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Durham Downs Station
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Durham Downs Station
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 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.
The area just north of the station was Kungadutji land. Established prior to 1873, 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.
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. 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. Duncan McGregor formed a new company and purchased the property in 1884 for A£78,582.
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. 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. The court found in favour of the plaintiffs, but charges of fraud against the defendants were dropped.
Cattle baron Sidney Kidman acquired Durham Downs in 1909. 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.
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.
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. The drought was broken in 1930 with good rainfall, so much that the normally dry Cooper Creek flowed for a time.
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Durham Downs Station
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 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.
The area just north of the station was Kungadutji land. Established prior to 1873, 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.
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. 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. Duncan McGregor formed a new company and purchased the property in 1884 for A£78,582.
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. 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. The court found in favour of the plaintiffs, but charges of fraud against the defendants were dropped.
Cattle baron Sidney Kidman acquired Durham Downs in 1909. 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.
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.
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. The drought was broken in 1930 with good rainfall, so much that the normally dry Cooper Creek flowed for a time.