alexandriastation

One of the stockyards on NAPCO's Alexandria Station, ca. 1921

from State Library of Queensland

• Vesna Verencevic said:

  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 that grew through his life 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 minimization. Source: napco.com.au/our-story/