A calm mob of good-looking Brahman cattle is walking out across strong, grassy country in the NT’s Victoria River District. Riders move along around the mob, keeping things in order as they head towards Wave Hill station’s Chungamidgee yards. 

Among those on the trail, talking quietly and taking it all in is a relaxed and happy Callum MacLachlan, who with a group of like-minded investors took on Wave Hill in 2021, becoming only the fourth owner of the iconic station in its 142 year history. “It’s an absolute highlight for me – spending time with the crew, on horseback, with the cattle out in front of us,” he says.

At the heart of Wave Hill’s 1.25 million hectares are the people living and working there under the MacLachlan Pastoral Group banner. They are undertaking a program of major infrastructure development informed by their knowledge of effective and sustainable land management and an appreciation for the property’s history, potential and future.

This extends beyond the pastoral sector to recognise the significance of the 1966 ‘Wave Hill Walk Off’ of Gurindji stockmen protesting wages and conditions, and the role the industry plays in the environmental, cultural and economic life of Australia.   

“There’s 3 million acres of country here, so it’s got economy of scale, which we can develop and which should equate to it being a fantastic business in the fullness of time,” Callum says.