Northern Territory’s famous Wave Hill station sold as part of deal worth more than $100 million

THE Northern Territory’s famous — and historically significant — Wave Hill cattle station has been sold as part of a deal worth more than $100 million.

• Wave Hill station: One of Territory’s most famous properties up for sale

THE Territory’s famous Wave Hill cattle station has been sold as part of a deal worth more than $100 million.

Western Grazing which is one of Australia’s largest beef producers, put Wave Hill & Cattle Creek Stations on the market in September.

It has owned and operated the properties for almost 30 years and directors said the sale is part of a strategic review of its cattle operations.

Stockmen walked off Wave Hill in August 1966, saying that they were on strike. The strike had started months before at other stations, but Vesteys Wave Hill station became the focus of international attention and criticism. The station has now been sold.

South Australia’s Jumbuck Pastoral Company has an unconditional sale contract on the station. The company is owned by the MacLachlan family which operates numerous cattle stations and sheep stations in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory

It is one of the largest landowners in Australia.

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The iconic property, 400km South of Katherine in the Victoria River District, is best known as the scene of the Wave Hill Walk-Off, a strike by Indigenous Australian workers for better pay and conditions, which in turn was an important influence on Aboriginal land rights in Australia.

The Wave Hill walk-off took place in 1966 and was led by Vincent Lingiari, a community elder and head stockman at the station.

The strike made headlines all over Australia. While the initial strike was about wages and living conditions it soon spread to include the more fundamental issue about their traditional lands. The Wave Hill walk-off had morphed into a land claim.

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Today the Wave Hill & Cattle Creek Stations together make up more than 1.25 million hectares of grazing country with around 40,000 head of cattle. In a normal season that would be 58,000 Brahman and Brahman cross cattle.

They were bought 28 years ago by Western Grazing founder, the late Brian Oxenford.

Western Grazing is now operated by his daughter, Ms Pam Deamer.

It is a breeding property, using Grey Brahman, Charolais and Charbray bulls. Traditionally Wave Hill supplies the live export market but stock can be moved south into Queensland if required

There was strong interest from national and international buyers with 40 interested buyers whittled down to a short list of 10.

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