Argyle Downs
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Founder | Patrick Durack, Michael Durack |
| Headquarters | Near Kununurra , Australia |
Area served | Kimberley region, Western Australia |
| Products | Cattle, stock horses |
| Owner | Consolidated Pastoral Company |
Argyle Downs operates as a pastoral lease and cattle station situated roughly southeast of Kununurra within the Kimberley region, close to the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The station is managed by the Consolidated Pastoral Company.
Description
Spanning an area of about , the property encompasses black soil plains alongside red basalt terrain. Its western edge is bordered by both the Ord River and Lake Argyle. Each year, the station produces approximately 7,500 cattle destined for live export markets in Southeast Asia. Additionally, it breeds and trains stock horses intended for deployment on other pastoral properties.
History
The land is traditionally owned by the Malngin people.
The Durack brothers, Patrick and Michael, established the station in 1882 following a remarkable 3,000-mile cattle drive from their Queensland holding at Thylungra. This trek remains recognized as the longest overland cattle movement ever undertaken. The Duracks shipped cattle through Wyndham to destinations such as South Africa and North America.
Constructed in 1895 using limestone combined with mortar made from termite mounds, the homestead served as a central social venue in eastern Kimberley. It was taken down during the 1970s to facilitate the formation of Lake Argyle but was subsequently reconstructed and inaugurated as a museum on the lake’s shore in 1979.
By 1901, Argyle Downs, together with Newry and Auvergne stations, maintained a collective herd of around 45,000 cattle. In 1911, an overland drive moved 2,606 cattle back to Queensland; this journey saw several drovers become ill.
Distinguished guests have included Governor-General Lord Gowrie in 1939. A medical emergency in 1944 led to a mercy flight dispatched from Perth; unfortunately, the aircraft crashed resulting in the loss of all five crew members.
In 1951, more than 700 bullocks were sold and transported to Wyndham for processing. Throughout the 1950s, significant portions of leasehold land were resumed by government authorities to support the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
Argyle Downs Airport lies within the boundaries of the leasehold.