*Note, the information on this page is relevant to 2017.
Host: DPIRD Aboriginal Economic Development Program
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Aboriginal Economic Development (AED) project function within the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) aims to unlock significant and impactful regional Aboriginal economic development opportunities. It builds local capacity and supports new business and jobs for Aboriginal people through primary industries and strategic regional projects.
The program is comprised of 12 staff members working from Broome, Carnarvon, Geraldton, Perth, Esperance and Albany. We work with multiple business across the state on an invitation-only basis. These businesses produce a range of agricultural goods such as beef, sheep, honey and traditional Aboriginal foods. We now work with a wider range of businesses than ever before including tourism and contracting companies. However, since we are writing for Central station blog, we will focus on pastoral properties.
In Western Australia, there are 55 Aboriginal pastoral leases held by culturally and geographically diverse communities, 39 of these leases are found in the Kimberley and Pilbara. Many of these properties are isolated with varying skill-sets. The project aims to build relationships with properties and provide support in the form of business mentoring, training and in-situ skills development.
Our blog posts will shed some light on what we’ve achieved over the years, the lessons we’ve learnt along the way and of course, some funny stories (well…. we think we’re funny anyway!).
Madeline Anderson (Yallalie Farm), Darrylin Gordon (Lamboo Station), Daisy Goodwin (AED), Lexi Mourambine (Yallalie Farm) on a visit to Roxy Downs station, SA.
Harry Curtin of East Kimberley Cattle Company and AED officer, Kevin May.
Kira Tracey (AED) with Wongutha Christian Aboriginal Parent School agricultural student planting Youlk (native food) seedlings.
Episode 72. Rebecca Cadzow – The decision to downsize
With two cattle stations in the Northern Territory, a cattle property in Queensland, and a helicopter business, Rebecca and Steven Cadzow were in the perfect position to continue expanding their business interests and develop a pastoral empire that so many dream of. But, instead they made the decision to downsize to just one cattle station. […]
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Taking a life
Written by Steph Coombes. “We’re going to do a killer, would you like to come?” “Sure!”, I replied enthusiastically. “I haven’t done a killer in years!” My enthusiasm wasn’t toward the prospect of killing an animal, but the opportunity to be involved in harvesting meat. I consider it to be an incredible privilege. Knives were […]
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Episode 70. Helen Kempe – The life of “Miss Helen”
Helen Kempe was born on Macumba Station in 1950, as the fourth generation of her family to be involved in the S Kidman and Co Pastoral empire. At the age of 16 Helen moved to the Northern Territory and to this day she has never left. Everyone knows Miss Helen, and Miss Helen knows everyone. […]
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Episode 69. Mitch Scott – It’s now or never
What would you do if you knew your life was going to change irrevocably, and there was nothing you could do to stop it? That’s the predicament Mitch Scott found himself in when he was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome – a rare genetic disorder primarily characterized by deafness and a progressive loss of vision. In […]
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Sex and the Station
“Here’s the RFDS box. It’s got everything in it, from Panadol to the morning-after-pill. Just come see me if you need it.” If I need it? I reel back in horror. What kind of first impression have I made on the station wife if I’m already being shown the emergency contraception? Scanning my potential shagees, my […]
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Episode 67. Frances Cooper – Something was missing
After high school, Frances Cooper ticked all the boxes society told her to: go to university, get a great job, land a promotion, and keep climbing the career ladder. On paper, Fran’s life looked like hard work and success. But… something was missing. So, in her late 20’s she took off to Africa – a […]
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Ode the the MacDonnell Ranges in the time of COVID-19
Written by Tanya Heaslip The ochre painted ranges of Central Australia loom large as the sun slips to the west. The intense glow subsumes its rocks and plateaus and ridges, one by one, into a wall of fire. It is pure, iridescent gold. Sitting long and high, running east to west as far as the eye […]
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Episode 66. Matilda Robinson – An open chat about Mental Health
Conversations in the agricultural and rural community pertaining to mental health generally don’t go beyond raising awareness of mental health itself and what it is. We think it’s time for the conversation to move forward from simplying saying “It’s ok not to be ok”, and to discuss what we can do to look after ourselves […]
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Episode 64. Norman Fisher – The Croc wrangling, buffalo breeding Cattleman
We all know that when you work on a cattle station, you’re bound to come across creatures other than cattle. If you’re in the desert country, it might be camels and donkeys – and if you’re way up high in the top end, you’ll probably see water buffalo, and if you’re lucky… or … well… […]
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Want to work on a Live Export ship?
Being a shipboard stockie is a great way to use your livestock handling skills and broaden your career options – and there’s an online course starting soon! It’s run by LiveCorp, which manages the accreditation program for live export stock handlers. They’re responsible for caring for cattle during the voyage, with help from the ship’s […]
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Episode 63. Jodie Grant – Fighting Cancer on a cattle station
Living so far from town is often one of the perks that draws people to work on a cattle station. When you live out bush you can enjoy wide open spaces and often your neighbours are tens of kilometres away, if not hundreds. But what happens when you need services which are only provided in […]
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Episode 61. Tylah Bonisch – Her first year as Head Stockwoman
Since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, Tylah Bonisch knew she wanted to work with cattle and horses. She didn’t travel to the north for a gap year, but to start her career in the pastoral industry. In this episode Tylah and I speak about her time in the industry so far, and how she […]
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Flying Shy
Most stations have a plane or a helicopter, and at some point you’re going to get offered a flight. Here’s how to totally ruin your chances of ever having a second go. 6am and we’re just pulling up to the airstrip – a wide gravel road a short way from the homestead. Inside the old […]
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Episode 60. Jess Di Pasquale – Equine adventures in Australia and abroad
Jess Di Pasquale is a born and bred Territory girl. Even though her childhood was colored with living on and visiting cattle stations, she went on the excel in the English equine discipline of Mounted Games, competing overseas 3 times while Representing Australia. In this episode, Jess shares her latests plans to compete in the […]
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Episode 58. Danyelle Haigh – Don’t judge this book by its cover
Let’s be honest, we love to judge. It’s second nature to take someone at face value and make assumptions about them. In social science, this phenomenon is called schema are mental structures that an individual uses to organize knowledge and guide cognitive processes and behaviour. So what that means, is that we use Schema to categorize objects and […]
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From brats to bovines
Written by Sarah Johnson It started off as a distant dream back when I was in high school. You know.. the good old year 10 subject “careers”, when it’s that dreaded time where you’re almost an adult and have to start making career choices. Everyone else was expressing that they wanted to become lawyers, engineers, […]
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Episode 57. Luke Hayes – Venturing off the pastoral pathway
Luke Hayes was born a 6th generation pastoralist on Deep Well Station in Central Australia. You’d be forgiven if you assumed that Luke was planning to continue in the same line of work as the previous 5 generations of his family – it just makes sense, right? However, that is not Luke’s story. As a […]
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Rain man
Written by James Christian There’s nothing more satisfying than having a property owner leave you in charge for a bit while they take off on holiday, and when they return you can honestly report that nothing is broken or lost, and that the livestock are healthy and fat, the dams are full and the grass […]
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Episode 55. Tanya Heaslip – An Alice Girl
Tanya was raised on a cattle station north of Alice Springs during the 1960s and 1970s. The stories from her childhood sound like something out of book – too wild and wonderful to be true. As it turns out – they are so extraordinary Tanya has published them into a memoir called An Alice Girl, […]
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First Impressions Count
When is it too early to ask your new boss about the existence of aliens? Day two, probably. So we’re out on a windmill run. The station owner might need a hand pulling a windmill (or is it pulling a bore? Not sure….) As he climbs the precarious ladder up the side of this rusty […]
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An Alice Girl
An Alice Girl is Tanya Heaslip’s extraordinary story of growing up in the late 1960s and early 70s on a vast and isolated outback cattle property just north of Alice Springs. Tanya’s parents, Janice and Grant ‘the Boss’, were pioneers. They developed the cattle station where water was scarce, where all power was dependent on […]
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When the boss bought home a wife
A copy by memory of poems by W. DeBeuzeville, who worked for Berte Wilkinson at Yallowin (a stock dealer in the years 1905, 1906, and 1907, before the days of motor cars). When the boss bought home a wife Yes, he’s married is the old boss now, And leads a quiet life A sitting round […]
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Episode 54. Steph Coombes – It takes a village
Welcome to the final Central Station podcast for 2020! As per usual, you’re listening to me, Steph Coombes, who is the host of this podcast and who also manages all of the Central Station platforms. Today’s episode has been inspired by Lucy Daley, who featured on Episode 52. When asked what message would she put […]
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When the warning signs aren’t there
Written by Lara Jensen, Wondinong Station I answered the knock at the door the night my brother and his two friends were killed. It was just before midnight when two local police officers arrived at our Murchison homestead. Shearing was due to start the following day. Around our kitchen table, we learnt that three beautiful […]
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International Contributors
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AGP Indonesia (2013-2015)
Host: Lisa Wood Company: PT. Agro Giri Perkasa (AGP) Business: Importer of Cattle to Indonesia Location: Indonesia My Role: Traceability Manager Short bit about myself: I came to Indonesia as a traceability officer on a steel fabrication project for a WA mining project. While I was working on this project The Ban occurred. I remember […]
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Hodgson River Station (2013-2015)
Location: Hodgson River Station, NT Website: Cattle Producer Hello Central station readers, I’m located in the NT with my husband and 2 children. We operate a small cattle property in the Roper Gulf breeding Droughtmasters. Our main turnoff is to the live cattle export trade, particularly Indonesia but also the countries that take heavier […]
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Katherine Outback Experience (2016-)
Host: Katherine Outback Experience, Riverboyne Horsebreaking & Training Manager/ owner: Tom Curtain Region: Katherine, Northern Territory Nearest town for shopping: Katherine – 6km Nearest roadhouse: Katherine Number of Cattle: 1 Brahman steer, his name is ‘Tin Shaker’! Number of Staff: 2 Size of Property: 20 acres How often and how the mail is delivered: Mail is […]
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Helen Springs Station (2015)
Host: Helen Springs Station Managers/ Owners: Helen Springs Station is owned by S. Kidman and Co Ltd and is managed by Chris Towne, along with his wife Sally Towne. Brunchilly, the outstation to Helen Springs, is managed by Luke Giblin. Region: Helen Springs and Brunchilly are situated in the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory. Nearest town […]
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Undoolya Station (2018-)
Station Name: Undoolya Station Owners/Manager: Ben and Nicole Hayes Region: Alice Springs, Northern Territory Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Alice Springs, 30km Nearest Roadhouse:Alice Springs, 30km Number of Cattle: 5000 Breeders Number of Staff: Size of Station: How often and how is the mail delivered: How often and how the stores shopping is done:
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Manners Creek Station (2014)
Location: QLD/ NT Border Let me first introduce myself- I’m Jodie and together with my husband Dusty and three daughters Willow (1 year old), Jaz (2.5 years old) and Emily (15 years old) we manage Manners Creek Station- a cattle station on the QLD/NT border. Manners Creek is just under two millions acres in size […]
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Florina Station (2020-)
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Tobermorey Station (2019-)
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Hidden Valley Station (2019-)
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Mt Riddock Station (2020-)
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Steph Coombes (2015-)
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Guest Contributors (2013-)
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Mandora Station (2018-)
Host: Mandora Station Managers/Owners: Owners – Jane and Haydn Sale; Managers – Ben and Caitlin Mills Region: West Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Port Hedland, 250 to the west, and Broome, 350km to the east Nearest Roadhouse: Sandfire – 20km Number of cattle: approx. 3500 Number of staff: 4 permanent, 2 seasonal […]
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Kadaitcha Pastoral Company (2016-)
Host: Kadaitcha Pastoral Company Owner: Sam Chisholm and James Christian Managers: As above Region: Central Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Alice Springs Nearest roadhouse: Tilmouth Well Roadhouse Number of cattle: 800 Number of staff: 2 – 5 Size of station: 110 square kilometres How often and how the mail is delivered: Once a […]
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Lake Nash Station (2015-2017)
Host: Lake Nash Station Managers/ Owners: Managers Fred and Sarah Hughes, Owned by Georgina Pastoral Company Region: Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory. Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Mount Isa Nearest roadhouse: Camooweal Number of cattle: 60, 000 head Number of staff: 35 Size of station: 4.2 million acres How often and how the mail is delivered: Monday/Thursday by road. Mail plane Friday. How often and […]
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Legune Station (2015-2017)
Host: Legune Station Managers/ Owners: Privately Owned (Australian owned), Managed by Cameron & Belinda Rasheed Region: Kimberley Region, Northern Territory Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Kununurra WA, 120kms and across the NT/WA border Nearest roadhouse: Kununurra Number of cattle: 30,000 head Number of staff: Anywhere from 3 staff in the Wet Season to 25 staff in the Dry Season List of […]
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Liveringa Station (2013-2016)
Host: Liveringa Station Managers: Peter and Karen O’Brien Region: The Kimberley, WA Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Looma community clinic for minor medical issues (20 mins) otherwise Derby for shopping/doctor (1 hr, 15 mins) Nearest roadhouse: Willare Number of cattle: 12,500 breeding cows. Total 20,000 head Number of staff: 30 Size of station: 265,000 hectares / 2650 km2 or 654,000 acres How […]
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Bovine brokers (What do Livestock agents actually do?)
Welcome to the Cattle Station Classroom In today’s lesson we are going to be learning about livestock agents. Most of us kind of know the basics of what a livestock agent does – buy and sell livestock – that bit is pretty obvious, but there’s a fair bit more to it and that’s why I […]
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Challa Station (2019-)
Ashley and Debbie Dowden live at Challa with their children. The children study on School of the Air with Debbie as their home tutor. When they reach high school they move to a boarding school in Perth to further their education. Their three daughters have left for the “big smoke” and their young son will […]
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Aileron Station (2020-)
Host: Aileron Station Managers: Craig and Sarah Cook Region: Central Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Alice Springs, 130km Nearest Roadhouse: Aileron – about 100m next door! Number of cattle: Number of staff: 2 – depends on the season Size of station: How often and how the mail is delivered: Twice a week via the […]
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Kachana Station (2018-)
Station Name: Kachana Station Managers/ Owners: Chris and Jacqueline Henggeler Region: Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town: Kununurra – 120km Nearest roadhouse: Doon Doon Roadhouse 80 min by air Number of cattle: 300 Number of staff: family and volunteer based Size of station: 77,500 ha How often and how the mail is delivered: no delivery service – […]
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Yougawalla Pastoral Co. (2013-)
Host: Yougawalla Pastoral Company Managers/ Owners: Haydn and Jane Sale (part owners and managers). Region: Kimberley WA Pastoral Leases: Yougawalla Station- East Kimberley- Halls Creek Shire Bulka Station- Central Kimberley- Derby Shire Margaret River Station- East Kimberley- Halls Creek Shire Agistment on Aboriginal owned Pastoral Leases: Bohemia Downs […]
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Dr. Jillian Kelly (2018-)
Host: Jillian Kelly Location: New South Wales Hi, I’m Jillian Kelly, writing as “Miss Vet” based at Coonamble in central west NSW. I am a large animal veterinarian working with sheep and beef cattle producers to improve their on farm biosecurity, welfare, productivity and therefore profitability! I’ve always had an interest in the bush and […]
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Kalyeeda Station (2013-)
Host: Kalyeeda Station Managers/ Owners: Kalyeeda is a family owned and run station headed by Peter and Cheryl Camp who have owned the property for nearly 20 years. Region: Kalyeeda is found between the Fitzroy River and the Great Sandy Desert in the West Kimberley of WA Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Derby is our closest town […]
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Kilcowera Station (2018-)
Host: Kilcowera Station Owner/Managers: Toni and Greg Sherwin Region: Channel Country, Queensland Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Thargomindah is our nearest town. It has a small roadhouse, a post office, a pub, a grocery store, a Toyota dealership, a police station and a small outpatients clinic that is serviced once a week by the Royal Flying […]
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Latrobe Station (2019-)
Station Names: Latrobe & Arlington Park Managers/ Owners: Owned & operated by Donald & Wendy Brown, and daughter Jody. Region: Central Western Queensland Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc.: Longreach Nearest roadhouse: Longreach Number of cattle: Generally between 800 to 1000 breeders, less now due to drought. Number of sheep: Generally approximately 2000 ewes. […]
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Mallina Station (2019-)
Host: Mallina Station Owners/ Managers: Owned by Bettini Beef, managed by Ben and Lindsay Newland Region: Pilbara Closest Town: Port Hedland, 90kms away Closest Roadhouse: 90kms at Port Hedland or you can go the same sort of distance in the other direction to get to Roebourne. Whim Creek Pub is only 20kms away but it […]
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Lochon Contracting (2013-2015)
Host: Tini O’Loughlin Location: Northern Western Australia Catching wild bulls, mustering cattle, building yards, putting up fences! … that is what we do. We are Tini and Locky from LOCHON Contracting. Of course it is not just the two of us. We work in a team of four to ten people. To put up fences […]
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Meda Station (2019-)
Station Name: Meda Station Owners/Manager: Meda Station is managed by Troy Haslet and is owned by Jumbuck Pastoral, a family owned Adelaide based company. Region: West Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Derby – 40km Nearest Roadhouse: Colac Roadhouse, Derby – 40km Number of Cattle: 11,500 Breeders Number of Staff: 12-14 during the dry season, dropping back to 3 […]
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Mt Sarah Station (2017-2020)
Host: Mount Sarah Station Managers/Owners: Managers – Cameron and Kirsty Williams. Owner: Williams Cattle Company Region: Far North, South Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Adelaide – 1120km, Alice Springs – 650km, Coober Pedy – 280km (Grocery shopping), Oodnadatta – 80km (RFDS flies in fortnightly for a clinic) Nearest Roadhouse: Oodnadatta – home of […]
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Mt. Bundy Station
Host: Mt. Bundy Station Managers/ Owners: Scott and Sue Witham Region: Darwin/ “Top End”, Northern Territory Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Adelaide River, 3km, the nearest major center is Darwin, 110km away, Katherine 200km Nearest roadhouse: Adelaide River, 3km Number of cattle: 1000 head Number of staff: 7 Size of station: 8000 ha (19,738 acres) How often and how the mail […]
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Mudgeacca Station (2018-)
Station Name: Mudgeacca Station Manager: Claire Britton Owners: Goodwood Pastoral Company; Rick and Ann Britton Region: Western QLD Channel Country Nearest Town for shopping: Boulia 23km with general store and Health Clinic, Mount Isa 320km is our major town. Nearest Roadhouse: Boulia 23km Number of cattle: 1,500 breeders Number of staff: 2 permanent, 5 work on other properties for the company/day workers Size […]
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Myroodah Station (2013-2016)
Managers/ Owners: Chris & Pam Daniell (Managers)/Indigenous Land Corporation (owners) Region: West Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: One & a half hours drive to Derby in dry season. At least 3 and a half hours when we cannot cross the Fitzroy River (Christmas through to easter usually). Nearest roadhouse: Willare Roadhouse is about 120km away. Number of […]
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Mystery Park (2014-2015)
Host: Tess Camm Location: Central Queensland In 1926, Jack McArthur drew a 3,420 acre lot from the old Waverley station with the winnings of racehorse named Mystery Lad. Three generations later, Mystery Park is a thriving 12,000 hectare property bearing home to Rob & Ainsley McArthur and their six children, Tess, Andrew, Lachlan, Hamish, Adelaide […]
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NKL Contracting (2017)
Host: NKL Contracting Location: Pilbara Region, WA Nat and Kayde Lehman have been in the contract mustering game for nearly 10 years. After running their own successful mustering and fencing business throughout Northern Territory and Western Australia, they have since traded their gypsie life and are now managing Uaroo Station in the Pilbara.
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Noreena Downs Station (2013-)
Host: Noreena Downs Station Managers/ Owners: The Paull family Region: East Pilbara Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Newman 156kms away Nearest roadhouse: Nullagine 71 kms away Number of cattle: Lots of happy Cattle Number of staff: 7 crew plus 3 full time family members Size of station: 910,128 acres of pure delight How often and how the mail is delivered: We pick it […]
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Robert Johnstone
Robert Johnstone is the owner and operator of Bovine Reproduction Services, a private business based in Central Queensland and servicing Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The following story is his personal account of his passion for the beef industry and the many benefits pregnancy testing and spaying of female cattle contributes to the […]
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Soudan Station (2015)
Host: Soudan Station (Outstation of Alexandria Station) Managers/ Owners: Owner- North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) Manager- Stephen Bryce Overseer- Shane Ferriday Region: Barkly Tablelands, NT Nearest town for doctors, shopping etc: Mt Isa (300 km) Nearest roadhouse: Camooweal Roadhouse (110 km) Number of cattle: 10,500 head Number of staff: 13 Size of station: 1.3 million acres How often and how the […]
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Dr. Ross Ainsworth (2015-2017)
Host: Ross Ainsworth Location: Indonesia Website: Southeast Asian Beef Market Report Ross Ainsworth is a veterinarian with 40 years of experience in the Australian beef industry. The last 35 years have been between spent mainly in the Northern Territory of Australia with frequent travel to Southeast Asia. His experience ranges from government and private veterinary practice, […]
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Southampton Station (2013-2017)
Host: Southampton Managers/ Owners: John & Queenie Kilpatrick and Kylie Savidge. Region: South West Queensland, Maranoa Warrego, Roma Regional Shire. Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: St George, 110 km. Nearest roadhouse: St George Number of cattle: 700 breeding head in a normal season, currently only 500 breeding cows. Number of staff: 3 permanent and […]
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Rutland Plains Station (2019-)
Station Name: Rutland Plains Owners: MDH Pty Ltd. Managers: Ken and Liz Cameron Region: Northern Gulf, Queensland Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Cairns Nearest roadhouse: Chillagoe Number of cattle: 15,000 Number of staff (approx.): 15 Size of station: 770,000 acres How often and how the mail is delivered: Mail plane comes every Friday How […]
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Yeeda Pastoral Co. (2013-2015)
Host: Yeeda Pastoral Company Managers/ Owners: Jack & Vicki Burton Region: West Kimberley – Kilto Station, Yeeda Station, Mt Jowlaenga Station East Kimberley – Springvale Station, Texas Downs, Alice Downs & Mabel Downs Geraldton and Goldfields – Spring Park and Karragully Farms, Jeedamya, Melita & Kookynie Stations Our Export Yards & Irrigation operation Broome – […]
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Yarrie Station (2013-)
Host: Yarrie Station Managers/ Owners: Annabelle Coppin Region: Pilbara, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Marble Bar – approx. 90kms via gravel then 50km sealed (nurse, pub) Port Hedland – approx. 50km gravel, 200km sealed (Stores, parts, freight) Nearest roadhouse: Pardoo 100km Number of cattle: 5000 head Number of staff: 8 in […]
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Wooleen Station (2019-)
Host: Wooleen Station Managers/ Owners: David and Frances Pollock Region: Murchison, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Mullewa is our closest town at 200kms. However we always keep driving to Geraldton at 300kms to take advantage of everything this major centre offers. Nearest roadhouse: 38kms Number of cattle: Very variable! We go from completely […]
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White Kangaroo Station (2015)
Managers/ Owners: Sarah Streeter (Manager and family member) Region: North Queensland (Collinsville/Bowen) Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Collinsville and Bowen (both approximately 50km) Nearest roadhouse: As above Number of cattle: Approximately 900 Number of staff (approx.): One (yours truly) Size of station: Approximately 7000 hectares (17,000 acres) How often and how the mail is delivered: We do not have a postal delivery […]
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Warrawagine Cattle Co. (2013-2015)
Location: Warrawagine Station- East Pilbara, WA Wallal Station- West Kimberley, WA Facebook page: ThePilbaraLife Warrawagine Cattle Co. is a family owned business made up of Warrawagine & Wallal Stations. Warrawagine Station is in the east Pilbara region of Western Australia with three generations calling it home. Warrawagine […]
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Umbearra Station (2019-)
Station Name: Umbearra Station Managers/Owners: McKay family – Angus and Kimberley Region: Central Australia Nearest Town: Alice Springs (320km) Nearest Roadhouse: Kulgera Number of Cattle: 7500 Number of Staff: 5 including ourselves Size of the station: 890,000 acres How often and how is mailed delivered: Once a week via Mail Plane How often and how stores shopping is […]
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Goldsborough Station (2015)
Location: South West Queensland Goldsborough is located on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range with buffel grass the dominant pasture, supplemented by forage crops in both winter and summer. It was purchased by the North Australian Pastoral Company in 2000, specifically as a backgrounding property for cattle prior to entry into the […]
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Glenormiston Station (2015)
Host: Glenormiston Station Managers/Owners : Manager – Ryan Gurney. Owners – North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) Region: Channel Country West of Boulia, Queensland Nearest Town for Shopping, Doctors etc: Boulia for groceries (~130km), and RFDS Doctors who fly in once a week, main shopping town is Mt Isa. Nearest Road House: Boulia or Tobemorey Station […]
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Glenforrie Station (2014-)
Host: Glenflorrie Station Managers/Owners: Peter, Susan, Murray & Aticia Grey – Glenflorrie Brahmans Region: South West Pilbara, WA Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Main shopping towns are Carnarvon or Karratha (5 hours away), closest town is Onslow (2 ½ hours away) Nearest Roadhouse: Nanutarra Number of cattle: approx. 4,000 Number of staff: Up to […]
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Gallipoli Station (2014-2015)
Host: Gallipoli Station Owner: North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO), Manager- Stephen Bryce Region: Barkly Tablelands, NT Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Mount Isa Nearest Roadhouse: 96kms south to Camooweal Number of cattle: Holding capacity is 20,000 head approximately (varies with seasons) Number of staff: 13 Size of station: 403,000 hectares, 995,834 acres How often and how […]
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Fortescue Helicopters (2014-2016)
Welcome to Fortescue Helicopters! We are an aerial mustering company based at Newman Airport in the Pilbara region of WA, owned and operated by Weldon Percy. Our mustering fleet of R22 helicopters works from the Newman Airport servicing an area roughly south of Port Hedland and anywhere between Karratha and Kalgoorlie. We also have access […]
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Farrcombe Contracting (2014-2018)
Host: Raine Farrcombe Location: Northern Territory Farrcombe Contracting – ‘You Send Em’, We’ll Bend Em’’. My husband (Potter) and I (Raine) and our crew specialise in contract mustering throughout the top end. We travel as far south as the SA border, north to Katherine and as far west as Kunnunurra. As you can imagine, this means our […]
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Eversleigh Station (2014-2017)
Host: Eversleigh Station Owners: Roger and Jenny Underwood Region: Central Western Queensland Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Hughenden 100km to the north on blacksoil road. It has a doctor, hospital, two small supermarkets, a bakery, a chemist, hairdresser, two primary schools and a high school, two pubs and an airport for light planes; Longreach is […]
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Dr. Campbell Costello (2017)
Host: Dr. Campbell Costello Campbell had a typical bush upbringing on his family’s beef cattle stations near Charters Towers, North Queensland. Campbell completed his primary schooling through school-of-the-air Charters Towers before leaving the station for boarding school. After finishing his final two years of secondary school in Brisbane, Campbell returned to his family’s stations for […]
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Donal Sullivan (2018-)
Host: Donal Sullivan Location: Northern Territory Born in Katherine, NT and raised on a station not far away, I have spent most of my life getting in the way of people whilst trying to take photos of station life. My family own two properties and lease a third one, the main one being Cave Creek […]
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De Grey Station (2019-)
Host:De Grey Station – Bettini Beef (this includes Mulyie Homestead, our southern side of the highway homestead, managed by Douglas “Duggie” Brownlie) Owners:Mark Bettini with parents John & Ethel Bettini Region: Pilbara, WA Rainfall: 350mm Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc. Port Hedland, a good 1 hour drive (80km bitumen & 20km dirt) nearest roadhouse is Pardoo Number of […]
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Dampier Downs Station (2013-)
Host: Dampier Downs Station Blog Author: Anne Marie Huey Region: West Kimberley, Western Australia. Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Broome is 260km away. Nearest roadhouse: Willare Roadhouse is 125km away. Number of staff: Up to 3 during the mustering season. Size of station: 265,000 ha (654,829 acres) How often and how the mail is delivered: We don’t have mail delivery. How […]
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Carlton Hill Station (2014)
Host: Carlton Hill Station Managers/ Owners: Manager- Andrew Alexander (current) Stuart McKechnie (at time of hosting). Owner- Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC). Region: East Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Kununurra (35km) Nearest roadhouse: Kununurra Number of cattle: 50,000 head Number of staff: 23 Size of station: 475,745 ha (1,175,591 acres) (Including the outstation called Ivanhoe) How often and how the mail […]
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CDU Katherine Rural Campus (2016-)
The Charles Darwin University (CDU) Vocational Education and Training (VET) Faculty is responsible for the planning, delivery and reporting of government subsidized and fee for service training and assessment to approximately 14,000 students across the Northern Territory. Critical to this is compliance with the National VET Quality Framework to deliver accredited training to school students, […]
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Callana Station (2018-)
Host: Callanna Station Managers/Owners: Anne & George Morphett Region: South Australia’s Arid Lands, North East Pastoral. Nearest town for shopping etc.: Port Augusta, 400km away. If you need specialty equipment, parts, or services including medical, you have to go to Adelaide which is 650kms. Nearest town is Marree – 25kms. Callanna Neighbours Marree Station Number of […]
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Country Downs Station (2013-2018)
Host: Country Downs Station Owners: Kurt & Nikki Elezovich Region: Kimberley WA Average rainfall: ~940mm pa Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Broome Nearest roadhouse: Roebuck Roadhouse Number of staff: 0 How often and how the mail is delivered: Mail is picked up from Broome PO during town runs. How often and how the stores […]
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Bulka Station (2019-)
Station Name: Bulka Station Managers: Mick Cameron and Anna Phillips Region: East Kimberley, WA Nearest town for shopping, doctors: Fitzroy crossing, 150km Nearest Roadhouse: Fitzroy Crossing Number of Staff: 10 How often and how mail is delivered: We have a PO Box in Fitzroy which is checked about once a fortnight. How often and how […]
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Dr. Bryce Mooring (2017)
Host: Dr. Bryce Mooring Location: Broome My name is Bryce Mooring and I am co-owner of Broome Cattle Vets. I have had a lifelong association to the beef industry through involvement as a pastoralist on my family properties in Western New South Wales and Western Queensland and now service the industry as a veterinarian. My role […]
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Blythe Calnan (2015)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2015. Host: Blythe Calnan Location: Middle East & Yarrie Station, Pilbara Well hello all, I’m not a cattle station, farm, feedlot or anything grand. My business, BMC Consulting, consists of plain old, lil old me, Blythe Calnan. I’ve been invited to be […]
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Blina Station (2013-)
Host: Blina Station Managers/ Owners: Manager- Matt Wood. Owners- Jumbuck Pastoral Region: West Kimberley, Western Australia Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Derby – 130km Nearest roadhouse: Willare Road House, Fitzroy Crossing Number of cattle: 24,000 head Number of staff: approx 13 during the high season at Blina and Ellendale alone Size of station: Approx […]
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Becky Klingenberg (2017)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2017. Host: Becky Klingenberg from BK Trick Riding – Run with Wild Horses Location: Kidman Spring Research Station, NT Nearest town: Katherine, NT (340km) and Kununurra WA (350km) Closest Road House: Timber Creek (100km) Number of cattle: Changes frequently, approx. 1000 head […]
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Barrygowan Station (2019)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2019. Station Name: Barrygowan Station Managers/ Owners: Hugh and Tannas Godfrey and kids Arly and Rex, South West Queensland Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc.: Cunnamulla, 150km North West in Queensland or we can also head to Bourke in NSW which is 200km away. Nearest […]
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Anthony Lagoon Station (2016)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2016. Host: Anthony Lagoon Station Owner: Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), Managers: Anthony and Cassie Cox Region: Barkly Tablelands, NT Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Tennant Creek, approximately 440kms Nearest Roadhouse: 235kms south to the Barkly Homestead Number of staff: 21 Size of station: Anthony Lagoon is run in […]
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Annaburroo Station (2017)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2017. Host: Annaburroo Station Owner: Norbuilt Properties Pty Ltd Managers: Adrian and Barbara Phillips Region: Darwin, Northern Territory. Annaburroo Station is situated on the Mary River approximately 100km east-southeast of Darwin. Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Humpty Doo (60 mins) or Darwin (90 mins) […]
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Anna Plains Station (2013-)
Host: Anna Plains Station Managers/Owners: David, Helen and John Stoate Region: Kimberley, Western Australia Rainfall: 400mm pa Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc., Broome 270km, 17km on dirt off the highway to Homestead, nearest roadhouse is Sandfire. Number of Cattle: 18,000 head Number of staff: 6 full time staff and 5 seasonal workers Size of station: […]
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Alexandria Station (2014-2015)
Note: The information on this page is relevant to the time period of 2014-2015. Host: Alexandria Station Managers/ Owners: Manager- Stephen Bryce. Owner- North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) Region: Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Main shopping town is Mt Isa, closest town is Camooweal Nearest roadhouse: Camooweal or the Bart Hut Number of […]
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Abingdon Downs Station (2015-2018)
*Note: The information on this page is specific from the time period of 2015-2018. Host: Abingdon Downs Station Managers/Owners: Barry and Campbell Keough – Keough Cattle Co Pty Ltd Region: Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD Nearest town for shopping, doctors etc: Main shopping town is Atherton (5 ½ hours away), closest town is Georgetown (1 ½ […]
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Charnley River Station
Charnley River-Artesian Range Wilderness Camp provides a comfortable base from which to explore this remarkable 300,000 hectare sanctuary. Charnley River-Artesian Range Wilderness Camp is a naturalist’s paradise, providing refuge for over 200 species of birds and a diverse range of other wildlife. Charnley River-Artesian Range has a vital role to play in protecting and restoring […]
