Bowen Downs Station: Queensland's Great Cattle Run of the 1860s
Founded by explorers Landsborough and Buchanan, Bowen Downs grew in under a decade into one of Australia's finest cattle runs.
What is Bowen Downs Station?
Bowen Downs is a pastoral lease in central-west Queensland that has run both cattle and sheep. The Wikipedia summary of Bowen Downs Station places it about 49 km east of Muttaburra and 61 km northwest of Aramac, watered by the Thomson River and by Reedy and Cornish creeks.
It is the traditional country of the Iningai people. When established it covered about 3,885 square kilometres, or 1,500 square miles, and by the time it was sold in 2013 the property had shrunk to 44,500 hectares.
Landsborough, Buchanan and the 1860s
In 1860 William Landsborough and Nathaniel Buchanan, the first Europeans in the area, passed through and named it for Governor Sir George Bowen. The area opened for settlement in 1861, and the pair applied for the lease. The property was established in 1862 with Buchanan as manager and 3,000 cattle. Aramac Station, to the south, was settled the following year.
Landsborough and Buchanan formed a partnership with Robert Morehead and Matthew Young of the Scottish Australian Investment Company, and with Edward Cornish. Buchanan left in 1867 during a drought, giving his one-eighth share to Morehead.
How big did the herd get?
By 1870 the run was described as one of Australia's finest, carrying about 60,000 cattle. Starting from 3,000 head in 1862, that is a twenty-fold increase in eight years, though the summary does not break down how much came from natural increase and how much from further stocking.
The station was also the last place where travellers heading further inland could buy supplies, so it served as a depot for the expanding frontier as well as a ranch.
The Redford cattle theft
Bowen Downs is also remembered for a large cattle theft. Harry Redford, George Dewdney and William Rooke took between 600 and 1,000 head and droved them about 1,300 km to South Australia over three months. They sold them for 5,000 pounds to Blanchewater Station, and Redford was later arrested.
Droving that many cattle that far, from central Queensland to South Australia, shows how vast and open the inland cattle country was at the time.
What Made It Work
Bowen Downs grew quickly because the people behind it paired local knowledge of the country with outside investment. The documented partnership included colonial investors and a company, which gave the station capital that a single explorer would not have had.
The record also includes costs: the arrival of Europeans on Iningai country, a partner leaving during drought in 1867, and the loss of cattle to theft.
- Combined exploration and capital: Landsborough and Buchanan found the country and partners from the Scottish Australian Investment Company helped finance it.
- Started with a manager on site, Buchanan, and an initial 3,000 cattle in 1862.
- Used river and creek frontage, the Thomson River and two creeks, for water.
- Served the frontier as the last supply stop for travellers heading inland.
- Survived partner changes, including Buchanan's 1867 exit during drought.
From a giant run to a 2013 sale
Over the following century and a half the run was reduced from about 3,885 square kilometres to 44,500 hectares. In 2013 the Hartley family bought the property for A$9.7 million.
For local history, the Pastoral History of the Aramac Shire page on muttaburra.com and the National Museum of Australia transcript on Bowen Downs are useful starting points.
Learn more about Bowen Downs
The main Wikipedia article on Bowen Downs Station is a starting point for the station's chronology.
For more on cattle country, browse the ranching section of farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about a Queensland cattle station.
Timeline
- 1860Landsborough and Buchanan pass through and name the area
- 1861The area opens for settlement and the pair apply for the lease
- 1862Bowen Downs is established with 3,000 cattle
- 1863Aramac Station is settled to the south
- 1867Buchanan leaves during a drought
- 1870The run carries about 60,000 cattle
- 2013The Hartley family buys the property for A$9.7 million
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bowen Downs Station?
About 49 km east of Muttaburra and 61 km northwest of Aramac in outback Queensland, on the Thomson River.
When was Bowen Downs established?
In 1862, with Nathaniel Buchanan as manager and 3,000 cattle, after Landsborough and Buchanan applied for the lease in 1861.
How many cattle did Bowen Downs run?
About 60,000 by 1870, when the run was described as one of the finest in Australia, according to the Wikipedia summary.
Who bought Bowen Downs in 2013?
The Hartley family bought the property in 2013 for A$9.7 million, when it covered 44,500 hectares.
Sources and further reading
- Bowen Downs Station, Wikipedia
- Bowen Downs Station, Wikipedia (IPFS copy)
- Pastoral History of the Aramac Shire, muttaburra.com
- Never enough grass and Bowen Downs, National Museum of Australia
Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.
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