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Our Story

Meet our Five Founders

Our story begins in 1877

William Collins
William Forrest
Sir Thomas McIlwraith
John Warner
Sir William Ingram

In 1877 when Queenslanders William Collins, William Forrest, and Sir Thomas McIlwraith were joined by Englishmen John Warner and Sir William Ingram to form The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCo), little did they know they were laying the foundation for more than 145 years of sustainable beef farming.

Our five founders were the original lessees of the great Alexandria Downs Station in the Northern Territory – now known simply as ‘Alexandria’, it continues its flagship role within NAPCo’s operation.

The new company survived the financial and drought-induced crisis of the 1890s mainly due to its Burdekin properties which were less drought-affected and close to abattoirs.

The first two decades of the 20th Century saw more drought, a world war and changes in the ownership structure.

In 1937, Francis Foster invested heavily in NAPCo taking an interest which grew through his lifetime bringing with it exceptional pastoral skills and long-term vision, which laid the basis for its composite breeding program and pioneering contributions to land care, conservation and disease minimisation.

“Spanning a vast area of the nation and with a herd of approximately 200,000 cattle today, NAPCo is an outstanding Queensland business, typifying the State’s pastoral heritage, pioneering spirit and resilience. Remarkably, descendants of the founding entrepreneurs have continued to play leading roles in the company until the present day.”

THE QUEENSLAND BUSINESS LEADERS HALL OF FAME

Integration breeds success NAPCo’s longevity

NAPCo’s longevity and operational success has been partly due to its integration of multiple properties into a resilient chain for breeding, fattening and drought-proofing, complemented by the Wainui feedlot on the Darling Downs.

NAPCO HAS EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED GROWTH SINCE THE 1980’S

NAPCo Today

NAPCo has experienced sustained growth since the 1980s. A defining characteristic of the company’s success has been a family approach to the business under a succession of inspirational leaders including Foster family members; Douglas Fraser, Michael Crouch and more recently Christopher Lyndon and Nigel Alexander.

In May 2016, the Queensland Government acquired an 79% interest in NAPCo with the Foster family owning the remaining share ensuring that local control of this important national business continues.

Today, NAPCo has moved from being a cattle-only company to become one of Australia’s biggest producers of prime-quality branded beef.

The survival and development of NAPCo over more than 145 years is a tribute to the people involved; in particular the character, ability, foresight and extraordinary dedication of those who have contributed both on and off the properties.

History

  • 1877 – 1880
    • Five founders establish North Australian Pastoral Company
  • 1910 – 1940
    • Channel country purchased for its natural, lush vegetation
    • The Foster family acquired Forrest’s share in NAPCo
  • 1940 – 1970
    • Consolidation and development
  • 1970 – 1990
    • Expansion through the Gulf, Central QLD and Feedlot
    • World Class Breeding Program commences
    • Property acquisition
  • 1990 – Current
    • Complete traceability from birth to processing
    • NAPCo inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, 2016
    • Acquisition of backgrounding properties
    • Queensland Investment Corporation bought in 2016
    • Five Founders, Australia’s first carbon neutral beef brand, launched 2019
    • Acquisition of Mantuan Downs in 2021

Purchase a piece of NAPCO History

NAPCo began in 1877 when its original partners took up leases over a vast area of the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, with Queensland properties added over time as the company grew and developed. Family-based ownership remained predominant within NAPCo until 2016 when QIC (Queensland Investment Corporation) became the majority investor.

This thoroughly researched and attractively illustrated history of the company is a hard-cover book of 620 pages. It is a fascinating account of the people who created the company, of their descendants and others who have shared in its ownership, and of all those who have served it so well. It is a story of properties and cattle, and the outback itself, and provides an invaluable case study in the development of the northern Australian cattle industry.

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Properties

The North Australian Pastoral Company is a major player in Australia’s cattle industry managing a herd of 200,000 cattle, across six million hectares of land across Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Our cattle are born and raised on wide open pastures and are the product of generations of farmers who have spent their lives overseeing the entire operation from breeding to fattening, with the health and wellbeing of our cattle always priority.

For them, raising cattle is not a job; it’s a way of life.

We’ve spent more than 145 years crafting the finest quality beef for you to enjoy.

Our Locations

Click on the hotspots for information on our stations.

Close Map
Alexandria
1,641,416 hectares - 80,000 cattle
Alexandria breeds and grows weaners for eventual consignment to the Wainui Feedlot. The property is also home to the Alexandria Composite stud and each year approximately 10 000 bales of hay are harvested on the station.
Boomarra
108,000 hectares - 10,000 cattle
Boomarra supplies weaners for eventual consignment to Wainui Feedlot. The property is also the headquarters for the Kynuna Composite stud, supplying bulls to other NAPCO properties.
Brisbane Office
OFFICE ADDRESS
Creek Street,
Brisbane, Queensland, 4000
 
POSTAL ADDRESS
GPO Box 319, Brisbane, 4001
 
FAX 07 3221 8140
EMAIL info@napco.com.au
Coolullah
214,000 hectares - 13,000 cattle
Coolullah has a large variety of land types with the spinifex hills and ranges to the west, through to the alluvial flats along the Leichhardt river, and areas of open downs. The property produces weaners for eventual consignment to Wainui Feedlot.
Coorabulka
637,000 hectares - 7,000 cattle
Coorabulka operates as a grower property for weaners prior to consignment to backgrounding properties or directly to the Wainui Feedlot. Coorabulka is managed in conjunction with Monkira.
Cungelella
21,870 hectares - 8,000 cattle
Steers from Queensland’s Channel Country and the Company’s breeder properties are sent to Cungelella for backgrounding prior to consignment to Wainui Feedlot.
Glenormiston
692,000 hectares - 10,000 cattle
Glenormiston is operated as a breeding property, breeding and growing weaners for eventual consignment to Wainui Feedlot.
Goldsborough
11,600 hectares - 4,000 cattle
Surplus heifers from the Company’s breeder properties are backgrounded prior to consignment to Wainui Feedlot.
Kynuna
140,563 hectares - 4,000 cattle
Kynuna and Dagworth are operated jointly as grass finishing properties.
Mantuan Downs
135,000 hectares - 16,500 cattle
Mantuan Downs’ role is to grow cattle received from NAPCO breeder properties and prepare them for entry into Wainui Feedlot.
Marion Downs
1,287,000 hectare - 17,500 cattle
Marion Downs operates as a grass finishing property.
Mittiebah
695,500 hectares - 20,000 cattle
Mittiebah is a breeding station, breeding and growing weaners for eventual consignment to Wainui Feedlot.
Monkira
373,000 hectares - 7,800 cattle
Monkira operates as a grower property for weaner steers prior to consignment to backgrounding properties or direct to the Wainui Feedlot. Monkira is managed in conjunction with Coorabulka.
Mount Isa
NAPCo’s Supply Depot -
Mt Isa is the company’s supply and sourcing depot where goods and materials are coordinated and despatched to service our Stations.
Portland Downs
99,957 hectares - 8,000 cattle
Portland Downs’ role is to grow cattle received from NAPCO breeder properties and prepare them for entry into Wainui Feedlot.
Wainui Feedlot+Farm
5,000 hectares - 18,000 cattle
Wainui Feedlot feeds cattle for various grainfed markets and rations are mixed on-site using grain processed through a state of the art steam flaking feed mill.
A 5,000 hectare dry-land and irrigated farming enterprise also operates on the property.

Whole of Life

single source single herd

As breeders, pastoralists and beef producers, we adopt a whole-of-life approach to the care of our animals. They remain under our experienced, watchful eyes at every stage of the production process. With a herd of approximately 200,000 head of cattle and brandings in excess of 60,000 calves each year, our cattle are recognised for their quality and quietness.

Our cattle spend their whole of life in our care, ensuring complete traceability from birth to processing. They’re bred with a focus on temperament, physical attributes and quality meat-eating characteristics. Our cattle are made to feel comfortable, happy and stress free throughout their life,
raised on the natural, fertile grasslands of northern Australia, and often live with the same herd of animals throughout their whole life.

Complete control of our supply chain not only ensures full traceability but also ensures the highest standards of care are met and consistency of quality is achieved. We’ve spent more than 145 years ethically raising our cattle, to craft the finest quality beef for you to enjoy.

Cattle

145 Year History

The North Australian Pastoral Company’s longevity in the industry can be credited to its capacity to innovate and adapt to new technologies and ideas. We are currently involved in a range of research and development projects, with our internal composite breeding program recognised worldwide as an outstanding innovation.

UNIQUE AND RESILIENT BREED
With a herd of approximately 200,000 head of cattle and brandings in excess of 60,000 calves each year, NAPCo cattle are recognised for their quality and quietness.

COMPOSITE BREEDING
In the 1980’s we established a world-renowned cattle breeding program. The NAPCo composite breeding program is recognised by leading geneticists as one of the premier breeding programs in the world and a key component in our sustainable competitive advantage.