thumb|Anna Creek main [[Homestead (buildings)|homestead]]
Anna Creek Station is a pastoral lease located on arid land in the Australian state of South Australia, operating as a cattle station. At , it is the world's largest working cattle station (or ranch). Established after British colonisation of South Australia on the lands of the Arabana people, the lease was first purchased from the colonial government in 1863. it is owned by the Williams family.
History
The property lies on the traditional lands of the Arabana people.
In January 1863, Julius Jeffreys, John Warren, and William Bakewell purchased the lease, and established the homestead at Strangways Springs. There was serious drought between 1864 and 1866, when the property was stocked with 7,300 sheep. Owing to constant attacks by dingoes, the owners switched to farming cattle instead.
The land occupying the extent of the Anna Creek Station pastoral lease was gazetted as a locality by the Government of South Australia on 26 April 2013 with the name "Anna Creek".
thumb|Trail bikes used for mustering, Anna Creek main homestead
In mid-April 2016, it was announced that the South Australian cattle company Williams Cattle Company was to acquire Anna Creek from S. Kidman & Co, subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board of the sale of the remainder of the Kidman holding to a consortium led by the Chinese group Dakang Australia Holdings. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison blocked the sale later that month, in the national interest. Anna Creek is located in a weapons testing range. Morrison had previously blocked the sale of Kidman to related Chinese company, Pengxin Group.
In December 2016, Anna Creek was finally sold to the South Australian family business Williams Cattle Company, at an estimated $16 million, while the rest of the Kidman empire was sold to a consortium comprising mining magnate Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting, owning 67%, and the Chinese company Shanghai CRED, owning 33%. With this purchase, Williams Cattle Co. doubled their total area held under pastoral leases. and the native title, among other things, had given the Arabana people the right "to share and exchange the subsistence and other traditional resources [and] to use the natural water resources of the determination area". making it the biggest in the world. It is larger than its nearest rival, Alexandria Station in the country's Northern Territory. It is over seven times the size of the United States' biggest ranch, King Ranch in Texas, which is .
The nearest township is William Creek (which is surrounded by the Anna Creek station), but the nearest town for freight is Coober Pedy.
The station is arid pastoral country;
Once there was a large workforce of stockmen at Anna Creek, who mustered the cattle on horses. Today light aircraft are used for spotting animals which are rounded up by stockmen riding motorbikes, requiring a much smaller workforce.
Heritage-listed buildings
thumb|The Peake Telegraph Station ruins
The Peake ruins, including those of a former telegraph office, cemetery, mine site, and lime kilns at the outstation are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.
Strangways Springs telegraph station ruins|thumb
The Strangways Springs Telegraph Station ruins on the station are also listed on the Heritage Register.
Stock numbers in the 2000s
Despite its size, in 2007 Anna Creek Station was carrying only 1,500 head of cattle due to the 2000s drought. In 2008, when the station was owned by S. Kidman and Co Ltd, there were eight full-time staff and they were destocking all their cattle. Following floods in 2010, conditions improved and the station restocked. It had 10,000 head of cattle in May 2011 and is capable of carrying up to 16,500 head of cattle during a good season.
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| May 2003
| align="right" | 16,500
| align="right" | 19
|
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| July 2005
| align="right" | 13,000
| align="right" | ?
|
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| November 2006
| align="right" | 4,000
| align="right" | ?
|
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| June 2008
| align="right" | 1,500
| align="right" | 8
|
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| August 2012
| align="right" | 17,000
| align="right" | 17
|
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| November 2020
| align="right" | 9,500
| align="right" | Up to 11
|
|-
| March 2025
| align="right" | 17,000
| align="right" | Up to 11
|
|}
See also
- List of ranches and stations
- List of the largest stations in Australia