Litchfield Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle farming |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Northern Territory |
| Products | Brahman cattle |
Litchfield Station is a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station situated approximately northwest of Daly River and west of Adelaide River within the Northern Territory of Australia. The estate spans an area of , predominantly consisting of open grazing terrain. Together with its affiliated properties Elizabeth Downs and Tipperary Stations, it operates collectively under the name Tipperary Group as a unified business.
Description
The station maintains a herd of around 12,000 Brahman cattle, with the infrastructure to support up to 15,000 head. The land is sectioned into 28 paddocks, each averaging in size. Shared facilities with the adjacent Tipperary Station include 12 holding paddocks, six permanent steel yards, 15 bores, and a sealed airstrip. Water is sourced from creeks, springs, and swamps, with bores providing additional supply during periods of drought. The Daly River mouth area features a floodplain rich in para grass and marine couch, while elevated forested regions near the Reynolds River border Litchfield National Park.
History
In 2003, Litchfield was acquired by Melbourne barrister Alan Myers QC for 50 million, along with a livestock inventory of 80,000 cattle; this purchase also included Tipperary, Fish River, and Elizabeth Downs stations.
By 2009, the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) proposed a 105 million offer to buy both Tipperary and Litchfield stations together with 60,000 cattle; nevertheless, shareholders declined the proposal during an extraordinary meeting.
Subsequently in 2011, AACo procured the Tipperary Group's herd comprising 53,000 cattle for 26 million and entered into a one-year agistment contract with options for extension. Under the management of David Warriner—who also served as head of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association—by 2012 the group had increased its stock to approximately 70,000 cattle primarily destined for live export markets in Indonesia.