Why are ranches called stations in Australia?

In Australia, a large land holding used for livestock production is known as a ‘station’ – this originally referred to the main residence and outbuildings of a pastoral property but now generally refers to the whole land holding.

What are the stations that are located in the outback?

Top 10 outback station stays

• Bullo River Station, Northern Territory.
• Hamelin Station, Western Australia.
• Home Valley Station, Western Australia.
• Merna Mora Station, South Australia.
• Barn Hill Station, Western Australia.
• Kings Creek Station, Northern Territory.
• Mt Ive Station, South Australia.

How big is an outback station?

It is roughly 24,000 square kilometres (9,300 sq mi); much larger than the runner-up, Clifton Hills, another South Australian cattle station spanning 17,000 square kilometres (6,600 sq mi); and four times the size of America’s biggest ranch, which is only 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi).

How many acres make a station?

The size of a station can vary from say 40,000 acres (just so I’m not excluding my friend’s block) to well over a million acres. The production system is extensive, not intensive.

Why are outback stations called downs?

Words used to describe natural grasslands used to graze livestock: ‘downs country’ — Australia, mostly in the hot northern inland. Natural grasslands with few trees; referred to as ‘savanna’ by ecologists.

What is an Australian cowboy called?

In Australia a stockman (plural stockmen) is a person who looks after the livestock on a large property known as a station, which is owned by a grazier or a grazing company, traditionally on horseback. In this sense it has a similar meaning to “cowboy”.

What size is the biggest cattle station in Australia?

At a sprawling 23,000 square kilometers (14,000 square miles), the Anna Creek Station in South Australia is the world’s biggest cattle ranch.

What do outback stations do?

Outback stations are known for their broad expanses of land, livestock herds, and self-sufficiency.

What is the largest ranch in Australia?

the Anna Creek Station
At a sprawling 23,000 square kilometers (14,000 square miles), the Anna Creek Station in South Australia is the world’s biggest cattle ranch. It’s being offered as part of a portfolio of Australian properties which includes 11 cattle stations and a bull breeding stud farm.

What classifies a farm as a station?

A station, in the context of New Zealand agriculture, is a large farm dedicated to the grazing of sheep and cattle. The use of the word for the farm or farm buildings date back to the mid-nineteenth century. The owner of a station is called a runholder.