Litchfield Station
{{Short description|Pastoral lease in the Northern Territory}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Location map|Northern Territory|label=Litchfield Station
|position=top
|lat_deg=13|lat_min=25|lat_sec=40|lat_dir=S
|lon_deg=130|lon_min=29|lon_sec=37|lon_dir=E
|caption=Location in Northern Territory}}
Litchfield Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station. It is located about {{convert|44|km|mi|0}} north west of Daly River and {{convert|69|km|mi|0}} west of Adelaide River in the Northern Territory of Australia. Composed primarily of open grazing land, the property occupies an area of {{convert|1336|km2|sqmi|0}}.{{cite news|url=http://sj.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/brockstar-eyes-tipperary-station-acquisition/1547031.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230103232/http://sj.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/brockstar-eyes-tipperary-station-acquisition/1547031.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2012 |title=Brockstar eyes Tipperary Station acquisition |access-date=29 November 2012 |publisher=Stock Journal |date=22 June 2009 }} The two adjoining sister properties are Elizabeth Downs and Tipperary Stations; all three currently operate as a single entity, often referred to as the Tipperary Group.
Description
The property is stocked with approximately 12,000 head of Brahman cattle, with a capacity of 15,000, and is broken up into 28 paddocks with an average size of {{convert|47|km2|sqmi|0}}. Litchfield shares 12 holding paddocks, 6 permanent steel yards, 15 bores and a bitumen airstrip with neighbouring Tipperary.
There are numerous watering points in the form of creeks, springs and swamps scattered around the property; these can dry up before the onset of the wet season, making the cattle dependent on bores for a small part of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.aaco.com.au/operations/properties/nt/tipperary-and-litchfield-stations/|title=ACo. Litchfield & Tipperary Stations|access-date=20 December 2012|publisher=Australian Agricultural Company|date=April 2012}}
A {{convert|25000|ha|acre|0|adj=on}} floodplain that contains para grass and marine couch backed onto the Daly River mouth makes up part of Litchfield. The forested higher country is bound by the Reynolds River, which is the boundary of Litchfield National Park.
History
Litchfield was acquired by Melbourne-based barrister Alan Myers QC in 2003 for {{AUD}}50 million along with the 80,000 cattle. Myers also acquired Tipperary, Fish River and Elizabeth Downs Stations.{{cite news|url=http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/10/20/10571_ntnews.html|title=Cash cow not cattle class|access-date=29 November 2012|author=Ben Langford|publisher=Northern Territory News|date=17 February 2009}}
The Australian Agricultural Company offered {{AUD}}105 million to acquire Tipperary and Litchfield stations along with the 60,000 head of cattle in 2009,{{cite news|url=http://www.theland.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/aaco-buys-tipperary-as-futuris-sells-out/1436202.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230220646/http://www.theland.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/aaco-buys-tipperary-as-futuris-sells-out/1436202.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2012 |title=AACo buys Tipperary as Futuris sells out |access-date=1 December 2012 |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=20 October 2008 }} but the shareholder voted against the acquisition at an extraordinary general meeting held three months later.{{cite news|url=http://www.theland.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/aaco-shareholders-reject-tipperary-deal/1497212.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230202702/http://www.theland.com.au/news/nationalrural/property/general-news/aaco-shareholders-reject-tipperary-deal/1497212.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2012 |title=AAco shareholders reject Tipperary deal |access-date=1 December 2012 |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=27 April 2009 }}
In 2011, Australian Agricultural company purchased the Tipperary group's cattle herd of 53,000 head for {{AUD}}26 million, and also entered a one-year agreement to use the station group for agistment purposes with options to extend.{{cite news|url=http://www.stockandland.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness/general-news/aaco-buys-26m-cattle-herd-from-tipperary-group/2116121.aspx|title=AACo buys $26m cattle herd from Tipperary Group|access-date=1 December 2012|publisher=Stock and Land Fairfax Media|date=28 March 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230212149/http://www.stockandland.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness/general-news/aaco-buys-26m-cattle-herd-from-tipperary-group/2116121.aspx|archive-date=30 December 2012|url-status=dead}}
David Warriner, the head of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, was still managing the group in 2012, when it was stocked with 70,000 cattle raised for live export to Indonesia.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/trouble-in-the-top-end-20120903-25ads.html|title=Trouble in the Top End|access-date=29 November 2012|author=Richard Willingham|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=4 September 2012}}
See also
References
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