2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, offering a unique opportunity to showcase our landscapes and people that shape Central Australia. Covering around 75 per cent of the country, the Rangelands are synonymous with the outback, and this vast environment is deeply embedded in Australia’s culture and identity.
The year is also an opportunity to recognise the skill, innovation and professionalism of the people who manage these landscapes. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Livestock Extension Officers visited three pastoralists to learn more about their approach to pastoralism and what drives their success.
Read more about their stories below.
Professionalism in pastoralism
Pastoralism was never part of Bec Cadzow’s original plan but looking back now, she has no regrets.
Located 180 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs, Mount Riddock is a stunning landscape of rich alluvial plains, Mitchell grass and the beautiful Harts Range.
‘Every day is different, and a different day is a good day, especially when it’s on a horse.’ More than anything though, it’s the people who define what makes it great. ‘Just being surrounded by happy people.’
Respect in pastoralism
His ability to observe and interpret what is happening in the landscape and identify different pasture species and their value in his business, is second to none.
Ross Stanes manages Lyndavale Station and the Lyndavale Cattle Company, located 280km south-west of Alice Springs. The station encompasses vast mulga grasslands, sweet calcareous country, southern bluebush landscapes, and the fascinating salt lakes of Karinga Creek across the northern parts of the property.
‘Most pastoralists aren’t just growing cattle. They’re managing the landscape, and they are doing their best.’
What does it mean to be a pastoralist?
Tieyon Station, managed by Paul and his wife Jo on the South Australia–Northern Territory border, was an opportunity to better understand what it means to be a pastoralist in this unique part of the world.
Being a pastoralist, then, is not just about running cattle. It’s about stewardship. About having the courage to make decisions in uncertainty, and the discipline to stand by them. About shaping something over time, through patience and attention, where cattle, country, and people all play their part.
