List of the largest stations in Australia Australia's largest farms (stations) list
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 .
This list includes the stations in Australia by virtue of area:
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, world's largest station. 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
Keeroongooloo
QLD
5,814
2,240
1,440,000
Cattle
1871
Has also previously been used for grazing horses when established
[ 55]
51
Mulka
SA
5,600
2,160
1,380,000
Cattle
before 1889
[ 56]
52
Elsey
NT
5,334
2,060
1,320,000
Cattle
1879
The station that inspired the story and film We of the Never Never
[ 57]
53
Henbury
NT
5,273
2,040
1,300,000
Cattle
1875
Became a conservation area in 2011
[ 58]
54
Limbunya
NT
5,222
2,020
1,290,000
Cattle
before 1923
[ 59]
55
Argadargada
NT
5,139
1,980
1,270,000
Cattle
1951
[ 60]
56
Diamantina Lakes
QLD
5,070
1,960
1,250,000
Cattle
1876
Now a National Park
[ 61]
57
Meda
WA
5,059
1,950
1,250,000
Cattle
before 1883
[ 62]
58
Tanumbirini
NT
5,001
1,930
1,240,000
Cattle
before 1908
[ 63]
59
South Galway Station
QLD
4,876
1,880
1,200,000
Cattle
Before 1884
[ 64]
60
Calvert Hills Station
NT
4,814
1,860
1,190,000
Cattle
[ 65]
61
Three Rivers
WA
4,800
1,850
1,190,000
Sheep
1884
[ 66]
62
Wilgena
SA
4,742
1,830
1,170,000
Sheep
before 1909
Once used to graze cattle
[ 67]
63
Austral Downs
NT
4,692
1,810
1,160,000
Cattle
1883
[ 68]
64
Canobie
QLD
4,291
1,660
1,060,000
Cattle
1864
[ 69]
65
Alroy Downs
NT
4,232
1,630
1,050,000
Cattle
1877
[ 70]
66
Tanami Downs
NT
4,200
1,620
1,040,000
Cattle
before 1911
Formerly known as Mongrel Downs
[ 71]
67
Auvergne
NT
4,142
1,600
1,020,000
Cattle
before 1886
[ 72]
68
Curtin Springs
NT
4,050
1,560
1,000,000
Cattle
1930s
[ 73]
69
Millungera
QLD
4,047
1,560
1,000,000
Cattle
1880
[ 74]
70
Drysdale River
WA
4,047
1,560
1,000,000
Cattle
1882
[ 75]
71
Banjawarn
WA
4,047
1,560
1,000,000
Sheep
1903
[ 76]
72
El Questro Wilderness Park
WA
4,047
1,560
1,000,000
Cattle
1903
The park still runs 8,000 head of cattle.
73
Louisa Downs
WA
4,000
1,540
988,000
Cattle
before 1933
74
Noonkanbah
WA
4,000
1,540
988,000
Cattle
1880s
[ 77]
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
See also
References