Newry Station facts for kids
Newry Station is a very large pastoral lease (a huge area of land rented for farming) in Australia's Northern Territory. It covers about 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles). This makes it bigger than many cities!
The station is right next to the border with Western Australia. It works as a cattle station, which means it's a big farm for raising cattle. The Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) runs Newry Station.
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What is Newry Station Like?
Newry Station has different types of land. You can find areas with rich, dark soil, thick forests, and rocky hills. This mix of land helps support the cattle.
The station is home to about 15,000 cattle. Each year, they sell about 4,000 young cattle. These cattle are then moved by truck to another station called Argyle Downs.
From there, the cattle are often sent overseas. They become part of the live export trade, going to markets in places like Southeast Asia. Newry Station shares a border with Auvergne Station to its east.
History of Newry Station
Newry Station got its name from a port city in Ireland called Newry. The land was first claimed in 1886. A main house was built right by the Keep River.
Early Cattle Farming
Patrick Durack, a famous cattle farmer, bought the lease for Newry Station. He brought cattle to the area. Durack spent two years moving a huge herd of 7,000 cattle and horses.
He moved them about 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) across northern Australia. This amazing journey helped set up several cattle stations in the Ord River region.
By 1901, Newry Station, along with Argyle and Auvergne stations, had about 45,000 cattle. That's a lot of cows!
Changing Owners
The Durack family owned Newry Station until 1950. Then, the Australian Agricultural Company bought it. They tried different types of cattle, like Santa Gertrudis cattle.
Later, they found better results by mixing Brahman cattle with Kimberley Shorthorns. In 1986, the Baines River Cattle Company bought the station. Finally, the Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) bought Newry Station in 1992. They also bought other properties at the same time.
Zebra Rock Discovery
In 2011, a special type of rock called zebra rock was found at Newry Station. This rock has cool striped patterns. A company called Kimberley Stone started mining it.
They used careful methods to dig out the rock. Only two workers were needed for this job. The zebra rock was sold to local markets. In 2017, the company decided to stop mining. They wanted to protect the site for people to enjoy in the future.
Conservation Efforts
A big part of Newry Station is inside the Keep River Important Bird Area. This area is very important for birds. It helps protect the endangered Gouldian finch.
The Gouldian finch is a beautiful bird with bright colors. A special spot within Newry Station, about 400 hectares (988 acres) big, is listed on Australia's Register of the National Estate. This means it's a very important place to protect for nature.
