Newry Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Founder | Patrick Durack |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Northern Territory, Australia |
| Products | Cattle |
| Owner | Consolidated Pastoral Company |
Newry Station is a pastoral lease situated in Australia's Northern Territory, adjoining the border with Western Australia. It functions as a cattle station and is managed by the Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC).
Description
The property encompasses terrain characterized by black soil, forested areas, and rocky ridges. It supports a herd of approximately 15,000 cattle, with an annual turnover of around 4,000 weaner steers and spayed heifers. The livestock are moved to Argyle Downs, another station under CPC's management, prior to entering the live export trade predominantly targeting markets in Southeast Asia. To the east, Newry Station shares a boundary with Auvergne Station.
History
Founded in 1886 and named after the Irish seaport of Newry, the homestead is located alongside the Keep River. The lease was acquired by pastoralist Patrick Durack, who introduced cattle after undertaking an extensive overland drive of 7,000 cattle and horses spanning 5,000 kilometres across northern Australia to this area. By the year 1901, Newry Station and adjacent properties collectively held roughly 45,000 head of cattle.
Ownership remained with the Durack family until 1950 when the property was sold to the Australian Agricultural Company (AAC). AAC introduced Santa Gertrudis cattle and subsequently enhanced the herd by crossbreeding Brahman bulls with Kimberley Shorthorn cows. In 1986, Newry was acquired by the Baines River Cattle Company before being purchased by CPC in 1992.
In 2011, a notable deposit of zebra rock was identified on the station. Kimberley Stone extracted this resource using environmentally sensitive techniques aimed at supplying local markets. Mining activities were halted in June 2017 to conserve the site for future generations.
Conservation
A significant portion of Newry Station falls within the boundaries of the Keep River Important Bird Area, recognized for its vital habitat that supports the endangered Gouldian finch. Within the property lies a 400 hectare area known as the Newry Station Gouldian finch site, which is included on Australia's Register of the National Estate.
See also
Sources
- BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Keep River. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-07-15.