Donald MacDonald died early on the journey after being thrown from a horse, leaving two of his sons, Charles and William, to drive the stock 5,600 kilometres (3,480 mi) to the new property.

[4] The gold rush at Halls Creek provided a nearby market for beef so the MacDonald brothers continued to run the property while the McKenzies financed the operating costs.

The station prospered and MacDonald expanded by taking over the leases of surrounding properties and also began to strengthen his stock by infusing Red Poll cattle into the Shorthorn herd.

at Fossil Downs Homestead, Preston Walker of United Aborigines Mission Fitzroy Crossing married the head stockman and his bride, a nursing sister from Darwin.

Virtually all feed was lost and even many native trees started dying as a result of intense heat and lack of water.

Other nearby properties that were affected were Noonkanbah, Liveringa, Quandan, Gogo, Glenroy, Cherrabun, Luiluigui, Christmas Creek and Bohemia Downs Station.

The community was originally situated nearer the homestead but was moved in the 1990s and has a population of approximately 100 people, all of whom are of Aboriginal descent.