lease rather than freehold land. Pastoral leases cover about 45% of the Northern Territory and are regulated under the Pastoral Land Act 1992 (NT), and Auvergne's lease coexists with native title rights and interests.

Who took up Auvergne in 1886?

Records held by the Australian National University archives collection say the station was taken up in 1886 by the Durack family, and list its dates as beginning that year. From around 1915 the owners were listed as Connor, Doherty and Durack Ltd.

The Australian National University entry lists the station's function as sheep and cattle farming. It does not give herd sizes or breed details, and this profile does not guess at them. For cattle history of the surrounding district, a good starting point is the South Australian history page on Victoria River Downs Station, which covers another large cattle property in the Victoria River country.

Company ownership, 1950 to today

The Australian Agricultural Company owned Auvergne from 1950 to 1979, according to the ANU archive listing, which also names Consolidated Pastoral Company Pty Ltd as manager at the time of its record. That record is older, and ownership has since changed.

The Environmental Justice Australia page says the station is leased by Clean Agriculture and International Tourism (CAIT), a subsidiary of TH Group, and that TH Group bought the station in 2020 along with two other cattle stations in northern Australia. Because ownership statements come from different dates, readers should treat the current owner as reported.

Native title and the Ngarinyman-Wulayi

The Ngarinyman-Wulayi group holds native title rights over the station. First Nations communities have cared for this country for tens of thousands of years, and sacred sites are dotted across the station. The pastoral lease and native title rights coexist, a legal arrangement that applies across much of the Territory's pastoral estate.

For anyone tracing the station's cattle history, this is essential context: the lease sits on country with a much longer human record than the 1886 date.

What Made It Work

Documented evidence on how Auvergne was run is limited, so the lessons here are drawn only from the ownership and land record, not from stories about its management.

The record also shows the contested side of modern pastoral use, including land clearing and conservation concerns.

  • Held a large lease of about 61,000 hectares in river country south of the Victoria River.
  • Passed from a founding family (the Duracks, 1886) to a pastoral company, the Australian Agricultural Company, from 1950 to 1979.
  • Changed ownership with the market, with a reported sale in 2020 to TH Group.
  • Expanded into new uses: the Pastoral Land Board permitted clearing of 923.33 hectares in one recent year, including for cotton.
  • Operates beside native title rights held by the Ngarinyman-Wulayi.

Land clearing and wildlife concerns

In the year before the Environmental Justice Australia page was written, the Pastoral Land Board permitted CAIT to clear 923.33 hectares, including for cotton production. The Environment Centre NT, a client of the legal group, is concerned that decision-makers approve permits without enough scrutiny of environmental damage.

The page lists species the station likely supports, including Gouldian Finches, Masked Owls, Mertens Water Monitors and Grey Falcons, and says they are threatened by land clearing, feral animals, pests and fire regimes. It also notes that the Northern Territory has no specific native vegetation laws and that leaseholders may clear up to 5,000 hectares before an application must be referred to the Environment Protection Authority.

Where to read more

A general account is available in the Wikipedia entry for Auvergne Station, and archival detail in the Australian National University archives entry.

For beef history beyond the Territory, see the ranching pages on farm.FM or a farm.FM story about an Australian cattle station.

Timeline

  1. 1886Durack family takes up Auvergne Station
  2. 1915Owners listed as Connor, Doherty and Durack Ltd (from around this time)
  3. 1950Australian Agricultural Company takes ownership
  4. 1979Australian Agricultural Company's ownership ends
  5. 2020TH Group reportedly buys the station

Frequently asked questions

Where is Auvergne Station?

In the Victoria River district of the Northern Territory, south of the Victoria River and hundreds of kilometers southwest of Katherine, near the Western Australia border.

Who established Auvergne Station?

The Durack family took up Auvergne in 1886, according to the Australian National University archives record.

How big is Auvergne Station?

About 61,000 hectares, according to Environmental Justice Australia, which describes it as a pastoral lease coexisting with native title rights.

Who holds native title over Auvergne Station?

The Ngarinyman-Wulayi group holds native title rights over the station, and sacred sites are located across it.

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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