Durham Downs Station, most commonly known as Durham Downs, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Durham, Shire of Bulloo in South West Queensland, Australia. The property is situated in a remote and arid location along Cooper Creek, where it often experiences drought and floods. It was originally established in the 1870s and belongs to S. Kidman & Co, which since 2016 has been owned by Gina Rinehart.
Durham Downs is located about 138 kilometres (86 mi) north east of Innamincka and 200 kilometres (124 mi) south of Windorah in Queensland. Situated amongst the channel country of outback Queensland, the property includes frontage to a 43 miles (69 km) portion of Cooper Creek [1] and its associated tributaries, including Tooratchie, Wammanooka, Warreena, Parkamlnna and Windula Creeks, and the fertile floodplain country through which they flow. Occupying an area of 8,910 square kilometres (3,440 sq mi) along with the Woomanooka outstation, it is currently owned by S. Kidman & Co. [2]
The area just north of the station was Kungadutji land. Established prior to 1873, [3] the property was producing quality cattle for market and Messrs McGregor and Co., who owned the station, sold a batch of 205 bullocks and cows in 1875 averaging a price of about A£11 apiece. [4]
In 1883 the station was put up for sale, following a couple of years of drought, when the partnership between Duncan McGregor and D and R Mailler dissolved. [3] The station was advertised as being composed of 42 blocks with an area of 2,456 square miles (6,361 km2) containing over 14,000 head of cattle, 2,500 sheep and 309 horses. [5] Duncan McGregor formed a new company and purchased the property in 1884 for A£78,582. [6]
The sale was later the cause of a lawsuit in 1886 against the Maillers and McGregor, when Mr Edwarde and Mr Bell attempted to recover A£78,582 for a short delivery on the delivery of stock from the station. [7] The plaintiffs complained that there were only 9,000 cattle and 400 sheep instead of 12,000 cattle and 2,000 sheep as a minimum as promised. The defendants offered a rebate of A£7,752. [8] The court found in favour of the plaintiffs, but charges of fraud against the defendants were dropped. [9]
Cattle baron Sidney Kidman acquired Durham Downs in 1909. [10] Kidman bought the property along with Tilbaroo, Morney Plains and Durrie Stations in Queensland, Burrawinna on the border and Macumba Station in South Australia as part of his plan of acquiring prime grazing lands along areas that the watercourses followed. He borrowed A£50,000 to pay the A£100,000 asking price. [11]
Between 1914 and 1916 the area was struck by drought; about 10,000 cattle died on the station during this time. Kidman lost over 75,000 head of stock on all of his properties through the channel country including Diamantina Lakes, Glengyle, Innamincka and Sandringham Stations. Suffering financially, Kidman sold the property in 1918. [12]
The southwest of Queensland was again gripped by drought in from 1927 to 1929; despite some light rains Durham Downs was still in poor condition with little feed available for stock. [13] The drought was broken in 1930 with good rainfall, so much that the normally dry Cooper Creek flowed for a time. [14]
The station experienced flooding in 1941 when Cooper Creek broke its banks and left a portion of the property under water. Roads out over the gibber country were still open. [15]
In 1945, feral horses, known as brumbies in Australia, whose numbers had steadily increased during the period of World War II, were now overgrazing in the surrounding area leaving little feed available for cattle. Shooters had been employed on Durham and other surrounding properties to cull the brumbies. A shooter on Durham killed 2,200 horses by 1947, and another 8,000 were shot on three other Kidman properties in Queensland. [16]
The entire area was struck by drought in 1946, with many cattle dying and properties destocking. [17]
Cooper Creek flooded again in 1948 following heavy rain in northern Queensland. The floodwater took 6 weeks to reach the South Australian border, but the creek was soon impassable at Durham, Innamincka and Nappa Merrie crossings. The water was over 7 feet (2 m) deep. [18] More severe floods occurred in 1950 when the Cooper again broke its banks causing huge washaways [19] and delays in rail traffic. [20]
Airmail delivery to remote properties in outback South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland commenced in 1949. Durham Downs and other remote properties, including Mungerannie, Clifton Hills, Glengyle, Davenport Downs, Morney Plains, Mount Leonard, Durrie, Mulka, Tanbar, Cordillo Downs, Nappa Merrie, Lake Pure and Naryilco, were also on the route. [21]
The station homestead was burnt to the ground in 1952, [22] claiming the life of the manager, Mr Stevenson. [23] His wife and children escaped the flames and ten station stockmen attempted to battle the fire but with no success.
John "Fergie" Ferguson and his wife Jasleen arrived at Durham in 1973 to operate the property as station managers. [24]
The Fergusons retired in 2007. [24]
Centenary celebrations of the Kidman acquisition of the property had to be postponed in 2010 and again in 2011 after Cooper Creek flooded following heavy rain events. [25] Bushfires swept through the area in late 2011 with a lot of feed on the western side of the property being lost. [26]
As of 2011 [update] the station manager was Jon Cobb. [27]
In 2016 S. Kidman & Co was bought by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting. By April 2023, Durham Downs was one of only four stations still owned by the company, after another four had been sold off. [28]
The Channel Country is a region of outback Australia mostly in the state of Queensland but also in parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, which cover 150,000 km². The Channel Country is over the Cooper and Eromanga geological basins and the Lake Eyre Basin drainage basin. Further to the east is the less arid Maranoa district.
Sir Sidney Kidman, known as Sid Kidman and popularly named "the Cattle King", was an Australian pastoralist and entrepreneur who owned or co-owned large areas of land in Australia in his lifetime.
Cordillo Downs or Cordillo Downs Station is both a pastoral lease currently operating as a cattle station and a formal bounded locality in South Australia. It is located about 116 kilometres (72 mi) north of Innamincka and 155 kilometres (96 mi) south east of Birdsville. The name and boundaries of the locality were created on 26 April 2013 for the long established local name.
Innamincka Station, often called simply Innamincka, is a pastoral lease in the Australian state of South Australia. It operates as a cattle station. It is located about 4 kilometres north-east of the small township of the same name. 23 km (14 mi) west of the Queensland border, and 246 km (153 mi) south-east of Birdsville. As of 2012 the station – the second largest in South Australia after Anna Creek station – occupied an area of 13,552 square kilometres and was owned by the pastoral company, S. Kidman & Co.
Nockatunga Station, most commonly known as Nockatunga, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in South West Queensland, Australia.
South Galway Station and often referred to as South Galway and also once known as Galway Downs is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station.
Diamantina Lakes Station, most commonly known as Diamantina Lakes, was a pastoral lease that once operated as a cattle station in central west Queensland, and is now Diamantina National Park, a national park.
Glengyle Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in central west Queensland.
Annandale Station, most commonly known as Annandale, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in central west Queensland. It is located on the tribal lands of the Wongkamala.
Nappa Merrie Station, most commonly known as Nappa Merrie, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in central west Queensland, Australia.
Tickalara Station most commonly known as Tickalara is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in south west Queensland.
Caryapundy Station most commonly known as Caryapundy or Caryapundy Swamp is a pastoral lease that once operated as a cattle station in the channel country of outback New South Wales.
Durrie Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Queensland, Australia.
Morney Plains Station, most commonly referred to as Morney Plains, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in south west Queensland.
Naryilco Station, also known as Naryilco Downs, is a pastoral lease in Queensland, Australia, that operates as a cattle station.
