Jumbuck Pastoral Company

Jumbuck Pastoral Company
Company typePrivate
Founded1888
FounderHP MacLachlan
Headquarters
Adelaide, South Australia
Area served
Australia
OwnerMacLachlan family
Number of employees
135
Websitejumbuck.com.au

Jumbuck Pastoral Company is an Australian company that operates numerous cattle stations and sheep stations in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.

It is one of the largest landowners in Australia and the biggest wool grower. As at 2013, Jumbuck controlled over 50,000 square kilometres (19,305 sq mi) of holdings which run approximately 320,000 head of sheep and 80,000 head of cattle.[1]

The company is a privately held company owned by the MacLachlan family and is based in Adelaide.

History

Jumbuck Pastoral Company was established in 1888 by H. P. MacLachlan who was known for his ability with stock and being able to ride out a drought.[2] Initially the company was interested in wool growing in the arid at Paratoo Station near Yunta. It later diversified into cattle.

By the mid-1920s MacLachlan's son, B. H. MacLachlan, was running the company after his father had loaned him £16,000 to acquire and develop lands in the Tarcoola area. When MacLachlan Senior died in 1939, B. H. continued to expand the development plan with Commonwealth Hill Station and Mulgathing Station shearing over 100,000 sheep in 1945.[3]

B.H. MacLachlan handed over to his son, Hugh MacLachlan in 1960 who took up pastoral leases in Western Australia at Rawlinna Station and Madura Plains.[3]

The company was fined $100,000 in 2005 following the death of a jackaroo in New South Wales in 2001.[4] Hugh MacLachlan stepped down as the managing director of the company in 2009 after nearly half a century in the role. His sons, Jock and Callum, were appointed as joint managing directors.[5]

In 2014 the company acquired Killarney Station in the Northern Territory for $35 million. The property occupied an area of 2,819 square kilometres (1,088 sq mi) and supports a herd of approximately 26,000 cattle.[6]

In February 2021, the company acquired the 1.25 million hectare Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory for $100 million.[7] In April 2023, Fortescue announced it was to acquire Rawlinna Station from Jumbuck Pastoral pending approval from the Government of Western Australia.[8] In November 2024, Fortescue pulled out of the deal citing delays in the approval process.[9]

References

  1. ^ "170. Hugh MacLachlan and family". Business Review Weekly. Fairfax Media. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  2. ^ Wilmot, Ben (24 March 2014). "Killarney sold for $35m". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b "History". Jumbuck Pastoral. 2013. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Row brews over jackeroos' head wear". ABC News. 12 April 2005. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  5. ^ Tom Dawkins (1 March 2013). "Jumbuck Evolution". Outback. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  6. ^ Mathew Cranston (31 March 2014). "Optimistic cattle market's $200m sale". Queensland Country Life. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  7. ^ Fitzgerald, Daniel (17 February 2021). "AFL boss, Reece plumbing family part of $100m purchase of famous Wave Hill Station". ABC News. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  8. ^ Thompson, Sarah; Sood, Kanika; Rapaport, Emma (27 April 2023). "Fortescue set to acquire MacLachlan's Rawlinna Station". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  9. ^ Andrew Twiggy Forrest's Fortescue Metals pulls out of Rawlinna Station sale ABC News 2 November 2024