Who Owns Australia?
If you think you own your little piece of Paradise, your quarter acre block of land, or your farm, or your factory, or your workshop…Think again.
While the mainstream media pulls a bait and switch on us Australians, they are hiding the truth. NT News has been brave enough to publish a partial list of people and companies that own some of the largest land holdings in Australia.
The media would have us believe that the Chinese are the main culprits, but as you will see below they are only a part of the problem.
The big question is, Why is this allowed?
Any Australian going to China, the Philippines, Singapore or any other Asian or even African country to buy land will be sorely disappointed.
We cannot buy land an any Asian country.
Instead, we can lease the land on a 99 year lease. We can own any improvements we put on the land, as long as we can move them when we are finished, but any immovable object, such as buildings and equipment that is connected to the land, automatically becomes the property of the land holder when the lease is finished.
So the next question to ask is, Why doesn’t Australia have a policy like this?
Advance Australia, a political activist group, has a paper that details how land should be owned and managed in Australia. Read about it here: Australian Land Reform
Let’s begin with who owns what in the Northern Territory:
Who owns the Territory’s farms and stations?
Compiled by the NT News — December 27, 2017 2:46pm
WHO owns the Territory’s farms and stations?
That’s the question on many lips as the debate over foreign investment in Australian agriculture continues to rage. News Corp has compiled a list of more than 500 properties and their owners, who range from family partnership and domestic pastoral groups to international business people and conglomerates.
The big players are a mix of foreign and domestic entities.
With its more than 10 million hectares, Australian pastoral giant S Kidman and Co has the most land.
But foreign funds, such as US teacher superannuation entity TIA-CREFF, are rapidly building a profile with a reported investment of $1 billion in prime farming country.
NTBR takes a look at the biggest players from — or with connections to — the NT on the list.
ARCHIPELAGO BEEF TRUST
Owned by controversial businessman Luke Butler
▼ Ban Ban Springs, Darwin Northern Territory, 187,300ha. Purchased in 2016 for $10 million.
▼ Riveren/Inverway, Victoria River Northern Territory 550,000ha. Purchased in 2016, more than $60 million.
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY
Established in 1824, Operates across seven million hectares of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
▼ Anthony Lagoon/Eva Downs Northern Territory 934,900ha.
▼ Brunette Downs, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory 1,221,200ha. Purchased in 1979.
▼ Camfield Station, Victoria River, Northern Territory 279,000ha.
▼ Delamere Station, Victoria River, Northern Territory 300,300ha.
▼ Labelle Downs/Welltree, Batchelor, Northern Territory 61,000ha.
▼ Montejinni Station, Victoria River, Northern Territory
▼ Pell/Tortilla, Darwin Northern Territory 5473ha. Purchased in 2014.
BRETT BLUNDY RETAIL CAPITAL (SINGAPORE)
Private investment company founded by retail king Brett Blundy in 1980.
▼ Amungee Mungee, Elliott Northern Territory 328,500ha.
▼ Beetaloo Station, Elliott Northern Territory 1,050,000ha.
▼ Mungabroom/OT Downs Northern Territory 1,000,000ha.
▼ Walhallow/Cresswell, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory 999,700ha. Purchased in 2015.
LYN BRAZIL
Wealthy businessman and philantropist
▼ Vermelha Station Northern Territory 200,000ha. FOR SALE (2016)
CAASON GROUP/AILERON PASTORAL HOLDINGS
Private investor group with a focus on natural resources, mining and telecommunications.
▼ Aileron, Alice Springs Northern Territory 408,000ha. Purchased in 2015.
CONSOLIDATED PASTORAL COMPANY (UK)
Australia’s largest privately owned beef producer. Runs about 375,000 cattle over 20 properties covering more than 5.7 million hectares. The majority shareholder is UK- based Terra Firma Capital.
▼ Bunda Station, Victoria River, Northern Territory 178,800ha. Purchased in 2015.
▼ Dungowan Station, Katherine, Northern Territory 445,400ha.
▼ Kirkimbie Station, Katherine Northern Territory 230,400ha. Purchased in 1986.
▼ Manbulloo Station, Katherine, Northern Territory 379,131ha. Purchased in 1994.
▼ Mimong Station, Julia Creek Northern Territory 79,971ha. Purchased in 2010.
▼ Newcastle Waters, Barkly Northern Territory 1,033,100ha. Purchased in 1983.
▼ Ucharonidge, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory 247,920ha. Purchased in 2008.
DUNKELD PASTORAL COMPANY
Owned by prominent Melbourne barrister Allan Myers QC.
▼ Tipperary Group Northern Territory 400,000ha.
GRANT FARRIS Founder of Darwin’s Broadsword Marine contracting business
▼ Bullo River Station, Timber Creek, Northern Territory 162,700ha. Purchased in 2015 for $10 million.
GREAT GIANT LIVESTOCK (INDONESIA)
An offshoot of PT Great Giant Pineapple, one of the largest pineapple growing and processing company in the world.
▼ Willeroo Station, Katherine Northern Territory. Purchased in 2014.
Hughes Pastoral Group and Georgina Pastoral Company runs Lake Nash Station in the Northern Territory, near the Queensland border
HEYTESBURY CATTLE COMPANY
Owned by the Holmes a Court family and part of the Heytesbury Group of Companies, headquartered in Perth.
▼ Birrindudu Station, Katherine, Northern Territory 673,000ha.
▼ Moolooloo, Victoria River Northern Territory 203,600ha.
▼ Mt Sanford Northern Territory 249,700ha.
▼ Pigeon Hole Northern Territory 180,000ha.
▼ Victoria River Downs, Victoria River, Northern Territory 282,400ha.
HUGHES PASTORAL GROUP/GEORGINA PASTORAL COMPANY
Run by Peter and Jane Hughes and their sons Sam and Fred. Operates more than 2.25 million hectares in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW, including:
▼ Argadargada Station, Northern Territory
▼ Lake Nash Station, Barkly Tableland, Northern Territory 1,200,000ha.
J UMBUCK PASTORAL
Owned by the MacLachlan family. Has 12 properties in South Australia, Western Australia, the NT and NSW, totalling more than 5.75 million hectares and employing 135 staff.
▼ Killarney/Birrimba, Katherine, Northern Territory 541,400ha. Purchased in 2014.
GINA RINEHART/HANCOCK PROSPECTING
One of Australia’s richest persons and daughter of the late mining magnate Lang Hancock. Has invested significantly in agricultural land in recent years. Now the Territory’s largest land holder.
▼ Willeroo spans 171,000ha, holding around 20,000 head of cattle, Aroona Cattle station 100km west of Katherine and this year took majority ownership of the S.Kidman and Co properties.
NAPIER PASTORAL COMPANY
Owned by Greg and Sharon Vickers from Keith in South Australia
▼ Delmore Downs, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
▼ Delny, Alice Springs Northern Territory
NORTH AUSTRALIAN PASTORAL COMPANY
Runs a herd of about 200,000 cattle across 13 stations totalling 5.8 million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory. An 80 per cent shareholding sold to Queensland Government-owned Queensland Investment Corporation for $400 million in 2016. QIC fund includes a small amount of foreign money. Remaining 20 per cent owned by the Foster family.
▼ Alexandria Station, Camooweal, Northern Territory 1,611,800ha.
NORTH STAR PASTORAL
Privately owned company operating over almost 750,000 hectares.
▼ Limbunya, Katherine Northern Territory 520,000ha.
▼ Maryfield Station, Katherine Northern Territory. 140,000ha. Purchased in 2013.
PASPALEY PASTORAL
Pearling company Paspaley’s rural arm. Run prime lambs, cattle, Merinos and run one of the oldest Poll Hereford studs in Australia.
▼ Dry River Station, Katherine Northern Territory 65,000ha
▼ Melaleuca Station, Darwin Northern Territory 45,000ha.
ROMEO ROXAS (PHILIPPINES)
Filipino banker and property developer.
▼ Epenarra, Barkly Tablelands Northern Territory 265,000ha. Purchased in 2015.
▼ Murray Downs, Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory 265,000ha. Purchased in 2015.
TIANMA BEARINGS GROUP (CHINA)
Owned by Chinese billionaire Xingfa Ma.
▼ Wollogorang/Wentworth, Gulf of Carpentaria Queensland-Northern Territory border 705,700ha. Purchased in 2015.
WELLARD GROUP
Live export shipping company. Listed on the ASX. Includes foreign money.
▼ Woolner Flood Plain, Darwin Northern Territory 64,700ha.
WESTERN GRAZING COMPANY
One of Australia’s largest beef producing companies, owned by the Oxenford family. Operates across almost 1.8 million hectares.
Sold two properties comprising 1.7 million hectares to Paraway Pastoral Company in 2016.
▼ Wave Hill Station, Victoria River, Northern Territory 1,200,000ha
YIANG XIANG ASSETS (CHINA)
Chinese private sector company.
▼ Elizabeth Downs, Douglas Daly, Northern Territory 205,000ha. Purchased in 2014 with 9000 cattle for $12 million.
4 thoughts on “Who Owns Australia?”
May I ask what does Australia own in all other countries????
A very good question. I can only answer as a Private Citizen who has traveled extensively. Foreigners cannot own land in most (if not all) Asian countries. In Thailand, for instance, foreigners can only own a condominium 100%, which is essentially a box in the sky, and governed by a Corporate Body consisting of at least 51% Thai condo owners. The land the condominium occupies must always be owned by Thais. The same applies to all other Asian countries I know of, but I believe there are exceptions where foreigners are not allowed to own any property.
We can, however, own land in the USA.
Why did our politicians send so many men to die for our country. Sadly to allow people to claim title to land, that others died for for all australians. Disgusting. We need to change our laws of ownership.
It is so sad to see you people wasting so much time chasing down dead ends.
I will confidently state that neither the Chinese nor any other foreigner owns land in Australia.
I will also confidently state no Australian owns land in Australia.
What did Captain Cook do when he landed on these shores? Planted a flag and claimed the land for the crown.
So who owns the land? Answer – The Crown.
If the crown owns the land what do you own? Answer – real estate.
What is real estate? Answer – the right to the use of land.
What is eminent domain? Answer – the landlord deciding to terminate your lease.
The crown as owner and landlord of the land separated the right to use the land from ownership of the land by creating a title called real estate. Our ancestors purchased this title called real estate. We have been buying and selling this title called real estate among ourselves ever since.
So the crown is the owner and landlord and you are the tenant (just like they tell you on the title).
Rates are your annual rent. Don’t pay the rent and you get evicted.
Government is the agent for the crown, just like its real estate agent, collecting rent and making sure you look after the landlords property by making sure you get permission to build in accordance with the landlords wishes, don’t cut down trees without permission etc etc..
So if state government as real estate agent for the landlord subcontracts its duties as agent to a third party called local government which is in fact no government at all but nevertheless has been invested with the powers of the state government (an agent of an agent if you will) so what? Local government is acting on behalf of state government just like the private contractor who mows the roadside is doing so on behalf of government.
All these appeals to the Queen and the Constitution are sad – these are the source of the problem not the solution.
Anyway I am not in the habit of failing to prove what I say so here is the proof.
Search “Difference between land and real estate”
Search “Doctrine of land tenure in Australia” (spoiler alert – feudal system)
Search “The principal and agent relationship”
Yep that is right, if you want the proof you will need to do a little work for it. I led you to the water the rest is up to you. In my experience most of you are too lazy to drink for yourselves and thereby show yourselves unworthy to be custodians of the truth.
Bottom line – if you want to stop paying rates you will need to challenge the crowns claim to be owner of the land.
Other matters I have the answer too;
What is the real significance of the ATO being a non-legal entity. (spoiler – not the idiocy seen suggested on the internet)
Why no Australian needs to complete the Census.
Income tax – the way out.