Salisbury Downs Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | before 1881 |
| Headquarters | New South Wales , Australia |
| Products | Sheep, cattle |
Salisbury Station operates as a sheep station under a pastoral lease in the outback region of New South Wales. It is situated approximately north of White Cliffs and northeast of Adelaide. The landscape is characterized by sand dunes, clay pans, mulga scrub, and open downs featuring cottonbush, saltbush, Queensland blue, and various Mitchell grass species. Water for livestock is sourced from multiple temporary creeks and Altiboulka Lake, which receives floodwaters from the Bulloo River.
History
Salisbury Station was established prior to 1881 and was then owned by Lockhart Morton, who reported the loss of 1,000 ewes due to theft that year. In 1881, Morton put Salisbury on the market along with the adjacent Paroo Plains and Monolon Peak Downs, collectively encompassing . These properties supported a combined flock of 5,000 ewes and lambs and featured a homestead, kitchen facilities, storage buildings, and fencing.
A bore was drilled in 1895 on the boundary shared with Yantara Station along a significant stock route known as the driest in the area. The bore reached a depth of and provided a daily water supply of for livestock.
By 1901, Salisbury extended over more than 1 million acres under the management of T. Welsh and ownership of William Taylor. Sidney Kidman purchased Salisbury in 1914 and acquired nearby Bootra Station in 1915; both stations were primarily managed from Bootra at that time. They maintained sheep and cattle herds; however, by 1924 dingo attacks had drastically diminished Salisbury’s sheep population from flocks that once numbered up to 80,000.
In 1936, Sidney Kidman’s estate sold Salisbury Station, which then covered , to Elsinore Limited.