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 Pastoral farming, graziers for the purpose of livestock grazing on rangelands.
Austral ...
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 ...
in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
.
Description
The property is situated approximately north east of
Karumba and south of
Kowanyama in the
Gulf Country
The Gulf Country or North West Queensland 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 ca ...
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 sea off the northern coast of Australia. It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea. The northern boundary ...
.
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. 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.suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
by shooting himself.
The federal government
A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
acquired the property in 1983 for 2 million with the intention of transferring the lease to the traditional owners
Native title is the set of rights, recognised by Australian law, held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups or individuals to land that derive from their maintenance of their traditional laws and customs. These Aboriginal title rig ...
, the Kurtijar people.[
The property was featured at the end of the 1984 film, '']Couldn't Be Fairer
''Couldn't Be Fairer'' is a 1984 Australian documentary film directed by Dennis O'Rourke and narrated by Aboriginal activist Mick Miller (Aboriginal statesman), Mick Miller, which paints a disturbing portrait of Indigenous Australians, Indigenou ...
''. The million acre property is one of the largest Aboriginal 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), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
and brucellosis
Brucellosis is a zoonosis spread primarily via ingestion of raw milk, unpasteurized milk from infected animals. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever.
The bacteria causing this disease, ''Brucella'', are small ...
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 thei ...
; it had been valued at about 20 million at this time.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 bee ...
from suspected Bovine Johne's Disease, meaning no cattle can leave the property for a period of three years.[
]
See also
*List of ranches and stations
This is a list of ranches and sheep and cattle stations, organized by continent. Most of these are notable either for the large geographic area which they cover, or for their historical or cultural importance.
Africa
* Obudu Cattle Ranch
* S ...
References
{{Reflist
Stations in Queensland
North West Queensland
Gulf of Carpentaria