Valley of Lagoons Station
| Company type | Pastoral lease |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cattle station |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Founder | Walter Jervoise Scott, Arthur Scott, George Elphinstone Dalrymple, Robert Herbert |
| Headquarters | Valley of Lagoons region , Australia |
Area served | Queensland, Australia |
| Products | Cattle (Hereford, Droughtmaster) |
Valley of Lagoons Station operates as a cattle station under a pastoral lease in the Valley of Lagoons region of Queensland, Australia. Positioned approximately west of Trebonne and south of Mount Garnet, it is located at the source area of the Burdekin River. The property encompasses a basalt plateau alongside an inland floodplain that contains several expansive off-channel lakes, which serve as permanent water habitats. This site is recognized in the DIWA for its significance to fish species.
The land traditionally belongs to the Gugu-Badhun people, who utilized the location seasonally due to its dependable water supplies and plentiful food.
European contact began with Ludwig Leichhardt’s 1845 exploration, during which he observed the region’s favorable conditions for grazing livestock.
Following government land releases in 1862, the station was established and purchased by a consortium including Walter Jervoise Scott, Arthur Scott, George Elphinstone Dalrymple, and then-Premier Robert Herbert. Known as Scott Bros, Dalrymple & Company, management was overseen by Dalrymple. Walter Scott drove livestock from the Darling Downs, initially introducing 25,000 sheep and cattle to the property.
Gunnawarra Station was originally part of Valley of Lagoons until it was separated in 1865; it later expanded by acquiring an additional from Valley of Lagoons in 1880. That same year, there were confrontations with local Aboriginal communities.
By 1896, ownership passed to Messrs Fenwick and Rankin for £12,000—a relatively low price considering the station held over 20,000 cattle and 700 horses, with assets valued at around £200,000.
In 1932, James Simpson Love purchased Valley of Lagoons along with other holdings such as Dunbar and Gainsford Stations.
Robert Lamont Atkinson acquired the property from Love’s estate in 1963; at that time, it was mainly stocked with Hereford cattle. A major bushfire in 1982 led to substantial losses among the livestock. Alan Atkinson sold the station in 2001 when it supported a herd of approximately 4,500 Droughtmaster cattle. The station has a carrying capacity of up to 6,000 cattle and is distinguished by its freedom from invasive weeds that commonly affect neighboring properties.