Tobermorey Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Alice Springs region of the Northern Territory. Tobermorey is on the western edge of Punthamara territory
The property is situated approximately 143km (89miles) east of Alpurrurulam in the Northern Territory and 233km (145miles) west of Mount Isa in Queensland. The property is bounded to the north by Manners Creek Station, to the west by Marqua Station, to the west and south by Atnetye Aboriginal Land Trust and to the east by the Queensland border. Several watercourses flow through the property including Field River, Manners Creek and Marqua Creek.[1] The Plenty Highway passes through the northern end of the station near to the homestead.
Capable of carrying approximately 15,000 head of cattle, Tobermorey occupies an area of 5994km2;[2] it is approximately 180km (110miles) in length and 40km (30miles) wide.[3] The southern portion of Tobermorey is red soil with areas of sandhills, lightly timbered and supporting areas of buffel grass around the watercourses. The northern section is open plain country timbered with Mulga and gidyea and covered with Mitchell grass and other herbage.[4]
The Tobermorey Station Roadhouse & Caravan Park is a unique tourist facility located adjacent to the property buildings. The Roadhouse sells both unleaded and diesel petroleum and has a store stocked with a small variety of small goods, food & snacks, souvenirs, tyre repairs. The caravan park provides unpowered campsites, cabin and room accommodation, camp kitchen, playground and a licensed bar for motorists heading west along Plenty Highway towards the Stuart Highway, and those heading east into Queensland via the Donohue Highway. The Roadhouse and Caravan Park close for the summer wet season annually from December through to March [5]
Cattle belonging to Robert Anderson have been grazing on the lands since 1910. Anderson, who was previously a shopkeeper at Urandangie, moved to the area in 1913 to establish Tobermorey.[6]
Severe bushfires hit the area in 1952[7] and by 1954 the property was in the grip of drought, with the Andersons preparing to ship their breeding stock from the property.[8] The Anderson family sold the property in the 1980s.[3]
In 2009 the property was owned by Sterling Buntine, who had placed it up for auction; it was passed in at 11 million.[9] By 2011 Tobermorey had been sold along with Linda Downs for 17.5 million.[10] The current owners of the property are John and Margaret Speed.[3]