{{Short description|Pastoral lease in South Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Location map|South Australia|label=Clifton Hills |position=bottom |lat_deg=27.01832|lat_dir=S |lon_deg=138.89347|lon_dir=E |caption=Location in South Australia}} {{coord|27.01832|S|138.89347|E|type:landmark_region:AU|name=Clifton Hills|display=title}} thumb|Group of Indigenous Australians at Clifton Hills Station in 1921 '''Clifton Hills Station''' is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the far north of South Australia.
==Description== It is situated approximately {{convert|132|km|mi|0}} south of Birdsville and {{convert|200|km|mi|0}} north west of Innamincka. The property encompasses part of the Sturt Stony Desert and is located on the Birdsville Track and is the largest holding along the track<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sunrisetoday.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/clifton-hills-station-birdsville-track-aouth-australia/|title=Clifton Hills Station Birdsville Track South Australia|author=Maggie Carstairs|date=26 November 2012|accessdate=24 August 2014}}</ref> with an area of {{convert|17000|km2|sqmi|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/south-australia/blazing-saddles/2005/06/09/1118123945177.html|title=Blazing saddles|date=11 June 2005|accessdate=23 August 2014|work=The Age }}</ref>
Goyder Lagoon, the origin of the Warburton River and the end of the Diamantina River and Eyre Creek, lies on the edge of the property.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centraleagleaviation.com.au/lake_eyre.html|title=Lake Eyre|accessdate=4 July 2015|publisher=Central Eagle Aviation}}</ref>
==History== The station was established in 1876.<ref name=Hist>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/pdfs/surveys/birdsville/sections_1-2.pdf|title=Heritage of the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks|accessdate=7 March 2016|date=December 2002|author=Lyn Leader-Elliott and Iris Iwanicki|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040717140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/42990/20040718-0000/www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/pdfs/surveys/birdsville/sections_1-2.pdf|archivedate=17 July 2004|df=dmy-all}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1881 the property was owned by J. H. Howie who had 1,000 cattle overlanded from Aramac Station.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20708281 |title=Aramac |newspaper=The Queenslander |location=Brisbane |date=9 July 1881 |accessdate=24 August 2014 |page=57 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> By 1883 the property was owned by Andrew and J. Broad who were routinely sending cattle to market in Adelaide.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42003843 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=5 May 1883 |accessdate=24 August 2014 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> By 1891 the property was still owned by the Broads but managed by Mr. Turnbull. At this stage the property occupied an area of {{convert|4000|sqmi|km2|0}} and was stocked with 14,000 head of cattle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48101015 |title=Queensland border commission |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=21 May 1891 |accessdate=24 August 2014 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1904 the manager was H.C. Trew who reported that the Georgina and Diamantina Rivers had emptied themselves onto the plains of the station covering come {{convert|2099|sqmi|km2|0}} and the property was carrying 2,000 head of cattle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56494386 |title=Pastoral Country in great heart |newspaper=The Register |volume=LXIX |issue=17,893 |location=Adelaide |date=19 March 1904 |accessdate=4 January 2018 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Clifton Hills was sold by Elder Smith and Co on behalf of the then proprietors in early July 1912. The purchasers, G and E.A. Brooks, had substantial existing holdings, including Buckland Park at Two Wells, north of Adelaide. At the time, the property was described as consisting of {{convert|3566|sqmi|km2|0}} and carrying 9,000 head of cattle, 168 horses and being sold on a walk-in / walk out basis.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5306874 |title=sale of Clifton Hills Station|newspaper=The Advertiser |location = Adelaide |date=4 July 1912 |accessdate=19 November 2017 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The Beltana Pastoral Company sold the property Kanowna Station to G. and E. A. Brooks who already owned Clifton Hills, which adjoins Kanowna, in 1914.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58499875 |title=Sale of Kanowna Station|newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=14 March 1914 |accessdate=5 July 2015 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1923 both Clifton Hills and nearby Kanowana Station were still owned by G and E. A. Brooks. The holdings had a combined area of {{convert|7000000|acre|km2|0}} and were stocked with approximately 20,000 head of shorthorn cattle.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129818154 |title=Fat Cattle found |newspaper=The News|location=Adelaide |date=27 August 1923 |accessdate=24 August 2014 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1930 the manager was Norman Gurr who reported that the rivers had flooded, that largest floods seen in the area since 1917.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46581048 |title=Floods in South Australia|newspaper=The Barrier Miner |volume=XLIII |issue=12,723 |location=New South Wales|date=6 March 1930 |accessdate=4 January 2018 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Hector Brooks owned the property in 1960 and was the first to sell cattle at Gepps Cross using the beef roads concept. The cattle, a consignment of 53 bullocks, were transported by truck down the Birdsville Track to the railhead at Marree. This was the first time road transport had been used along the track.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Meat Game: A History of the Gepps Cross Abattoirs and Livestock Markets|author=Richard Maurovic|publisher=Wakefield Press|year=2007|isbn=9781862547261}}</ref> The land occupying the extent of the Clifton Hills pastoral lease was gazetted as a locality in April 2013 under the name 'Clifton Hills Station' with the word 'Station' included to "prevent duplication of locality name within Australia.<ref name=PLB>{{cite web |title=Search result for " Clifton Hills Station (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067038) with the following layers selected – "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)" |url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/# |work=Property Location Browser |publisher=Government of South Australia |accessdate=20 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archivedate=12 October 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
The property was offered for sale in 2018, reported to be for the first time in 60 years. It was described as the second-largest cattle station on Earth (after Anna Creek Station), at {{convert|16510|km2}} stocked with an estimated 18,000 head of cattle, and licensed for up to 21,500. It consists of {{convert|1500|km2}} annual flood area from the Diamantina River, balanced with gibber plains with creeks, and soft sandhill country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indaily.com.au/real-estate/2018/05/18/inside-the-second-largest-cattle-station-on-earth-for-sale-in-sa/ |title=The second-largest cattle station on earth - for sale in SA |first=Isabelle |last=Lane |newspaper=InDaily |date=18 May 2018 |accessdate=18 May 2018}}</ref> The selling owners were David Harvey, Charles Simpson and Katherine Hartley. Clifton Hills Station encompassed four pastoral leases in northeastern South Australia and southwestern Queensland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.farmtender.com.au/primeagnews/second-largest-cattle-station-could-make-35-million |date=10 May 2018 |accessdate=22 May 2018 |title=Second largest Cattle station could make $35 million |author= "Prime" Ag News |publisher=Farm Tender}}</ref> In late November 2018, it emerged that the station would be bought by a partnership including Viv Oldfield who already owned the adjoining Pandie Pandie Station and also bought Maryvale Station earlier in 2018. The purchase included 18,000 certified organic cattle. His cattle enterprise runs about 50,000 cattle on a collection of stations including Andado Station, Horseshoe Bend Station, and New Crown Station.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.beefcentral.com/property/property-central-australian-cattleman-buys-clifton-hills/ |title=Property: Central Australian cattleman buys Clifton Hills |first=Jon |last=Condon |date=26 November 2018 |access-date=5 January 2018 |publisher=Nascon Media Pty Ltd |website=Beef Central}}</ref>
==See also== *List of ranches and stations *List of the largest stations in Australia
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Stations of South Australia}}
Category:Stations in South Australia Category:Far North (South Australia) Category:1876 establishments in Australia