Todmorden Station (pastoral lease) facts for kids
Todmorden Station, often just called Todmorden, is a very large cattle farm in South Australia. It is known as a "cattle station" because it is a huge area of land used for raising cattle. The land is held under a "pastoral lease." This means a family or company rents it from the government to use for farming animals.
Discovering Todmorden Station
Where is Todmorden Station Located?
Todmorden Station is found in a very dry, or arid, part of South Australia. It is about 82 kilometers (51 miles) northwest of Oodnadatta. It is also about 114 kilometers (71 miles) east of Marla. Several creeks flow through the property, but only after it rains. These are called ephemeral creeks. They include the Alberga, Olarinna, and Coongra Creeks. Many of these creeks have waterholes that last for a while. These waterholes provide water for the cattle. The famous Oodnadatta Track also crosses through Todmorden Station.
What Makes Todmorden Station Special?
Todmorden Station is huge, covering about 7,169 square kilometers (2,768 square miles). This area is divided into 32 large sections called paddocks. It is home to between 5,000 and 7,000 cattle. The area gets about 175 millimeters (7 inches) of rain each year. However, the rainfall can change a lot. So, the cattle mostly drink from 32 special water sources called bores.
The landscape here is a mix of different types of land. You can find sand dunes and areas with mulga trees in the north. The central part has flat, stony plains called gibber plains. Along the creek beds, there are sandy areas with coolibah trees. These creeks flow into large, dry clay pans. The station also has lots of Mitchell grass and saltbush. These plants are excellent food for the cattle.
The Lillecrapp family currently owns Todmorden Station. They run it as the Todmorden Cattle Company. They mostly raise a type of cattle called Poll Hereford. This family also owns three other farms further south.
A Journey Through Todmorden's History
Who Lived Here First?
The original caretakers of this land are the Yankunytjatjara and Antikirinya peoples. They have deep connections to this area. The Arrernte peoples to the north also have ties to the region.
Early Explorers and New Connections
The first European explorer to travel through this land was John McDouall Stuart. He passed through in 1860, exploring north past Oodnadatta. In 1872, the Overland Telegraph was built. It went right through what is now Todmorden Station. This telegraph line helped people communicate across Australia. It also led to the first "pastoral leases" being given out for the land.
How Todmorden Station Began
By 1891, the Great Northern Railway reached Oodnadatta. This made it much easier to move cattle to markets in Adelaide. This made farming cattle in the area much more appealing. Two brothers, Edmund and Walter Parke, from England, teamed up with Charles Walker. They leased many areas within the station's current boundaries. The main farm house, called the homestead, was built along the Alberga Creek in the 1890s.
Changes and Challenges Over Time
Joseph Albert Breaden bought Todmorden Station in 1902. At that time, it was about 7,000 square miles (18,130 square kilometers) and included all the cattle. In 1906, Mr. Breaden had to sell his cattle because of a severe drought. A drought is a long period with very little rain. Explorer Frank Hann visited in 1907 and saw that the Alberga Creek was completely dry. But then, in 1908, heavy rains caused major floods.
Mr. Breaden sold the station in 1923. The Young brothers then took over the property. In 1927, another drought hit the area hard. Later, in 1945, Molly Breaden, Joseph's daughter, began running the station. She worked with her nephew, David Gardiner, until 1962. That is when the Lillecrapp family bought Todmorden Station after several more years of drought.
Respecting Traditional Lands
In 2004, an important agreement was made. It was called an Indigenous land use agreement. This agreement was between the station owners and the Yankunytjatjara and Antakirinja people. It allowed the traditional owners to access their ancestral lands. It also made sure the rights of the station's renters were respected.
Recent Events and the Future
In 2011, Todmorden Station faced more challenges. Heavy rains caused major flooding, trapping five people, including the manager Douglas Lillecrapp. The station received its average yearly rainfall in just 30 hours! Later that year, large bushfires swept through the area. About 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of grazing land were lost. Lightning started the fire, which burned for almost two weeks. Firefighters used a 40-kilometer (25-mile) backburn to help control it.
In April 2013, the area of the Todmorden Station lease was officially named "Todmorden" as a locality.
See Also
- List of ranches and stations
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