Merna Mora
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture, Tourism |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Founder | Fels family |
| Headquarters | Flinders Ranges , Australia |
Area served | South Australia |
| Products | Sheep, Cattle, Tourism accommodation |
| Owner | Fels family |
Merna Mora Station operates as a pastoral lease encompassing a sheep station, cattle station, and tourism enterprise located within the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.
Situated atop Wilpena Pound, the estate extends westward towards Lake Torrens and reaches north to Beltana, covering varied landscapes such as rugged hills, sand dunes, clay plains, and grassy valleys. The land supports livestock grazing with native vegetation including black oak, bullock bush, alongside grasses like wallaby and buffel. The property benefits from permanent springs, 83 bores, and is intersected by the Central Australia Railway.
Currently covering , Merna Mora also provides accommodation for visitors. The Fels family has maintained ownership since 1886 through five generations, introducing tourism activities in 1968. The family is recognized for their deep-rooted expertise in outback operations.
In 1905, J. A. Fels divested a segment of the land that included two wells. By 1949, under P. L. Fels’s management, the station spanned , divided into six paddocks secured against sheep, featuring a four-bedroom homestead and a galvanized iron woolshed with three wells.
The property’s size grew substantially with the 1978 purchase of Wintabatinya station (previously known as Bosworths Lake station and historically linked to Sir Sidney Kidman) and expanded further in 1993 through the acquisition of Motpena station. These additions brought its total area to 290,000 acres, establishing it as one of the largest pastoral properties in South Australia.