Pastoral leases in the Northern Territory, more commonly known as stations or cattle stations, are some of the largest in Australia.
[1] Established from the late 1800s onwards, the leases were initially issued by the South Australian government, which administered the Northern Territory until 1911,[2] and enable long-term tenure of Crown land.
[3] The first leases were Owen Springs and Undoolya Station in Central Australia in 1872.
[4] The expansion of the cattle industry caused widespread dispossession of Aboriginal people, with significant damage to water sources and sensitive environments.
[5] There is only one remaining sheep station, at Avon Downs,[6] the rest rear cattle which is sold domestically or live into South East Asia, mainly Indonesia.