b'Sept 2022 Trackwatch.qxp_Trackwatch Layout 18/09/20229:37 pmPage 29 News Who owns Australia?Have you ever wondered who owns the pastoralist stationsthat make up much of the Outback?When touring the great Outback Returning to the trek up the Birdsville will be travelling through a string ofregions of Australia, do you ever track, much of the trip is through Stations owned by the Williams Cattlewonder who owns the land you are pastoral holdings owned by Australian Company. These include Anna Creekpassing through?For instance company Crown Point Pastoral Station, Coober Pedy (1,574,600ha),journeying the 346kms from Company. Stations they own included The Peake Station at William CreekOodnadatta to Birdsville, whos land Clifton Hills Station (1,650,000ha), (813,000ha), Hamilton Stationare you actually traversing? Innaminka Station at Leigh Creek Oodnadatta, Nilpinna Station atI was recently reading about two (1,360,000ha), Macumba Station at William Creek, Arckaringa Station atCentral Australian businessmen and Oodnadatta (1,100,000ha), and Coober Pedy and Mount Sarahpastoralists Viv Oldfield and Donny Pandie Pandie Station on the Station at Oodnadatta.Costello who are now Australias Birdsville Track (662,000ha). Other In terms of the value of our Outbackbiggest landholders owning a well known Stations they own are Stations, Canadas PSP Investments iswhopping 7.2 million hectares across Andado and Maryvale Stations at No. 1 in ownership of AustralianSouth Australia, the Northern Territory Alice Springs and Ruby Plains and agricultural land with assets valued atand Western Australia. If their Sturt Creek Stations in the Kimberley, around $5 billion. PSP is a pensionproperties were pieced together they WA. fund for the Canadian public service,would cover nearly a third of the total Other well known Stations owned by including the mounted police force,size of Victoria. Australian Companies, include 18 and continues to expand itsAccording to Agjournals annual properties owned by the Australian purchases in Australia each year.investigation into who owns Australias Agricultural Company, totalling some Last year its expansion included thefarms, the last 12 months has seen a 6.6 million hectares. Chief among acquistion of the1.1 millionflurry of activity in the ownership of these is the 1,235,100ha Burnette Narwietooma, Glen Helen andsome of Australias major, if not iconic Downs Station on the Barkly Napperby cattle stations in theproperties. Tablelands, NT. Northern Territory, along with severalInterestingly there has been renewed Gina Rinehart (Hancock Agriculture other properties in NSW.interest from Australian farming & S. Kidman And Co) porfolio Other unlikely property ownersbusinesses, despite the former No 1 includes 25 stations across include Harvard Universitylandholder Gina Rinehart divesting Queensland, NT, NSW and WA, Endowment Fudd (USA), THF Financefour properties from her Hancock and comprising 5.9 million hectares. (Germany) and Michael HintzeKidman porfolios. These being the Jumbuck Pastoral Company owns a Premium Farms (UK). Of interest, four1.36 million hectare Innaminka dozen Stations across SA, NSW and large Chinese companys sold their 4Station, the 1.1 million hectare NT, with possibly the best known Stations in Queensland, TasmaniaMaeumba Station and the 800,000 being the 1,214,057ha Wave Hill and NSW.hectare Ruby Plains and Sturt Creek Station on Victoria River, NT. Brian TannerStation. A journey north through SA and you EditorTRACKWATCHSEPTEMBER 2022 27'