Tanumbirini
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Founder | Henry Coop |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Northern Territory |
| Products | Cattle |
| Owner | Rallen Australia (controlled by the Ravazzotti and Langenhoven families) |
Tanumbirini Station operates as a cattle station under a pastoral lease arrangement in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is situated roughly north of Elliott and westward from Borroloola. The property shares boundaries with the Bullwaddy Conservation Reserve, Amungee Mungee Station, Nutwood Downs, Beetaloo Station, Broadmere, and the Alawa Aboriginal Land Trust. The Carpentaria Highway traverses this station.
Spanning an area of , Tanumbirini is held by Rallen Australia, a company controlled by the Ravazzotti and Langenhoven families originating from South Africa. This acquisition included nearby Forrest Hill Station, with the combined purchase price totaling 70 million. Together, these holdings cover and maintain a cattle population close to 40,000 head.
History
Tanumbirini was founded in 1893 by Henry Coop after he moved cattle from Calvert Downs. His pastoral legacy began following a violent encounter near the Robinson River during cattle relocation before he officially established the station in 1894.
In 2002, ownership transferred to Henry and Maria Townsend when the property was experiencing issues with overgrazing and deterioration of its black soil plains. At that point, Tanumbirini supported about 10,000 cattle alongside an additional 2,000 to 3,000 feral cattle. The Townsends applied enhanced management strategies that boosted stock numbers to 23,000 before divesting in 2007.
Sterling Buntine took over Tanumbirini in 2007 when it encompassed . Although initially intending to subdivide and sell the property at auction, he ultimately maintained ownership. By 2012, Thames Pastoral Company purchased Tanumbirini from Buntine for approximately 30 million, which included nearly 28,000 head of cattle. The station contains multiple waterways such as Arnold River, Cox River, Tanumbirini Creek, and Williams Creek.
Alongside Tanumbirini, Forrest Hill Station was also sold by Buntine to Thames Pastoral Company for around 33 million. In 2020, Rallen Australia completed the acquisition of both stations for $70 million in a deal facilitated by agents from Colliers International and JLL.