Delta Downs Station, also known as Morr Morr, is a

pastoral lease A pastoral lease, sometimes called a pastoral run, is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where government-owned Crown land is leased out to graziers for the purpose of livestock grazing on rangelands. Australia Pastoral lease ...

that currently operates as a

cattle station In Australia and New Zealand, a cattle station is a large farm ( station is equivalent to the American ranch), the main activity of which is the rearing of cattle. The owner of a cattle station is called a '' grazier''. The largest cattle stati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Description

The property is situated approximately north east of

Karumba Karumba is a town and a coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Karumba had a population of 531 people. Geography Karumba is in the Gulf Country region o ...

and south of

Kowanyama Kowanyama is a town and coastal locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia. It is the site of the former Mitchell River Mission, founded in 1916, after the nearby Trubanamen Mission (established not far away on Tops ...

in the

Gulf Country The Gulf Country is the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia. The region is also called the Gulf Savannah. It ...

of Queensland. It is well watered by double frontage on the Gilbert River and more along Smithsons River. Numerous creeks flow through the property, including Lily, Delta, Rose, Duck, Sandy and Spring Creeks. Currently the property occupies an area of and has approximately of frontage along the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

. The station is an aggregation of three leases: Delta Downs, Karumba Downs and the Maggieville outstation.

History

The station had been established at some time prior to 1889 and in 1895 was trading cattle and owned by the

London Bank of Australia The London Chartered Bank of Australia (from 1893 the London Bank of Australia) was an English-run Australian bank which operated from 1852 to 1921. History It was formed in October 1852, with the issuing of a prospectus and granting of a Roya ...

. In 1901 the property was put up for auction. It was stocked with 10,500 head of cattle and 200 horses with a homestead and four sets of yards. The property was described as compact surrounded on three sides by water with one bullock paddock fenced. In 1912 the executors of Captain T. W. Robinson put Delta Downs as well as Maggieville and Milgarra Stations up for auction. At this time Delta Downs had a total area of and was stocked with 9,000 head of cattle and 400 horses. The tenure of the leasehold area was due to expire in 1930 with the property nearly completely fenced. In 1931 the station manager, Mr. H. J. Nielson, committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

by shooting himself. The

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

acquired the property in 1983 for 2 million with the intention of transferring the lease to the traditional owners, the Kurtijar people. The property was featured at the end of the 1984 film, '' Couldn't Be Fairer''. The million acre property is one of the largest

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

owned cattle stations in Australia, and supports a herd of 43,000 cattle. The property is regarded as a model of Aboriginal enterprises and when the cattle industry is going well the station supports 30 salaried workers and puts 2 million back into the local community. In 1988 the station returned a profit of approximately 800,000 and was expected to be one of the first properties to meet new

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

and

brucellosis Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever. The ...

eradication standards. In 2002 the property was officially handed over to the Kurtijar Aboriginal people by

ATSIC The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting ...

; it had been valued at about 20 million at this time. By 2013 the property was 1 million in debt and had to lay off 19 of their workers. Since 2011 the station had suffered from the demise in the live export trade, severe drought and being placed under

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

from suspected Bovine Johne's Disease, meaning no cattle can leave the property for a period of three years.

References

{{Reflist Stations (Australian agriculture) Pastoral leases in Queensland North West Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria

Description

History

See also

References