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List of the largest stations in Australia

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This is a list of the largest stations in Australia, which includes stations with an area in excess of 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi).

All of the largest pastoral leases are located in the states of South Australia (SA), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA); or in the Northern Territory (NT).

The vast majority are cattle stations, with no sheep stations among the ten largest. Most of the properties are owned by pastoral companies such as Australian Agricultural Company, Consolidated Pastoral Company, S. Kidman & Co Ltd, North Australian Pastoral Company, Heytesbury Pty. Ltd., Paraway Pastoral Company[1] and the Jumbuck Pastoral Company.

Largest stations

This list includes the stations in Australia by virtue of area:

Anna Creek homestead
Alexandria Station, homestead and outbuildings, Queensland, 1921
Channel Country, home to some of Queensland's largest cattle stations
Dunes near Andado
Cattle and horses in stockyards at Victoria River Downs circa 1985
Brumbies next to the Innamincka Track
Innamincka Station 1910
Donkey team at Wave Hill station, Northern Territory, ca. 1946
Brolgas, Brunette Downs station, Barkly Tableland, NT
Meat House at Davenport Downs QLD, 1925
Tanami Track near Tanami Downs NT
Curtin Springs Station
Austral Downs Homestead ca. 1930
Nappa Merrie homestead in 1959
Noonkanbah woolshed, now the community centre
Rank Station State Area (km2) Area (mi2) Area (acre) Stock Year est. Notes References
1 Anna Creek SA 23,677 9,140 5,850,000 Cattle 1863 Grazed sheep originally, largest station in South Australia, Australia and the world. Area includes both Anna Creek and the Peake outstation combined. [2]
2 Clifton Hills SA 17,000 6,560 4,200,000 Cattle before 1881 Second largest station in SA [3]
3 Alexandria NT 16,116 6,220 3,980,000 Cattle 1877 Largest station in NT [4]
4 Davenport Downs QLD 15,100 5,830 3,730,000 Cattle before 1878 Largest station in Qld. Area includes both Davenport Downs and Springvale station combined. [5]
5 Home Valley WA 14,164 5,470 3,500,000 Cattle 1926 Largest station in WA. Area includes Home Valley, Karunjie and Durack River stations combined. Owned by Indigenous Land Corporation. [6]
6 Innamincka SA 13,552 5,230 3,350,000 Cattle 1872 Third largest station in SA. Size once estimated at 10,000 sq mi (25,900 km2) [7][8]
7 Wave Hill NT 13,500 5,210 3,340,000 Cattle 1883 Second largest station in NT [9]
8 Marion Downs QLD 12,460 4,810 3,080,000 Cattle before 1878 Second largest station in QLD [10]
9 Brunette Downs NT 12,212 4,720 3,020,000 Cattle 1883 Third largest station in NT [11]
10 Quinyambie SA 12,141 4,690 3,000,000 Cattle 1872 Area quoted is maximum figure quoted as nearly 3 million acres [12]
11 De Grey Station WA 12,141 4,690 3,000,000 Cattle 1869 Second largest station in WA. Area figure may be disputed, in 1886 the area quoted was "nearly three millions of acres", and would include the Pardoo outstation [13]
12 Lake Nash NT 12,000 4,630 2,970,000 Cattle before 1879 Area includes the Lake Nash, Georgina Downs and Argadargada leases. [14]
13 Macumba SA 11,063 4,270 2,730,000 Cattle before 1874 [15]
14 Andado NT 10,850 4,190 2,680,000 Cattle 1880 [16]
15 Bulloo Downs QLD 10,700 4,130 2,640,000 Cattle 1884 [16]
15 Newcastle Waters NT 10,353 4,000 2,560,000 Cattle 1883 Area includes the Powell Creek and Tandyidgee pastoral leases. [17]
16 Helen Springs NT 10,198 3,940 2,520,000 Cattle before 1885 Area includes both Helen Springs and Brunchilly outstation combined. [18]
17 Rawlinna WA 10,117 3,910 2,500,000 Sheep 1962 Largest sheep station in WA, Australia and World [19][20][21]
18 Headingly Station QLD 10,032 3,870 2,480,000 Cattle 1881 Area includes Headingly, Carandotta and Wolgra leases [22]
19 Commonwealth Hill Station SA 10,000 3,860 2,470,000 Sheep 1890 Area includes both Commonwealth Hill and Mobella outstation combined. Biggest sheep station in SA, second largest sheep station in Australia [23]
20 Walhallow Station NT 9,997 3,860 2,470,000 Cattle 1881 [24]
21 Ruby Plains WA 9,674 3,740 2,390,000 Cattle 1889 Area includes both Ruby Plains and Sturt Creek outstation combined. [25]
22 Anthony Lagoon & Eva Downs NT 9,349 3,610 2,310,000 Cattle ? Both Anthony Lagoon and Eva Downs operate as one entity [26]
23 Strathmore QLD 9,310 3,590 2,300,000 Cattle ? Largest single pastoral lease in Queensland [27]
24 Durham Downs QLD 8,910 3,440 2,200,000 Cattle 1873 [28]
25 Victoria River Downs NT 8,900 3,440 2,200,000 Cattle 1880 At one time was the largest station in Australia and the world covering 41,000 km2 [28]
26 Adria Downs QLD 8,750 3,380 2,160,000 Cattle before 1912
27 Nockatunga QLD 8,500 3,280 2,100,000 Cattle 1870 [29]
28 Tanbar QLD 8,300 3,200 2,050,000 Cattle before 1884 [30]
29 Manners Creek NT 8,090 3,120 2,000,000 Cattle 1880 [16]
29 Cordillo Downs SA 7,800 3,010 1,930,000 Cattle 1872 Grazed sheep until 1942 and was once regarded as Australia's largest sheep station. [31][32]
30 Dunbar QLD 7,770 3,000 1,920,000 Cattle before 1883 [33]
31 Arrabury QLD 7,600 2,930 1,880,000 Cattle before 1887 [34]
32 Naryilco QLD 7,510 2,900 1,860,000 Cattle before 1880 [35]
33 Mount Doreen NT 7,337 2,830 1,810,000 Cattle 1932 [36]
34 Nappa Merrie QLD 7,275 2,810 1,800,000 Cattle 1871 [37]
35 Todmorden Station SA 7,169 2,768 1,771,000 Cattle [38]
36 Madura WA 7,082 2,730 1,750,000 Sheep 1876 Originally settled to breed horses for British Army in India [39][40]
35 Gogo WA 7,082 2,730 1,750,000 Cattle 1885 [41]
37 Billa Kalina SA 7,000 2,700 1,730,000 Cattle ? Includes the Miller's Creek lease. [42]
38 Mittiebah NT 6,955 2,690 1,720,000 Cattle 1877 [43]
39 Glenormiston QLD 6,920 2,670 1,710,000 Cattle before 1881 [44]
40 Balfour Downs WA 6,800 2,630 1,680,000 Cattle before 1910 [45]
41 Durrie Station QLD 6,600 2,550 1,630,000 Cattle before 1908 [46]
42 Moola Bulla WA 6,600 2,550 1,630,000 Cattle 1910 [47]
43 Stuart Creek SA 6,500 2,510 1,610,000 Cattle [48]
44 Milly Milly WA 6,475 2,500 1,600,000 Sheep before 1879 Also has a small herd of cattle [49]
45 Coorabulka QLD 6,370 2,460 1,570,000 Cattle before 1882 [50]
46 Morney Plains QLD 6,240 2,410 1,540,000 Cattle before 1876 [51]
47 Etadunna QLD 6,216 2,400 1,540,000 Cattle before 1867 [52]
48 Tobermorey NT 5,994 2,310 1,480,000 Cattle before 1911 [53]
49 Mount Margaret QLD 5,990 2,310 1,480,000 Cattle before 1925 Has also previously been used for grazing sheep [54]
50 Mulka SA 5,600 2,160 1,380,000 Cattle before 1889 [55]
51 Elsey NT 5,334 2,060 1,320,000 Cattle 1879 The station that inspired the story and film We of the Never Never [56]
52 Henbury NT 5,273 2,040 1,300,000 Cattle 1875 Became a conservation area in 2011 [57]
53 Limbunya NT 5,222 2,020 1,290,000 Cattle before 1923 [58]
54 Argadargada NT 5,139 1,980 1,270,000 Cattle 1951 [59]
55 Diamantina Lakes QLD 5,070 1,960 1,250,000 Cattle 1876 Now a National Park [60]
56 Meda WA 5,059 1,950 1,250,000 Cattle before 1883 [61]
57 Tanumbirini NT 5,001 1,930 1,240,000 Cattle before 1908 [62]
58 South Galway Station QLD 4,876 1,880 1,200,000 Cattle Before 1884 [63]
59 Calvert Hills Station NT 4,814 1,860 1,190,000 Cattle [64]
60 Three Rivers WA 4,800 1,850 1,190,000 Sheep 1884 [65]
61 Wilgena SA 4,742 1,830 1,170,000 Sheep before 1909 Once used to graze cattle [66]
62 Austral Downs NT 4,692 1,810 1,160,000 Cattle 1883 [67]
63 Canobie QLD 4,291 1,660 1,060,000 Cattle 1864 [68]
64 Alroy Downs NT 4,232 1,630 1,050,000 Cattle 1877 [69]
65 Tanami Downs NT 4,200 1,620 1,040,000 Cattle before 1911 Formerly known as Mongrel Downs [70]
66 Auvergne NT 4,142 1,600 1,020,000 Cattle before 1886 [71]
67 Curtin Springs NT 4,050 1,560 1,000,000 Cattle 1930s [72]
68 Millungera QLD 4,047 1,560 1,000,000 Cattle 1880 [73]
69 Drysdale River WA 4,047 1,560 1,000,000 Cattle 1882 [74]
70 Banjawarn WA 4,047 1,560 1,000,000 Sheep 1903 [75]
71 El Questro Wilderness Park WA 4,047 1,560 1,000,000 Cattle 1903 The park still runs 8,000 head of cattle.
72 Louisa Downs WA 4,000 1,540 988,000 Cattle before 1933
73 Noonkanbah WA 4,000 1,540 988,000 Cattle 1880s [76]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Reshaped portfolio part of Paraway's big aims". beefcentral.com. 21 May 2016. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Anna Creek". S. Kidman & Co Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Blazing saddles". The Age. 11 June 2005. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Alexandria". Northern Australian Pastoral Company. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Davenport Downs". Paraway Pastoral Co. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  6. ^ "About Home Valley Station". Home Valley Station. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Innamincka". S. Kidman & Co Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
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  63. ^ "South Galway Station". Australian Agricultural Company. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
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