Delta Downs Station

Delta Downs Station also known as Morr Morr is a pastoral lease that currently operates as a cattle station in Queensland.

This article is about the cattle station in Queensland. For the racetrack in Louisiana, see Delta Downs.

Delta Downs
Location in Queensland

Landing stage on the Delta Downs Station ca. 1895

Description

The property is situated approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) north east of Karumba and 174 kilometres (108 mi) south of Kowanyama in the Gulf Country of Queensland. It is well watered by 15 miles (24 km) double frontage on the Gilbert River and more along Smithsons River. Numerous creeks flow through the property including Lily, Delta, Rose, Duck, Sandy and Spring Creeks.[1]

Currently the property occupies an area of 4,000 square kilometres (1,544 sq mi) and has approximately 126 kilometres (78 mi) of frontage along the Gulf of Carpentaria.[2] The station is an aggregation of three leases; Delta Downs, Karumba Downs and the Maggieville outstation.[3]

History

The station had been established at some time prior to 1889[4] and in 1895 was trading cattle and owned by the London Chartered Bank.[5] In 1901 the 472.5 square miles (1,224 km2) property was put up for auction. It was stocked with 10,500 head of cattle and 200 horses with a homestead and four sets of yards. The property was described as compact surrounded on three sides by water with one 60 square miles (155 km2) bullock paddock fenced.[6]

In 1912 the executors of Captain T. W. Robinson put Delta Downs as well as Maggieville and Milgarra Stations up for auction. At this time Delta Downs had a total area of 638 square miles (1,652 km2) and was stocked with 9,000 head of cattle and 400 horses. The tenure of the leasehold area was due to expire in 1930 with the property nearly completely fenced.[1]

In 1931 the station manager, Mr. H. J. Nielson, committed suicide by shooting himself.[7]

The federal government acquired the property in 1983 for A$2 million with the intention of transferring the lease to the traditional owners, the Kurtijar peoples.[2]

The property was featured at the end of the 1984 film, Couldn't Be Fairer. The million acre property is one of the largest Aboriginal owned cattle stations in Australia, it supports a herd of 43,000 cattle. The property is regarded as a model of Aboriginal enterprises and when the cattle industry is going well the station supports 30 salaried workers and puts back A$2 million back into the local community.[8] In 198 the station returned a profit of approximately A$800,000 and was expected to be one of the first properties to meet new tuberculosis and brucellosis eradication standards.[9]

In 2002 the property was officially handed over to the Kurtijar Aboriginal people by ATSIC, it had been valued at about A$20 million at this time.[10]

By 2013 the property was A$1 million in debt and had to lay of 19 of their workers. Since 2011 the station had suffered from the demise in the live export trade, severe drought and being placed under quarantine from suspected Bovine Johne's Disease meaning no cattle can leave the property for a period of three years.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Advertising". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, Queensland. 8 June 1912. p. 19. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. Sue Neales (8 June 2013). "Trampled by adversity, stockmen fear future". The Australian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. "Managing indigenous pastoral lands manual; Case study 2 Delta Downs Station Queensland". Australian Government. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  4. "Queensland News". The Brisbane Courier. 27 April 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Stock Station & Commercial". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Queensland. 17 September 1895. p. 7. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Advertising". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, Queensland. 12 October 1901. p. 26. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Shooting tragedy". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Queensland. 24 November 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Delta Downs station". The Australian. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  9. "Solid profit for Aboriginal cattle station". Canberra Times. 5 January 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 30 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Delta Downs handed over". Queensland Country Life. Fairfax Media. 19 September 2002. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
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