Listed: Qld’s biggest, richest cattle stations and the people behind them
With millions of cattle and land the size of countries, Queensland’s cattle farms boast impressive, profitable operations. See the biggest 20.
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Queensland is home to some of the largest cattle operations in the country, with some farms spanning more hectares than entire countries.
Beef cattle offered the state’s agricultural sector more than $6 billion dollars in the past financial year, almost a quarter of the state’s agricultural sector worth a whopping $23.11 billion.
Queensland is home to more than 11.9 million head of cattle, thriving on the rich and fertile plains across the state, with some being carried on stations capable of running more than 50,000 head.
So who owns the state’s biggest cattle and beef farms, and where are they?
Take a look at the interactive below, see the full list of the mega properties and some of the biggest sales of the past years:
Durham Downs
Spanning 891,000 hectares, Durham Downs in southwest Queensland is used primarily as a backgrounding and breeding property for S. Kidman and Co.
The Cooper Creek property was purchased in 1909 by Sir Sidney Kidman and is one of dozens of leases across the country now operating under S. Kidman and Co.
The station is able to run up to 21,000 head of cattle.
In 2015, Gina Rinehart and Shanghai CRED Real Estate Stock Co joined forces to purchase S. Kidman and Co, a deal reportedly worth $386.5 million.
It was reported Sir Sidney, Durham Downs founding father was a friend and business partner of James Nicholas, Rinehart’s maternal grandfather
In 2021, the S. Kidman and Co reported an annual revenue of $66.7 million, delivering a profit of $11.5 million.
Strathmore
The single largest pastoral lease in Queensland, Strathmore station covers 1,050,000ha of land in Queensland‘s Gulf Country.
Operating under owner Scott Harris, through his company Harris Operations PTY LTD, little is known about the mixed farming enterprise.
According to the Financial Review, the property changed hands in 2004, a deal reportedly worth roughly $24 million.
The station can carry more than 50,000 head of cattle, along with sorghum, cotton, soybeans and other crops.
Headingly Station
Headingly Station is one of 18 properties operating under the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), the countries largest cattle and beef producer.
The 1,003,200ha property outside Mount Isa is used as a breeding property for the AACo’s growing wagyu brand and has the capacity to run 40,000 head of cattle.
Overseen by station manager Chris Keane, the property was bought in 1916 as part of a move away from sheep and into the cattle industry.
The Australian Agricultural Company is the oldest continuously operating company in the country, first established in 1824 and now owns more than 6.5 million hectares of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, an impressive amount which equates to roughly 1% of Australia’s land mass.
In June 2023, the AACo reported a total annual revenue of $313.4 million with an operating profit of $67.4 million.
In their 2023 annual report, AAco did not break down revenue and profit per property, though Wagyu beef revenue was reported to be $241 million.
Davenport Downs
Despite owning and operating 27 stations across Australia, Davenport Downs is undoubtedly the jewel in Paraway Pastoral Company's crown.
The 1,510,000 million hectare cattle station outside Winton is the largest in the state, a combination of Davenport Downs bought in 2009 and Springvale Station in 2011.
The bullock fattening operation remains the heart of the company’s breeding properties with the capacity to carry more than 29,000 head of cattle and is currently overseen by Lachlan and Emma Lynch.
Paraway Pastoral Company is a wholly owned operating entity of Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management Limited, an agricultural fund under Macquarie Group Limited.
It is unclear what Davenport Down’s annual revenue is, however in 2017 it was reported by the Financial Review Paraway Pastoral Company delivered a $39 million profit, with pledged assets of $743 million worth of land and $194 million in livestock.
Wollogorang
This 705,700-hectare property straddles the Queensland and Northern Territory border with more than 80 kilometres of frontage to The Gulf of Carpentaria.
First settled in 1883 the property boasts the title of the longest continuous occupation in the Northern Territory.
Though the property is capable of carrying 40,000 head, in 2020 it was purchased by Queensland family operation the McMillan Pastoral Company with 27,000 head of cattle.
The deal was reportedly worth $53 million and returned the station to Australian hands after the purchase from Chinese billionaire Xingfa Ma.
The Cloncurry family-run cattle business added Wollogorang to its expanding portfolio which covers more than two million hectares across Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The McMillan Pastoral Company and family keep a low profile, with Harold and Cathy McMillan and their sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Chelsea, Tom and Penny and William and Amanda guiding the operation.
Tanbar Station
Tanbar Station is the second property on the list which falls under the Paraway Pastoral Company.
The 1,021,904 hectare property is able to support approximately 23,000 head of cattle and is used as a cattle growing operation for the company.
The property is south of Windora, in Queensland’s south west pocket known for its Cooper Creek channel country which finishes Angus beef cattle sent from Paraway’s Rocklands Station
In 2016, Paraway purchased Tanbar Station and Rocklands Station in a deal reportedly worth $130 million.
The station is overseen by Tanbar’s assistant manager Craig Kehl who works to sustain the cattle operation which is listed as “an important part of the success of Paraway’s Northern breeding operations, receiving the bulk of its cattle from Rocklands, which are grown out for markets on the east coast,” according to the Paraway Pastoral Co website.
Nockatunga Station
Nockatunga Station in located deep in Queensland’s south west corner and is regarded as one of the state’s best bullock fattening deposits.
The 852,306 hectare property was purchased in 2018 by Malcolm Harris and family’s Cleveland Agriculture which added the prized station to a string of properties across four states and territories.
The sale included 5000 head of cattle and was rumoured to have a purchase price as high as $50 million, and is now used as a grass-finishing property for Cleveland Agriculture.
Under Cleveland Agriculture, the Harris family has amassed 2.5 million hectares of farm land, valued at 1.2 billion.
According to Ag Property Central, Nockatunga is capable of running 22,000 head of cattle when the season permits.
Rocklands
Yet another property spanning two states, Rocklands station is Paraway Pastoral Company’s largest cattle breeding operation with 677,964 hectares of land straddling the Queensland and Northern Territory border.
Situated on the Barkly Tableland, outside of the township of Camooweal, Rocklands carries a breeder herd of 22,000 head for Paraway.
The herd consists of the company’s crossbred base, heavily influenced by Brahman cattle with the progeny from the operation moved to Paraway’s Queensland and New South Wales grower properties when weaned.
The company acquired the property in 2016, the same year they purchased Tanga Station in a deal reportedly worth upwards of $130 million.
In May of 2023 Paraway listed three NSW properties including 14,326ha Borambil Station, 23,905ha Pier Pier Station aggregation and the 5456ha Burmah aggregation in a deal valued between $160 and $180 million, and the sale appears ongoing.
Dunbar
Tucked within the tip of Queensland along The Gulf of Carpentaria, this 777,000 hectare property is one of 14 properties owned and operated by the McDonald family and their company MDH pty ltd.
The property carries roughly 20,000 head of Brahman breeders, but the working season has been limited by the wet season known to northern parts of Australia.
Dunbar is just a small part of the MDH operation, which covers 3.36 million hectares of land in Queensland carrying 150,000 head of cattle.
The family owned company traces more than 190 years in the countries agricultural industry and boomed following a strategic series of purchased made by Jim McDonald in the 1940s.
The management of the MDH vast empire now resides in the hands of Alastair and Alexander McDonald, guided by CFO Julie McDonald.
The company’s annual revenue is reportedly upwards of $13 million and in 2012 the McDonald family was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.
Marion Downs
Owned and operated by The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCo), Marion Downs is just one of 15 properties across six million hectares of land in Queensland and the North Territory.
The 1,287,000 hectare property outside Boulia has the capacity to carry more than 17,000 head of cattle and operates as a grass finishing property.
Founded in 1877 by William Collins, William Forrest, Sir Thomas McIlwraith, John Warner and Sir William Ingram NAPCo has become a major player on the countries cattle market.
By the early 20th century, the company was heavily invested into by Francis Foster, and in the almost century since, the Foster family has remained the guiding force in the company's direction
In 2016, the Queensland Government acquired a 79% interest in NAPCo, with the Foster family retaining the remaining shares, a deal reportedly worth more than $300 million according to the ABC.
The company’s annual revenue is unclear, though reportedly annual sales range from 900,000 to 1 million head of cattle per annum.
Adria Downs
Situated roughly 97 kilometres west of Birdsville and bordering the Simpson Desert National Park, Adria Downs is a 875,000 hectare pastoral lease.
The property has the capacity to carry more than 16,000 head of cattle, and currently runs organically raised Hereford cattle.
Overseen by Don and Judy Rayment, the pair manages the organic cattle property under OBE Organic an operation which spans 8 million hectares of Australian cattle country.
The company was established in the early 1990s (no firm date listed online) and remains owned by Australian farmers and exports to 14 countries world wide and is one of the largest organic beef producers in the world.
The organic food market in Australia is reportedly worth $2 billion, 40 per cent of which is attributed to organic beef with OBE Organic being a key contributor.
Who Owns Australia’s Farms 2022: The full list of 1000-plus properties
Keeroongooloo
The is plenty of lore attached to the 581, 400 hectare Keeroongooloo station, as few stations in Australia can credit a Slim Dusty song in their name.
The property is one of three owned by the Georgina Pastoral Company, which falls under Peter Hughes and family.
The Channel Country property is just outside of Windorah and is capable of carrying 15,000 head of cattle.
Georgina Pastoral Co plays a key part in producing Wagyu cattle for the family owned company, and this investment in the brand has proven successful.
The Hughes family’s wealth was estimated at a conservative $600-$700 million in 2021, the same year The Australian newspaper’s 2021 Rich List ranked Peter Hughes the nation’s 91st wealthiest.
Keeroongooloo is just one part of the Hughes empire which spans almost 3 million hectares across the country.
Morney Plains
Another major Queensland property with a rich history, Morney Plains was purchased by Sidney Kidman and his brother Tom in 1912, historically marking the first time the pair went into business together.
The 623,000ha property in Diamantina River channel country receives Santa Gertrudis steers from the company's northern property Helen Springs annually for fattening.
It has the capacity to carry a herd of 14,000.
According to the S. Kidman and Co website the property “receives relatively reliable rainfall and with two sources of flooding, produces sweet vegetation to succeed as a premier breeding or growing property”.
The property and the S. Kidman and Co portfolio now resides in the hands of Gina Rinehart and her company Hancock Prospecting Co.
Naryilco
Naryilco was one of the three properties purchased from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman and Co by Appleton Cattle Company in April of 2023.
Naryilco is located about 98 kilometres north of Tibooburra in the rich Channel Country land of south west Queensland.
The 751,000 hectare property has a carrying capacity of 12,000 head of cattle, and the semi-arid country is typically used to produce grass bullocks.
Owned by Fred Appleton and his family, Appleton Cattle Co is one of the few in the country certified as 100 per cent organic, a move triggered by the devastating droughts of the early 2010s.
In 2022, it was reported the family was already running around 40,000 head of cattle on more than 234,000 hectares, selling 8000 head of cattle a year, figures which have been hugely boosted by their recent acquisitions.
Nappa Merrie
Located on Cooper Creek in western Queensland, Nappa Merrie is a 727,500 hectare property with the capacity to carry 12,000 grower steers in a decent season.
In 2016 the property was purchased by Goondiwindi based David Coulton and family through their business Morella Agriculture, a deal reported to be worth $16 million by Elders and Ag Property Central.
Nappa Merrie is just one property in the family’s portfolio spanning more than 800,000 hectares, with cotton and cereal crops just part of their massive operation across Queensland and New South Wales.
The family runs Angus cattle and in 2019 was reportedly running 4000 Angus breeding cows, trading about 10,000 cattle and operating a 2000-head feedlot.
Glenormiston Station
Another mega property in the North Australian Pastoral Company crown, Glenormiston Station is a 629,000 hectare property on the far west border of Queensland.
Capable of carrying 10,000 head of cattle, the property operates as a breeding property for NAPco, raising wieners before they are sent to feedlot consignment.
This herd is just one small part of the NAPco operation which manages more than 200,000 head on their 2.4 million hectares of land.
NAPco acquired the station early in 1968, the same year it acquired its crown jewel Marion Downs, the second largest cattle station in the state.
In 2019 the cattle company became the first in Australia to produce a certified carbon neutral branded beef product, ‘The Five Founders.’
In 2016, the ABC valued NAPco’s assets at more than $500 million, the same year Beef Central reported the company delivered a record $60 million net profit.
Durrie Station
Another property which was once in the hands of iconic Sidney Kidman, who acquired the 660,000 hectare himself in 1913.
Located in Diamantina channel company, the property is used as a grass bullock depot and was passed into the hands of Gina Rinehart when her company Hancock Prospecting Group acquired S. Kidman and Co in 2015.
In April of 2023, Hancock unloaded four of its properties in the S. Kidman and Co portfolio and Appleton Cattle Company acquired three of the properties including Durrie Station.
The purchase price of the individual properties remains confidential though the total sale of the four properties was reportedly worth more than $200 million.
Durrie Station is capable of carrying 9000 head of cattle, and will carry bullocks for the Appleton Cattle Company organic beef lines of Brahman, Charolais and Simmental cattle.
Owned by Dale Appleton, with wife Kris and children Loid Appleton, wife Zabby and Fred Appleton and his wife Anna Appleton Cattle Company is a family owned property.
Barkly Downs
One of the largest cattle stations in the state, Barkly Downs is owned by Australian Country Choice, a third-generation family owned Australian company.
Under the Lee family, the 942,500 hectare property is roughly eighty kilometres south of Camooweal in north west Queensland.
The property has a carrying capacity of more than 52,000 head of cattle and currently serves as a large scale breeding property for the family company.
Guided by CEO Anthony Lee, the Australian Country Choice company oversees almost 1.75 million hectares of land across Queensland supporting more than 300,000 head of cattle.
The family business was born in 1955 as HJ Lee and Sons, before progressing into rural activities in the Roma district in the mid 60s developing one of the countries first commercial feedlots in 1968.
In 1974, Trevor Lee initiated a business relationship with Coles, cementing the companies relationship with one of the largest supermarket chains in the country.
Bulloo Downs
The 1,077,000 hectare property outside Thargomindah in south west Queensland has more arable land than whole countries, including Switzerland and Israel.
The pastoral lease was first established in 1894, before it was purchased in 1903 by Sir Sidney Kidman.
The land now resides in the hands of Mick and Marie Gibson of Gibson Grazing following a sale in 2004.
The Queensland Country Life reported the deal was worth a cool $20 million.
Bulloo Downs is just one jewel in the Gibson Grazing crown which breeds bullocks for the international export market.
As of 2020 it was reported by Ag Property Central the company was running more than 70,000 head of cattle, across 11 properties covering more than 2.4 million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Mount Leonard Station
This 755,000 hectare property is an amalgamation of Mt Leonard Station and Arrabury Station and is currently owned by the Arrabury Pastoral Company.
Described as a long, narrow property, the station shares a state border between Queensland and South Australia and is used primarily as a beef fattening operation.
The company focuses on breeding and fattening cattle for the states export markets, with the Mount Leonard Channel Country property doing much of the fattening.
The company also has mixed farming operations to its name and is owned by the Daley family with Cameron Daley serving as the company's Director.
10 OF QLD’S BIGGEST RURAL PROPERTY SALES OF 2022/23
*’Gemfields Portfolio’, Emerald, $65m
*’Stuart’s Creek’ near Roma, $30m-plus
*’Holroyd Aggregation’ in Cape York, $29m
*‘Auburn Station’, Auburn, $25.1m
*‘Allambie’, near Clermont, $24.6m
*1477 Womblebank Gap Rd, Injune, $18m
*‘Moranna’ station, central Queensland, $16.35m
*’Granite Vale’, north of Rockhampton, $14m-plus
*’Rydan’, north of Rubyvale, $14m
*2029 Goodar Rd, Goondiwindi, $11m
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