Lake Nash Station

It is situated approximately {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} east of Alpurrurulam and {{convert|117|km|mi|0}} south of Camooweal. The property shares a boundary with Georgina Downs and Austral Downs to the north, Argadargada to the west, Manners Creek Station to the south and the Queensland border to the east.{{cite web|url=http://pitac.org.au/wp-content/documents2/Part_B_Checklist/4._NT_Pastoral_Map_June_2013.pdf |title=Northern Territory Pastoral Properties |year=2003 |access-date=6 April 2015 |publisher=Northern Territory Government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409202959/http://pitac.org.au/wp-content/documents2/Part_B_Checklist/4._NT_Pastoral_Map_June_2013.pdf |archive-date= 9 April 2015 }} Several waterways such as the Georgina River, Milne River, Manners Creek, Georgina Creek, Goyder Creek and Gordon Creek cross the property.

The station occupies an area of {{convert|12000|km2|sqmi|0}}, or three million acres,{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2009/12/31/2783550.htm|title=Lake Nash: video profile of an outback cattle station|date=31 December 2009|access-date=14 March 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} and is bisected by the Georgina River. The property includes the historic homestead and original police station. The area is rolling plains of black soil well covered with Mitchell grass overlaying limestone. The limestone contains many caves, many filled with pools of water; Lake Nash has several, some of which are accessible and reach a depth of over {{convert|300|ft|m|0}}.

The traditional owners of the area are the Yaroinga people, who inhabited around {{convert|11,900|mi2|km2}} of country straddling both the Northern Territory and Queensland including Lake Nash toward the northern edge of their range.{{Cite book| chapter = Jaroinga (NT)

| last = Tindale | first = Norman Barnett

| author-link = Norman Tindale

| year = 1974

| title = Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names

| publisher = Australian National University Press

| chapter-url = http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/jaroinga.htm

| isbn = 978-0-708-10741-6

}}

The station was established by John Costello, the son of Irish immigrants, who built the property up over the early years. Costello had acquired the property in 1879 from Mr F. Scar who had sold it unstocked.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51982907|title=Commercial|newspaper=The Morning Bulletin |location=Rockhampton, Queensland|date=8 August 1879 |access-date=14 March 2013|page=2|publisher=National Library of Australia}} Costello began to stock the station later the same year when he had 700 head of mixed cattle overlanded from Carrawal where he had previously worked.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20327996|title=Port Curtis|newspaper=The Queenslander|location=Brisbane, Queensland|date=16 August 1879|access-date=14 March 2013|page=217|publisher=National Library of Australia}} Fattened cattle were taken overland to Adelaide for market in the 1880s.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56540390|title=Stock passing|newspaper=South Australian Register|location=Adelaide|date=19 October 1898|access-date=15 March 2013|page=5|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The area was subjected to severe flooding in 1901 when Lake Nash experienced over {{convert|10|in|mm|0}} of rain in a single day, with the Georgina River running at almost record high levels.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19102686|title=Floods in the far west|newspaper=The Brisbane Courier|date=17 April 1901|access-date=15 March 2013|page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} Costello sold the property in 1905.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article85538038|title=Out Towards the Sun Set. |newspaper=The North Queensland Register|location=Townsville, Queensland|date=16 January 1905|access-date=15 March 2013|page=23 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The area was inundated with {{convert|12|in|mm|0}} of rain in 1909, enough to get all the rivers running and reopen closed stock routes.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88296627|title=Cattle routes opened|newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide|date=3 April 1909|access-date=15 March 2013|page=10|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

In 1915 the station was acquired by the Queensland National Pastoral Company, which had been formed to take over the pastoral properties owned by the Queensland National Bank. The company had raised capital of £850,000 and had invested in properties totalling {{convert|9362|sqmi|km2|0}}in area, of which Lake Nash comprised {{convert|2808|sqmi|km2|0}}.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22296141|title=New pastoral company|newspaper=The Queenslander|location=Brisbane, Queensland|date=17 April 1915|access-date=15 March 2013|page=35|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

Two Aboriginal men known as Dynamite Joe and Paddy Fraser were arguing over a woman when Joe attacked Fraser with an axe causing severe abdominal injuries. Fraser died en route to Cloncurry from internal injuries. Joe made his escape but was later caught and sent back to Lake Nash for trial.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62765077|title=Dynamite Joe's dash |newspaper=Townsville Daily Bulletin|location=Queensland|date=20 May 1936 |access-date=15 March 2013 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

In 1917 some 800 head of cattle were stolen from the station with two men, Thomas Hanlan and James Wickham, being arrested after they were found in possession of 200 of the stolen cattle near Frew River. Both men were found to be guilty and sentenced to five years hard labour and fined £100.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69412622|title=Theft of Cattle|newspaper=The Capricornian|location=Rockhampton, Queensland|date=21 April 1917|access-date=15 March 2013|page=23|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

By 1923 the size of the property was estimated at {{convert|3400|sqmi|km2|0}} and was one of the larger runs in the Northern Territory, although it was dwarfed by the largest of the day, Victoria River Downs, which occupied {{convert|13100|sqmi|km2|0}}.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48011874|title=Making it good for a few. Million acre leases of the Territory|newspaper=The Northern Standard|location=Darwin, Northern Territory|date=18 September 1923 |access-date=16 March 2013|page=1|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

In 1950, Lake Nash came under scrutiny for using slave labour on the property as pumpers. The station was permitted to use much cheaper native labour only if white labour was not available, but this rule had been found to have been seriously breached by the station owners.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49475025|title=Slave Labour Used On Lake Nash.|newspaper=The Northern Standard|location=Darwin, Northern Territory|date=29 September 1950|access-date=15 March 2013 |page=1|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The property was in the grip of drought in 1952 with less than a quarter of the normal number of cattle being led along the Murranji Track.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50537101 |title=Drought beyond words |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane|date=30 August 1952 |access-date=7 April 2015 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The surrounding areas then received over {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} of rain in March 1953 resulting in the Georgina River rising over {{convert|23|ft|m|0}}, the highest level in over 36 years.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42786489|title=Flooding in the North-West areas|newspaper=The Cairns Post|location=Queensland|date=19 January 1953|access-date=15 March 2013|page=3|publisher=National Library of Australia}} The following year the property was hit by drought with only {{convert|2|in|mm|0}} of rain falling in the first eight months; this in turn meant that cattle could not be moved far from waterholes or bores, as little water lay along the stock routes.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50604977|title=Premier sees effect of rail lack|newspaper=The Courier-Mail|location=Brisbane|date=15 July 1954|access-date=16 March 2013|page=12|publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The station was acquired by the Georgina Pastoral Company, a partnership between Peter Hughes and Bill Scott, and Scott's son George took up management of the property in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.outbackmag.com.au/stories/article-view?984|title=Stations – In good company|author=Mark Muller|year=2012|access-date=14 March 2013|work=Outback Magazine|publisher=R. M. Williams|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410062655/http://outbackmag.com.au/stories/article-view?984|archive-date=10 April 2013|url-status=dead}} After suffering a drought through 2008{{cite web|url=http://www.kentsaddlery.com.au/articles/feature-articles/stations/2010/lake-nash-station-nt-george-and-dianne-scott|title=Lake Nash Station, NT – George and Dianne Scott|date=13 Jan 2010|access-date=14 March 2013|publisher=Kent Saddlery}} the area received good rains in the summer of 2009 when the property was still being managed by George Scott and had 20-25 employees working on the station. The station is made up of three separate leases that are run as one entity {{ndash}} Lake Nash, Georgina Downs and Argadargada {{ndash}} and has a carrying capacity of 55,000 head in a good season including approximately 30,000 cross-bred breeders. The herd is a mix of Santa Gertrudis, Brahman, Charbrais, Senepol and Waggui cattle.{{cite web|url=http://www.ntca.org.au/our_people/scott.html|title=Lives and Livelihoods|year=2009|access-date=14 March 2013|publisher=Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013080903/http://ntca.org.au/our_people/scott.html|archive-date=13 October 2009|url-status=dead}}

• List of ranches and stations
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Category:Stations in the Northern Territory