Macumba Station

Macumba Station, often just called Macumba, is a pastoral lease in South Australia currently operating as a cattle station.

Macumba is located about 39 kilometres (24 mi) north east of Oodnadatta and 201 kilometres (125 mi) east of Marla in the state of South Australia,

The station occupies an area of 11,063 square kilometres (4,271 sq mi) and is the third largest station in South Australia after Anna Creek station and Innamincka Station. Macumba was owned by the pastoral company S. Kidman & Co. until 2016, when a deal was finalised for its purchase by joint venture company, Australian Outback Beef. The company is owned by Gina Reinhart (who holds a 2/3 stake) a China's Shanghai CRED (which holds the remaining 1/3).

The station contains a range of terrains including sandhills, mulga woodland, watercourses with redgums and areas of desert and gibber plain. Watercourses crossing the property include the Macumba River, Stevenson Creek and Alberga Creek, each having several waterholes some of which are almost permanent, except in times of prolonged drought. Willow Bore, which was sunk by the government prior to 1892, can provide 20,000 imperial gallons (90,922 L) per day, enough to support 2,000 head of cattle.

Established prior to 1883 the station at that time was owned by Young and Belt. In 1883 the surrounding area had been flooded and all the waterholes and creeks were filled.

A man named Millard became lost in the desert country of the station in 1884, and on finding the telegraph line he burned down a pole and cut the wire to draw attention to his plight. The transcontinental telegraph line was out of service for several days and Millard's body along with the bodies of both his horses were found when repair crews reached the breakage.

In 1887 the station was owned by Messrs Chambers and Polhill who operated a store and ran a mail service out to Peake and surrounding areas as far as Alice Springs. The area had been flooded in the recent past as the old Macumba Station had been abandoned in consequence of the frequent floods.

The station was managed by Joseph Albert Breaden in the late 1880s and early 1890s but he left to join Carr Boyd in his expedition from Warrina to Western Australia.