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Famous Ranches and Stations

Fossil Downs Station: The MacDonald Family's Kimberley Cattle Run

A record overland drive in 1886 founded the station, and one family held it for more than a century before its 2015 sale.

What is Fossil Downs Station?

Fossil Downs is a pastoral lease and cattle station about 50 kilometres north-east of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Wikipedia article on Fossil Downs Station says the name comes from fossils found in limestone outcrops of the Gogo Formation. It was designated on the WA Heritage Register on 26 February 1999.

A note on the record: some summaries credit the Emanuel family with founding the station. The article reviewed for this profile names the MacDonald and McKenzie families, and does not mention the Emanuels, so this profile follows the article.

How was Fossil Downs established?

Alexander Forrest's party passed through in 1879. A lease was issued in 1883 to Dan MacDonald, who applied for 100 square miles at the junction of the Margaret and Fitzroy Rivers. The MacDonald and McKenzie families, related by marriage, formed a partnership, and the McKenzies paid the first year's rent of 25 pounds.

The families left New South Wales in March 1883. Cattle arrived in 1886, establishing the station.

The 5,600 kilometre drive

Donald MacDonald died early in the journey after a fall from a horse. His sons Charles and William drove 700 cattle and 60 horses about 5,600 kilometres through drought-affected Queensland. They arrived in June 1886 with 327 cattle and 13 horses. This is thought to be the longest overland cattle drive in Australian history.

The scale of the loss shows how hard the trip was: of 700 cattle that started, fewer than half arrived.

Growth, Halls Creek and Java

The gold rush at Halls Creek, found by Charles Hall after 1885, created a local beef market. MacDonald expanded by taking over neighboring leases and crossed Red Poll cattle into the Shorthorn herd. By 1915 about 1,500 head were exported annually to Java via Derby.

By the early 1950s the station held about one million acres, over 20,000 branded cattle, 20 white staff and 60 Aboriginal employees. Sidney Kidman bought a half share in the 1920s for 75,000 pounds, and in 1928 Dan MacDonald bought it back with help from his brother Duncan.

What Made It Work

Fossil Downs survived an extreme founding drive, droughts and cattle tick problems. The record points to family control, market access and careful pasture management.

Costs included the death of Donald MacDonald on the trail and the 1924 drought, and the record also shows heavy reliance on Aboriginal workers.

  • Family partnership: the MacDonald and McKenzie families pooled money and effort, and MacDonalds later bought out the McKenzies.
  • Market proximity: the Halls Creek gold rush gave a local beef market.
  • Export route: by 1915 about 1,500 head a year went to Java via Derby.
  • Breed choice: Red Poll cattle were crossed into the Shorthorn herd.
  • Buy-back of equity: Dan MacDonald repurchased Kidman's half share in 1928.
  • Pasture care: hand-collected seed was spread, rotational grazing was adopted and mulla mulla returned to the pastures.

Homestead, Muludja and drought

William MacDonald, a trained architect, demolished the original wood-and-iron homestead, damaged by termites, and built a new one about 14 kilometres away for his bride, Maxine. The Muludja community lies 2.7 kilometres from the homestead across the river, with a population of about 100, all of Aboriginal descent.

The 1952 to 1953 drought, the first in about 70 years, halved cattle numbers in the area. A farm.FM story about Kimberley cattle stations gives wider background on the region.

The 2015 sale

In 2012 the lessee was WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd. In 2015 Gina Rinehart acquired the property, reported as its first sale in 133 years, for an undisclosed price estimated at 25 to 30 million Australian dollars. By then it covered about 4,000 square kilometres with 15,000 cattle.

For more on ranching around the world, 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. 1879Alexander Forrest's party passes through
  2. 1883Lease issued to Dan MacDonald
  3. 1886Charles and William MacDonald arrive after a 5,600 km drive
  4. 1915About 1,500 head exported yearly to Java
  5. 1920sSidney Kidman buys a half share
  6. 1928Dan MacDonald buys the share back
  7. 1952-1953Drought halves cattle numbers in the area
  8. 1999Listed on the WA Heritage Register
  9. 2015Sold to Gina Rinehart

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Fossil Downs Station?

The MacDonald and McKenzie families, related by marriage, formed the partnership. Dan MacDonald held the 1883 lease, and cattle arrived in 1886 after a drive of about 5,600 kilometres.

Where is Fossil Downs Station?

It is about 50 kilometres north-east of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, near the junction of the Margaret and Fitzroy Rivers.

Who owns Fossil Downs now?

Gina Rinehart acquired it in 2015 for an undisclosed price estimated at 25 to 30 million Australian dollars. It was reported as the station's first sale in 133 years.

How did Fossil Downs get its name?

The name comes from fossils found in limestone outcrops of the Gogo Formation on the property. The station is listed on the Western Australian Heritage Register.

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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