Clifton Hills Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Northern South Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
Clifton Hills Station operates as a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station situated in the remote northern region of South Australia.
Description
The property lies approximately south of Birdsville and northwest of Innamincka, encompassing a portion of the Sturt Stony Desert along the Birdsville Track. It stands as the most extensive property along this route, covering an area of .
At the boundary of Clifton Hills is Goyder Lagoon, which serves as the origin of the Warburton River and marks the endpoint for both the Diamantina River and Eyre Creek.
History
Clifton Hills was founded in 1876. By 1881, ownership belonged to J. H. Howie, who drove 1,000 cattle from Aramac Station. Ownership changed by 1883 to Andrew and J. Broad, who frequently transported cattle to markets in Adelaide. In 1891, under the management of Mr. Turnbull, the station covered an expanse of and maintained a herd numbering 14,000 cattle.
Manager H.C. Trew reported in 1904 that flooding had submerged , with a stock of 2,000 cattle present at that time. The property was sold in July 1912 by Elder Smith & Co to G and E.A. Brooks, established proprietors of Buckland Park near Adelaide. At the time of sale, Clifton Hills encompassed , stocked with 9,000 cattle and 168 horses on a walk-in/walk-out arrangement.
In 1914, Brooks enlarged their estate by purchasing neighboring Kanowna Station from Beltana Pastoral Company. By 1923, the combined area of both stations reached , supporting around 20,000 shorthorn cattle.
Norman Gurr, then manager, recorded significant flooding in 1930—the most severe since 1917. Owner Hector Brooks was a pioneer in utilizing road transport for cattle sales at Gepps Cross in 1960, moving stock via the Birdsville Track to the railhead at Marree.
The official gazettal of the pastoral lease as 'Clifton Hills Station' occurred in April 2013 to prevent duplication of locality names.
After six decades without change in ownership, Clifton Hills was placed on the market in 2018. It was recognized as the second-largest cattle station worldwide after Anna Creek Station, covering , with a herd of approximately 18,000 cattle (licensed for up to 21,500). The terrain combines annual floodplains from the Diamantina River with gibber plains and sandhill landscapes. The proprietors—David Harvey, Charles Simpson, and Katherine Hartley—oversaw four pastoral leases spanning northeastern South Australia and southwestern Queensland.
In November 2018, a consortium including noted cattleman Viv Oldfield, owner of neighboring Pandie Pandie Station and purchaser of Maryvale Station earlier that year, acquired Clifton Hills. The transaction included 18,000 certified organic cattle and enhanced Oldfield’s portfolio managing roughly 50,000 head across various properties such as Andado Station, Horseshoe Bend Station, and New Crown Station.