List of the largest stations in Australia

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

• List of ranches and stations § Australia
• List of pastoral leases in the Northern Territory
• List of pastoral leases in South Australia
• List of pastoral leases in Western Australia
• Pastoral lease

References

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