Headingly Station

Headingly Station is located 200km southwest of Mount Isa and 35km from Urandangie in the Barkly Region of Queensland. It comprises three leases – Headingly (1916), Wolgra (1965), and Carandotta (1985). 

The Australian Agricultural Company purchased Headingly Station in 1916 and appointed manager Hopkins Thomas, who successfully ran the property until 1941. This makes it the oldest property still owned by the Company today. 

Among the former owners of parts of Headingly was the Carandotta Pastoral Company which had carried out extensive improvements, stocking it with 150,000 sheep and at least 10,000 cattle. However, in the early 1890s the region was devastated by drought. Between 1891-1894 only 12 inches of rain was recorded at Headingly. This resulted in the loss of approximately 90,000 sheep and all the property’s cattle. The Carandotta Pastoral Company was forced to cut its losses at Headingly, and the property was sold to well-known pastoralist Sir Sidney Kidman before it was sold to the Australian Agricultural Company in 1916. 

Today, Headingly is a breeding station producing cattle for the Australian Agricultural Company’s Wagyu brands. It comprises approximately 508,000 hectares and employs 22 people.