Historic Queensland cattle station sells for $70m

The historic Burke and Wills Dig Tree at Nappa Merrie on Cooper Creek.

One of Queensland’s largest and most historically significant cattle stations has changed hands for $70 million.

The cattle station spans 727,700 hectares.

Nappa Merrie, a 727,700 hectare grazing holding at Durham on the Queensland–South Australia border, found favour with Moree-based agricultural investor Antony Glynn, principal of Glynn Agriculture and Ottley Capital, alongside a New South Wales beef processor.

The seller was the Coulton family’s Morella Agriculture, which bought the station from Santos in 2016 for $16m after previously leasing it.

On Cooper Creek, it spans three freehold titles.

The deal includes the Nappa Merrie homestead and extensive cattle infrastructure.

Nappa Merrie

The station is used for cattle breeding, growing and backgrounding, with capacity for about 14,000 adult equivalents (continues below).

The Face Tree, where John Dick carved an image of Robert O’Hara Burke in 1898, about 15 metres downstream from the Dig Tree.

It also contains the Burke and Wills Dig Tree, marking the site of the explorers’ final camp on Cooper Creek during their 1860–61 attempt crossing Australia.

Burke and Wills died nearby after returning to the camp and finding their support party had left.

The Coulton family invested in water security and infrastructure during its ownership; the station contains 21 bores, 22 dams and numerous permanent and semi-permanent waterholes along the Cooper Creek and Wilson River systems.

LAWD’s Danny Thomas was the agent.

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Marc Pallisco

A former property analyst and print journalist, Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au.