Henbury Station
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Northern Territory , Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
| Owner | Tim Edmunds (as of March 2022) |
Henbury Station is a cattle station situated in the Northern Territory of Australia. In March 2022, Tim Edmunds purchased Henbury for A$32 million, which included its herd of 3,500 cattle.
Description
Positioned roughly south of Alice Springs, Henbury extends over , encompassing terrain that stretches from the MacDonnell Ranges to the Finke bioregion. The Finke River traverses about through the property, carving out gorges that contain permanent waterholes.
The station's landscape comprises upland areas and valleys along the Finke and Palmer Rivers, housing perennial freshwater wetlands such as Running Waters, 3-mile, Snake hole, and Harts Camp. These wetlands hold regional importance as some of Central Australia's oldest habitats, supporting distinctive biodiversity.
Henbury encompasses twelve distinct land systems, with the Simpson system being predominant. This system is marked by spinifex growing on sand dunes with scattered shrubs and low trees like Desert Oak above grasses. The most fertile land is found in Chandler's system, which spans mesas, low ranges, clayey slopes, bluebush rises, and open woodland areas.
History
The Pertame people (southern Aranda) are the traditional custodians of Henbury Station and its surrounding territory, maintaining a continuous cultural connection to the land.
In 1875, Parke and Walker obtained a lease and named the property after their family estate in Dorset, England. The initial homestead was established on along Ellery Creek in 1877. A log cabin homestead was later built beside the Finke River in 1886; this structure remains intact today. That same year, the station supported a herd of 3,000 cattle.
E. W. Parke held ownership of both Henbury and Todmorden Stations until his passing in 1901. Around 1902, Joseph Breaden took over the leasehold; favorable rainfall that year allowed stock to be maintained for more than a year. During this period, Breaden’s nephew Bob Buck managed operations on the property. In 1923, Breaden sold Henbury and Todmorden to Stan Young; under Breaden’s management, various improvements had been implemented. However, seven years later Young declared bankruptcy, resulting in the properties returning to the Breaden family.
Between 1956 and 1957, Henbury endured a harsh drought that caused a loss of 4,000 cattle until heavy rains brought flooding relief. Additional flooding occurred in 1967, leading to temporary road closures around the station.
In 1982, Ross Morton and Sally Williams purchased Henbury as part of their family partnership. After owning it for over thirty years, they listed the property for sale in 2011.
Carbon farming
On 27 July 2011, R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings—a subsidiary of bootmaker RM Williams managed by David Pearse—acquired Henbury Station for A$13 million. This purchase included A$9 million funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for Country program. Previously carrying 17,000 cattle, Henbury was destocked to enable native vegetation regrowth and protection under the National Reserve System. The company’s objective was to capture carbon and trade carbon credits, potentially leading innovation in conservation financed by carbon markets.
Some Aboriginal traditional owners opposed this sale due to inadequate consultation and sought for the Central Land Council to reacquire and operate the lease as a cattle station. Additionally, local pastoralists raised concerns about fire control and feral animal management risks while scientific skepticism existed regarding carbon sequestration viability in rangeland environments.
By October 2012, R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings revised their approach by collaborating with carbon finance firm C-Quest Capital to implement a hybrid carbon farming model that reintroduced cattle grazing on portions of the property.
The company entered receivership in July 2013 with PPB Advisory appointed as receiver. The station was relisted in August 2013 and subsequently purchased in July 2014 by Ashley and Neville Anderson alongside David Rohan through Henbury Unit Trust Pty Ltd for an estimated A$7–8 million. By 2015, approximately 6,000 cattle were being run on the property. The Australian Government recouped a significant part of its investment from this sale. Former owners Ross Morton and Sally Williams reported losses amounting to $4.5 million in shares following R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings’ collapse.
Presently, about one-fifth of Henbury is safeguarded under a conservation covenant that includes Running Waters, one of Central Australia’s largest permanent waterholes connecting habitats between Finke Gorge National Park and Owen Springs Conservation Reserve.
See also
- Protected areas within the Northern Territory
- Compilation of ranches and stations
- Catalogue of Australia's largest stations