Narwietooma Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Edward Connellan and F. O'Keefe |
| Headquarters | Near Hermannsburg, Northern Territory , Australia |
Area served | Northern Territory |
| Products | Cattle |
Narwietooma Station, often referred to simply as Narwietooma, is a pastoral lease functioning as a cattle station situated in the Northern Territory of Australia. The land occupies the traditional territories of the Western Arrernte and Anmatyerr peoples, who are acknowledged as the Native Title holders for a significant portion of the station's area.
The property falls under the jurisdiction of the MacDonnell Region Council Local Government Area.
Property
Narwietooma is positioned approximately northward of Hermannsburg and to the west of Alice Springs. It shares a boundary with the West MacDonnell National Park, near Ormiston Gorge. Adjacent pastoral leases include Glen Helen Station, Derwent Station, Napperby Station, and Amburla.
Covering an expanse of , the station supports a herd capacity near 17,000 cattle, contingent on climatic conditions. The land is segmented into 80 paddocks and benefits from water infrastructure comprising 60 bores and 35 dams.
History
Initially, Archibald "Archie" Giles occupied part of the area as a section of Redbank Station. The establishment of Narwietooma as a pastoral lease occurred in 1942 through a collaboration between Edward Connellan—who grew up on Narwie Station in New South Wales—and F. O'Keefe, proprietor of Tooma. The name Narwietooma is derived by merging these two station names.
Connellan, an accomplished aviator who launched Connellan Airways in 1943, identified this territory during aerial surveys intended to evaluate potential air routes. Following the passing of his partners, he assumed full ownership in 1946. He drilled the first bore in 1947 and commenced cattle grazing operations in 1948. His family moved onto the property in 1955, with Connellan managing the station's activities. Documentation related to his lease application and tenure is preserved by the National Archives of Australia.
In 2022, Hewitt Cattle Australia purchased Narwietooma from Tim and Emily Edmunds (operating under Hale River Holdings), incorporating it into a Certified Organic beef operation that includes nearby Napperby, Glen Helen, and Derwent stations. Prior to this, Hewitt had acquired Ambalindum and Numery leases from the same owners. This consolidation represents one of the largest organic landholdings worldwide.
Native Title
In 2016, Federal Court consent determinations formally recognised Native Title over portions of this land. The native title claimants are Western Arrernte and Anmatyerr speakers affiliated with the Imperlknge, Urlatherrke, Parerrule, Yaperlpe, Urlampe, Lwekerreye, and Ilewerr landholding groups holding rights within an area known as Kwerlerre.
The Wala Aboriginal Corporation acts as the registered Native Title body corporate responsible for overseeing these rights and interests.