Moola Bulla
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | Kimberley , Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
Moola Bulla Station operates as a cattle station under a pastoral lease in the Kimberley area of Western Australia, situated roughly west of Halls Creek and south of Warmun. The property extends over , intersecting the drainage basins of both the Fitzroy River and the Ord River.
Founded in 1910 by the government, Moola Bulla was established to oversee Aboriginal communities through employment training and ration distribution, with the goal of mitigating tensions between indigenous groups and pastoralists. Purchased for £18,061, the station appointed a manager and staff, was declared a reserve, and served as a campsite for local Aboriginal peoples. The term Moola Bulla translates to meat plenty in an Aboriginal language.
By 1912, the station maintained approximately 12,000 cattle, processing 650 for sale and slaughtering 400 for local consumption. In 1916, it covered , supporting a stock of 13,000 cattle and 500 horses. By 1920, its size had increased to , with a herd of 14,000 cattle and close to 260 employees, predominantly Aboriginal workers assigned to prevent their return to traditional tribal lands.
The state government sold Moola Bulla in 1955 to Queensland pastoralist Allan Goldman for £100,000. Following the acquisition, the station's 200 Aboriginal inhabitants were removed within one day. Goldman sold the property two years later for £150,000 to a syndicate that included Northern Territory grazier H. J. Mortimer.
A planned purchase by Peter Camm collapsed due to legal complications; subsequently, in 2001 a syndicate featuring Andrew Cranswick acquired Moola Bulla for AUD 18 million. This group sold it in 2006 to agribusiness firm Great Southern Group for approximately AUD 30 million. After Great Southern Group's collapse in 2009, ownership transferred in 2010 to the South African Western Australian Pastoral Company for AUD 20 million; at that time, the station was stocked with around 25,000 cattle.
In December 2014, Gina Rinehart's Liveringa Station Beef company withdrew from plans to acquire Moola Bulla. Later, in November 2016, Consolidated Australian Pastoral Holdings (CAPH) purchased Moola Bulla together with Mt. Amhurst, Beefwood Park, and Shamrock Stations.
See also
- List of ranches and stations
- List of pastoral leases in Western Australia
- List of the largest stations in Australia