40-450: Fossil Downs Station is a pastoral lease and cattle station located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north east of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia . The first Europeans to visit the area were part of Alexander Forrest 's party who passed through in 1879, followed by Charles Hall in 1885. Hall later struck gold at Halls Creek . The station was established
80-413: A homestead where the property owner or the manager lives. Nearby cottages or staff quarters provide housing for the employees. Storage sheds and cattle yards are also sited near the homestead. Other structures depend on the size and location of the station. Isolated stations will have a mechanic's workshop, schoolroom, a small general store to supply essentials, and possibly an entertainment or bar area for
120-593: A better future in the beef cattle industry. The North Australian Pastoral Company Pty Limited (NAPCO) is now one of Australia's largest beef cattle producers, with a herd of over 180,000 cattle and fourteen cattle stations in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Australian Agricultural Company (AA Co) manages a cattle herd of more than 585,000 head. Heytesbury Beef Pty Ltd owns and manages over two hundred thousand head of cattle across eight stations spanning
160-472: A carrying capacity of over 22,000 head of cattle. The livestock manager since 2010 has been Peter "Jed" O'Brien, but the property also grows fodder for livestock using three centre-pivot irrigators and is experimenting with tropical grain crops. The station contains large areas of river flats that are quite fertile and grow a variety of herbage suitable for fodder, including Mitchell grass , Flinders grass , rice grass, ribbon grass and bundle bundle. The growth
200-589: A chain of cattle stations along the sources of water, from the Gulf of Carpentaria , into South Australia to be within easy droving distance of the Adelaide markets. Aborigines have long played a big part in the cattle industry where they were competent stockmen on the cattle stations of the north. In 1950 it was legislated that the Aboriginal workers were now to be paid cash wages. Many cattle stations were established along
240-549: A clip of 1419 bales of wool . The property and surrounding areas were severely flooded in 1914, and again in 1938 resulting in the death of a former jockey, William Skinner, who drowned in the flooded Nerrima River. Kim Rose was appointed manager at Liveringa in 1930; Rose was a director of the Kimberley Pastoral company that owned the property. Later the same year a freak deluge of rain left 210,000 acres (850 km ) of land underwater and drowned 30,000 sheep. In 1949
280-689: A specific type of Aboriginal settlement, also known as a homeland community , it is still used on cattle stations today, for example the Sturt Creek Outstation of the Ruby Plains Station in The Kimberley , among others. The cattle station now known as Pigeon Hole was until 2000 an outstation of the Victoria River Downs Station . Charles Brown Fisher and Maurice Lyons, a Melbourne magistrate stocked Victoria River Downs in
320-658: Is a pastoral lease in Western Australia that once operated as a sheep station but presently operates as a cattle station . Situated about 5 kilometres (3 mi) south east of the Looma Community and about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south east of Derby in the Kimberley region, the property has a 100-kilometre (62 mi) frontage on the Fitzroy River , which forms its southern boundary. Comprising an area of 2,650 square kilometres (1,023 sq mi), it has
360-401: Is located on the station 2.7 kilometres (2 mi) from the homestead , but on the other side of the river. The community was originally situated nearer the homestead but was moved in the 1990s and has a population of approximately 100 people, all of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The station's name is derived from fossilised animals and plants that are found in the many limestone outcrops,
400-422: Is so prolific that the areas have been cut and baled as a reserve for the dry season. The homestead group consists of the main house, workers' kitchen and dining room, meat house, shearers' quarters, workshop and the garden. The main house has stone walls with cement mortar and corrugated iron roofing. The surrounding verandah has steel supports and unlined timber purloins. It was built in the 1880s and 1890s and
440-539: The Gogo Formation , in the area. While many stations in the Kimberley have experienced a decline in native pastures, mostly from overgrazing , Fossil Downs has bucked the trend thanks to years of collecting seed by hand from good pastures and spreading them over the rest of the property as well as rotational grazing . The return of mulla mulla in feed, with its high protein content is good for cattle and also good for
SECTION 10
#1732917512339480-578: The Great Dividing Range where only cattle raising was possible because of dingo attacks on sheep. The original Kunderang Station, on the eastern fall of the Great Dividing Range was taken up by Captain George Jobling as an outstation, and later sold under the Subdivision of Runs Act 1884. Kunderang was one of the few Great Dividing Range stations which was inhabited. The isolated homestead here,
520-970: The Ord River region. The Gordon brothers and Nathaniel Buchanan took up Wave Hill on the Victoria River in 1883, one of the first cattle stations established west of the Telegraph Line. Their nearest neighbour was 200 miles (322 km) away. By 1898 James Tyson (8 April 1819 – 4 December 1898), held 5,329,214 acres (2,156,680 ha) including 352,332 acres (142,585 ha) freehold. His stations included Bangate, Goondublui, Juanbung, Tupra and Mooroonowa in New South Wales; Heyfield in Victoria; and Glenormiston , Swanvale, Meteor Downs and Albinia Downs, Babbiloora, Carnarvon, Tully, Wyobie, Felton, Mount Russell and Tinnenburra in Queensland. Sidney Kidman (1857–1935) set up
560-561: The Top End heat and cattle ticks . The Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign (BTEC) was a national program to eradicate bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis that commenced in 1970 after years of local jurisdictional activities. In the 1970s, interest rates soared and the American beef market collapsed causing the beef depression. A fat bullock was then worth less than a pair of locally made elastic side riding boots. The cattle herd
600-488: The Air , but many children in remote areas went to boarding school for their secondary education. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is available to remote stations in outback Australia. Historically, an outstation was a subsidiary homestead or other dwelling on Australian sheep or cattle stations that was more than a day's return travel from the main homestead. Although the term later came to be more commonly used to describe
640-547: The East Kimberley, Victoria River and Barkly Tablelands regions in Northern Australia. Cattle station has a parallel term, sheep station , for those stations carrying sheep rather than cattle. In most cases the stations are in a rangeland context on pastoral leases . Many are larger than small countries. Some stations are not exclusively sheep or cattle stations but have a mix of cattle, sheep and even goats to make
680-706: The MacDonalds, formed a partnership to stock and equip the station in Western Australia. The McKenzies paid the £25 for the first year's rent and the families departed their New South Wales properties in March 1883. Donald MacDonald died early on the journey after being thrown from a horse, leaving two of his sons, Charles and William, to drive the stock 5,600 kilometres (3,480 mi) to the new property. They left with 700 head of cattle and 60 horses, encountering drought conditions as they trekked through Queensland . Arriving at
720-464: The MacDonalds. Charles MacDonald died in 1903 and William in 1910, leaving the property to Dan MacDonald. The station prospered and MacDonald expanded by taking over the leases of surrounding properties and also began to strengthen his stock by infusing Red Poll cattle into the Shorthorn herd. The station was exporting some 1,500 head annually to Java via Derby by 1915. In the early 1920s, despite
760-468: The McLarty brothers along with sheep, horses, cattle and provisions from Fremantle to King Sound . Upon landing, the stock were driven to Yeeda Creek for fresh water before continuing inland to set up camp at Liveringa. The first homestead , shearing shed , woolshed and storeroom were constructed between 1886 and 1888. The homestead and outbuildings were constructed under the supervision of John McLarty
800-404: The company owned seven prime Kimberley stations covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres (7,722 sq mi) and carrying 100,000 head of cattle. Among the properties acquired were Camballin and Liveringa stations. At Liveringa the company cleared 25,000 hectares (61,776 acres) of land to grow sorghum under flood irrigation; the crop was then used in company feedlots to fatten cattle. In 1972
840-524: The drought of 1924 and problems with cattle ticks , pastoralists in the area continued to prosper with the opening of an abattoir in Wyndham and the establishment of a stock route from Wyndham to the central Kimberley. Cattle king Sidney Kidman bought a half share in Fossil Downs in the 1920s for £75,000, which Dan MacDonald bought back in 1928 with the help of his brother Duncan, making him sole owner of
SECTION 20
#1732917512339880-462: The early 1880s. Drover , Nathaniel Buchanan (1826–1901), overlanded 20,000 head of cattle from Wilmot to Victoria River Downs in c.1881 to establish their cattle venture. Previously Nat had from 1860 to 1867, stocked and managed Bowen Downs Station near Longreach, Queensland . Buchanan was associated with the opening up and stocking of several cattle stations in the Victoria River district and
920-529: The environment with its ability to stabilize soil. The lessee in 2012 was WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd; Fossil Downs is operating under the Crown Lease number CL126-1989 and has the Land Act number LA3114/1248. In 2015 Gina Rinehart acquired Fossil Downs after it was placed on the market for the first time in 133 years. The 4,000-square-kilometre (1,544 sq mi) property was stocked with 15,000 head of cattle and
960-691: The following year when cattle arrived from the eastern states to stock the lease. The lease had been issued in 1883 to Dan MacDonald for the MacDonald family, who were living in Cliffords Creek, New South Wales at the time. He applied for an area of 100 square miles (259 km) at the junction of the Margaret and Fitzroy Rivers . The MacDonalds, together with the McKenzie family from the junction near Tuena , who were close friends and related through marriage to
1000-442: The herd by introducing a crossbreeding program to produce red lines suitable for live export or sale into southern markets. Red brangus bulls were introduced over the brahman -based herd at another property, Nerrima, and the heifers produced taken to Liveringa. Gina Rinehart acquired a 50% stake in both Liveringa and neighbouring Nerrima Station in 2014. Rinehart teamed up with agribusiness group Milne Agrigroup who already owned
1040-485: The inaugural manager of the property. The buildings were situated on a knoll with a view over a billabong and the Fitzroy River. The original homestead was made of bush timbers and corrugated iron and was demolished in 1908 by the third manager of Liveringa, Percy Rose, who was building a new one. The new homestead was constructed of local sandstone . In 1911 the station was carrying a flock of 98,000 sheep and yielded
1080-456: The last of the sheep were sold off to stations in the Pilbara and the only stock remaining were cattle. The Australian Land and Cattle Company collapsed in the 1980s. In 1973, a 6,000 hectares (14,826 acres) portion of the property to the west of the homestead was excised and reserved for the Looma Community . In 2002 the property commenced the process of gradually changing the genetic base of
1120-402: The owner less vulnerable to changes in the wool or beef prices. The phrase is also in traditional Australian English to denote something large and/or important. Liveringa 18°02′56″S 124°10′19″E / 18.049°S 124.172°E / -18.049; 124.172 ( Liveringa ) Liveringa or Liveringa Station , often referred to as Upper Liveringa Station ,
1160-454: The owners and staff. Water may be supplied from a river, bores or dams , in conjunction with rainwater tanks. Nowadays, if rural mains power is not connected, electricity is typically provided by a generator, although solar electricity systems have become increasingly common. Children were originally educated by correspondence lessons , often supervised by a governess , and via the School of
1200-410: The property again. Dan MacDonald's son William bought into the property in 1931 and when his father died in 1939, William assumed control of Fossil Downs. A trained architect, William demolished the old wood and iron homestead that had suffered termite damage and designed a new homestead to be constructed some 14 kilometres (9 mi) away from the old one, for his new bride Maxine. By the early 1950s
1240-566: The property in June 1886 with 327 cattle and 13 horses, the brothers reunited with Dan and set up camp. This is thought to be the longest overland cattle drove in Australia's history. The gold rush at Halls Creek provided a nearby market for beef so the MacDonald brothers continued to run the property while the McKenzies financed the operating costs. In c. 1900 , the McKenzies sold their stake to
Fossil Downs Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-434: The property occupied 700,000 acres (2,833 km ) and the station recorded over 14 inches (356 mm) of rain in a week, resulting in more stock losses. It had 800 miles (1,287 km) of fencing dividing the property into 60 paddocks. For the previous few years an average of 57,000 sheep had been shorn each year. The area was struck by drought between 1951 and 1953 with the number of cattle being reduced by half. This
1320-589: The sale price was not disclosed, but estimated to be between A$ 25 and 30 million. Cattle station In Australia and New Zealand, a cattle station is a large farm ( station is equivalent to the American ranch ), the main activity of which is the rearing of cattle. The owner of a cattle station is called a grazier . The largest cattle station in the world is Anna Creek Station in South Australia , which covers an area of 23,677 square kilometres (9,142 sq mi; 5,851,000 acres). Each station has
1360-515: The station's size was estimated at 1,000,000 acres (4,047 km) and had over 20,000 branded cattle with 20 white staff and 60 Aboriginal employees. In 1952(?) at Fossil Downs Homestead, Preston Walker of United Aborigines Mission Fitzroy Crossing married the head stockman and his bride, a nursing sister from Darwin. A large proportion of the West Kimberley was afflicted by drought in 1952 and 1953, including Fossil Downs. Virtually all feed
1400-735: Was built of solid Australian red cedar ( Toona ciliata ). Several major events have affected cattle stations starting with the Second World War and including the beef depression of the early 1970s, the technological achievements of the 1980s and the advent of live export markets in the more recent years. Roads and communications were greatly improved as a result of the War. Many of the Northern Territory cattle stations had been previously owned by English companies who also did not pay tax in Australia. The 33,280 square kilometres Victoria River Downs
1440-479: Was classified by the National Trust in 2005. The Kimberley Pastoral Company was formed in 1881 and won the lottery to acquire the leasehold for the area of land. The syndicate consisted of William Marmion , M. C. Davies , brothers George and William Silas Pearse , and Robert Frederick Sholl , with brothers William and John McLarty as minor shareholders. The vessel Amur was chartered to take A. Cornish and
1480-495: Was lost and even many native trees started dying as a result of intense heat and lack of water. The number of cattle in the area was reduced by half. This was the first drought suffered by pastoralists in 70 years, with many hurriedly sinking bores and buying feed to keep their stock alive. Other nearby properties that were affected were Noonkanbah , Liveringa , Quandan, Gogo , Glenroy , Cherrabun , Luiluigui, Christmas Creek and Bohemia Downs Station. The remote Muludja community
1520-555: Was reduced to 21.8 million by 1978 in the wake of this crash. Roads and communications were further improved as a result of the Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign. In 1979, a disastrous drought struck and continued into 1983 becoming one of Australia's worst droughts. Helicopters were now being used to assist in mustering in the 1980s. Australia entered the Japanese beef market in 1988 with improved expectations for
1560-761: Was sold in March 1909 to Lord Luke's Bovril Australian Estates for AU£180,000 and until 1950 they were not paying taxes to the Australian Government. In 1950 income tax was introduced to Northern Territory land owners. The very large stations were subdivided and country was available with reasonable conditions of tenure. This saw an influx of adventurous, working stockmen, with many doing well by mustering 'cleanskins' (unbranded cattle) on their new land. Zebu cattle were imported from Pakistan in 1956 and Brahman cattle were also brought from United States at about that time. Many new breeds were developed from these imports and this led to cattle that were much more tolerant to
1600-456: Was the first drought suffered by pastoralists in 70 years, with many hurriedly sinking bores and buying feed to keep their stock alive. Other nearby properties that were affected were Noonkanbah , Cherrabun , Quandan, Gogo , Glenroy , Fossil Downs , Luilugui, Christmas Creek and Bohemia Downs Station. The Australian Land and Cattle Company was incorporated in 1969 in Western Australia by Jack Miller Fletcher and Corey Crutcher. At its height,
#338661