Helen Springs Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | before 1885 |
| Founder | Douglas and Hemphill |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Northern Territory |
| Products | Cattle |
Helen Springs Station, often referred to simply as Helen Springs, operates as a cattle station under a pastoral lease situated approximately south of Elliott and east of Kalkaringi in Australia's Northern Territory. It shares its borders with several neighboring stations, including Banka Banka, Eva Downs, Ucharonidge, Tandyidgee, Muckaty, and Powell Creek Station.
History
Established prior to 1885 by Douglas and Hemphill, Helen Springs encompasses mainly open grazing terrain spanning . Following a dry spell in 1928, the region experienced significant rainfall in 1929 that led to flooding, which caused damage to fencing and river gum trees.
In 1929, Edith Bohning along with her daughters Esther and Elsie earned distinction as "petticoat drovers" by transporting cattle via train from Alice Springs to Adelaide, highlighting early examples of female leadership within cattle management.
The Vestey Group expanded their Northern Territory portfolio by acquiring Helen Springs in 1944, integrating it into their progressive cattle transportation system. During the 1950s, Vesteys enlisted Stan Mason to pioneer road trains for livestock movement, culminating in the deployment of the Rotinoff Viscount vehicle in 1957.
Peter Sherwin worked as head stockman at Helen Springs under Vestey ownership in 1953 before later purchasing several properties including Victoria River Downs Station in 1986. The Barkly Tableland endured a harsh drought in 1958, adversely affecting Helen Springs along with surrounding stations.
By the 1970s, Helen Springs was one of fifteen Northern Australian properties owned by Vesteys, with Tim Doran managing operations from 1972 until 1981 and overseeing a team of roughly 20 workers.
In 1992, Vesteys divested Helen Springs to the Stanbroke Pastoral Company, which subsequently sold it to S. Kidman & Co. in 2004 after Peter Menegazzo's corporate acquisition. This sale formed part of Stanbroke’s broader strategy to offload central Queensland assets.
More recently, Helen Springs has focused on enhancing its breeding programs; notably in October 2012, station manager Chris Townes acquired a Charbray bull at auction for a record AUD 28,000 to improve the Brahman–Charbray crossbreeding efforts.
Additionally, the station functions as a research location addressing the spread of the invasive Calotropis procera plant species that threatens grazing areas throughout northern Australia.