Thylungra
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Founded | 1868 |
| Founder | Patrick Durack |
| Headquarters | Quilpie (approximate) , Australia |
Area served | Queensland, Australia |
| Products | Sheep, cattle, wool |
| Owner | George Scott |
Thylungra Station operates as a sheep station under a pastoral lease in Queensland.
Description
Thylungra is positioned approximately northwest of Quilpie and southeast of Windorah. It shares boundaries with the Milo and Budgerygar aggregation as well as Arleun Station, all of which are owned or leased by the current owner, George Scott. Nestled within the Channel Country along Kyabra Creek—a tributary flowing into Cooper Creek—the property encompasses open downs flood-out terrain featuring black soils in the southern section and broad stands of gidyea interspersed with low sandhills. The northern portion primarily consists of mulga country, while other areas include rocky ranges. Vegetation on the property comprises Mitchell grass, Flinders grass, blue grass, bluebush, buttongrass, burr, neverfail, along with timbered zones populated by gidyea, mulga, coolibah, yarpunyah, bloodwood, and supplejack.
History
The land is traditionally owned by the Punthamara people (also known as Buntamurra), who have lived in this region for thousands of years. The station’s name, Thylungra, originates from their term thillung gurra, which translates to permanent water, referring to a dependable waterhole located on the property.
1850–1899
Founded in 1868 as a cattle station by pioneer Patrick Durack (1834–1898), alongside the adjacent Kyabra Station, Thylungra was listed for sale by 1878 together with the neighboring Bungindery Station. Combined, these holdings covered an area of and supported a livestock count of 9,000 cattle and 300 horses.
In 1882, Durack left to establish Argyle Downs Station in Western Australia's Kimberley region. He conducted an overland journey spanning nearly 3,000 miles to move approximately 7,250 cattle and 200 horses—a trek that lasted almost two and a half years and involved significant losses among the stock.
By 1884, Thylungra had changed hands and gained recognition as one of the colony’s premier stations transitioning from cattle grazing to wool production. It was acquired by the Queensland Cooperative Pastoral Company but went into liquidation by 1886, resulting in Thylungra and other properties being offered for sale. At that time, the station extended over , carrying 15,000 cattle and 200 horses. Ownership was transferred to the Thylungra Pastoral Company by 1890.
During the 1891 Australian shearers' strike, Thylungra was a site of police patrols aimed at suppressing union activities. By 1896, while leased to the Union Bank of Australia with Henry Roche as manager, the station faced severe drought conditions amid the Federation Drought. The Land Board Court documented its size at , with an estimated carrying capacity near 20 head per mile. Despite having five permanent waterholes, water access was limited and dam construction was not feasible. Feed scarcity resulted in poor livestock condition; nevertheless, Thylungra remained among the district’s most productive properties.
Records from January 1896 indicate that livestock numbers included 36,000 cattle, 471 horses, and 500 sheep on the property. Between August 1895 and November 1896, sales totaled 8,690 cattle at prices equivalent to around A$160 per head in today’s currency. Correspondingly, rent was reduced from £1 8s to £1 2s 6d per square mile in alignment with adjustments made for similar stations.
The isolated nature of the station contributed to several deaths during this era caused by exhaustion or accidents.
1900–1949
By the middle of 1901, the station was disputing pastoral rent charges amid the challenges posed by the Federation Drought. By 1902, livestock numbers had drastically declined. The Rabbit Board continued its efforts to combat environmental degradation caused by pest infestations.
Prior to 1906, the property transitioned to sheep grazing and was acquired that year by politicians John Leahy, former premier Robert Philp, and James Forsyth, encompassing approximately . In 1907, Philp announced intentions to restock with sheep and enhance station operations. That June, an auction of of resumed land was won by Joseph Tully.
In 1910, shearers at Thylungra initiated a strike demanding improved equipment and higher wages. By the following year, the station had sheared over 100,000 sheep. After Leahy passed away in 1909, his ownership share was transferred to Forsyth and Philp. In 1913, Thylungra yielded 107 wool bales weighing more than , coinciding with Simon Edwin Munro joining the leasehold.
The Queensland Government supplied wire-netting for rabbit-proof fencing in 1912; however, disagreements emerged in 1917 regarding which lessees were accountable for payment. Labor unrest continued with shed workers protesting low pay in 1916 and striking again in 1919 for a shorter workweek. They ultimately secured a 44-hour week along with complimentary one-way motor transport to Charleville.
In 1925, the station experienced the loss of 107 fattened cattle due to fuchsia bush poisoning at Quilpie yards. Despite ongoing drought conditions, by July 1928 pastoral lease rent was fixed at 45 shillings per square mile.
In April 1933, Thylungra was sold together with Bulgroo and Kyabra stations for £80,000 (equivalent to about A$8.32 million in 2020) by the Thylungra Pastoral Company (owned by Philp, Munro, and Forsyth) to the Australian Estates and Mortgage Company.
1950–1999
In 1992, Toni Woods from Goondiwindi sold Thylungra to Clyde Agricultural.
2000 onwards
Clyde Agricultural sold Thylungra in a private transaction in 2008 for AUD 10.5 million to George Scott after it failed to meet reserve price at auction. The property covers , supporting a flock of approximately 45,000 sheep alongside nearly 2,000 cattle. Since acquisition, emphasis has been placed on enhancing fencing infrastructure and diversifying livestock with sheep to improve drought resilience.
In March 2025, heavy monsoonal rains caused widespread flooding that submerged the station's grounds and buildings; water levels recorded at Jundah exceeded those seen during the floods of 1974.