Australia’s most northerly cattle station is a cattle station no more

Bramwell Station has been the launching place for many an intrepid traveller bound for ‘The Tip’, just four hours to the north, but it will soon have a new life as a national park.So, who’s the new buyer of the 325,932 acre property? The Queensland Government. It’s the largest land purchase for conservation in Queensland in ten years and came at an estimated cost of $11.5 million.

The new addition joins other recent Queensland cattle station purchases by the government. Avenel - once owned by Sir Sidney Kidman - Lakes Station and Koonaburra will all be converted into national parks.

US charity The Wyss Foundation, which provides funding to conservation and was established by Swiss billionaire Hansjrg Wyss, provided up to $2.4m to buy Bramwell, as well as Lakes Station. The Federal Government also chipped in almost $2m.

Bramwell was first taken up as a pastoral lease in the early 1930s by Frank Monighan and has been owned by Vince Bowyer and Wendy Kozicka for the past 20 years. It includes many income streams from cattle, a tourist park, roadhouse and carbon credits.

Bramwell’s purchase is another step in the ten-year Queensland's Protected Area Strategy 2020-2030. The plan aims to support the growth, management and sustainability of national parks. Bramwell joins more than 14 million hectares across Queensland that are now protected areas.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the property would return to First Nations ownership and management through negotiation as part of the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program. The program gives back land on the Cape York Peninsula to local Aboriginal traditional owners and aims to ensure the region’s cultural and natural values are preserved.

“The area includes significant, undisturbed ecosystems and habitat that will become part of the protected area estate,” Ms Scanlon told the Cape York Weekly.

“Through the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program, we will negotiate for which areas of the land will be made jointly managed national park and which areas become Aboriginal freehold land.”

Adventurous tourists will be relieved to hear the famous Bramwell Roadhouse and the Bramwell Tourist Park with its very ‘Bramwell-style’ live entertainment and the renowned buffet, won’t be going anywhere either.

Their contributions to the local economy and tourism industry is vital and they will continue operating, Ms Scanlon confirmed.

Photo credits to: Bramwell Station