1980
saw the closure of the narrow gauge railway line from Marree
to Alice Springs, through Oodnadatta. This meant rather
than walking the cattle to the railway yards at Oodnadatta,
they had to be road transported to Marla, so that they could
then be railed to market on the Tarcoola to Alice Springs
railway. During 1979 Todmorden Station constructed a road
from the Coongra Creek to Wellbourn Hill Station, so that
cattle could be road transported from Todmorden Station
to Marla.
This
route now is the western alignment of the Oodnadatta Track,
as the original track was via Lambina and Granite Downs
Stations. With the completion of the sealing of the Stuart
Highway during 1988 and an upgraded road between Oodnadatta
and Coober Pedy, all cattle are now transported by road
train to markets.
Television
services were introduced to the station by satellite during
1986, with STD telephone being connected during 1987.
On
23 July 1997 Todmorden Station was awarded the Commonwealth
Bank Ibis Award. The award was a major South Australian
environmental award for commercial landholders. The judging
team from the Commonwealth Bank ,Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Primary Industries SA and SA Farmers
Federation made the following comment. ‘’We
are particularly impressed by the sensitive relationship
between cattle management and the highly dynamic and fragile
ecosystem represented on the property’’.
At the end of 2001 a Hybrid Solar Power Generation system
was installed at the homestead. It provides 24 hour 240
Volt AC electricity. The system consists of 6 Solar panel
arrays, producing 5400 watts of 110 Volts DC electricity
which is converted to 240 Volt AC electricity through a
15 kilowatt inverter. To supplement the Solar Panels, three
diesel engine generator are used as well.
On
14 March 2004 an Indigenous Landuse Agreement (I.L.U.A.)
was signed between the present owners of Todmorden Station,
the local Yankunytjatjara / Antakringa Aboriginal people
and the South Australian Government. The agreement recongnises
the Pastoral rights of the Pastoral Lessee on Todmorden
Station together with the Traditional rights of the Yankunytjatjara
/ Antakringa Aboriginal People.
2005
sees Todmorden Station managed by Douglas Lillecrapp, with
Gordon and Mary Lillecrapp together with Mary-Anne McMichael
being active partners.

Branding using Bronco Panel


De
Rose .v. State of State Australia, 2002, Federal Court of
Australia
Jen
Gibson, 1988, Oodnadatta Genealogies, Department of Environment
and Planning, Adelaide
The
John McDouall Stuart Society Inc
Centenary
of Federation, 2001, Connecting the Continent, SA
Basil
Fuller, 1975, The Ghan, The Story of the Alice Springs Railway,
Rigby, Adelaide,
T.G.H.
Strewlow, 1969, Journey to Horse Bend, Angus & Robertson
Ltd, Sydney
Charles
P Scott, 1908, Mount Todmorden Station Photographic Collection,
Gift in memory of Mr. David Breaden Gardiner, Art Gallery
of South Australia, SA
David
W. Carnegie, 1898, Spinifex and Sand, C. Arthur Pearson
Limited, London,
Peter
Howell, 2002, South Australia and Federation, Wakefield
Press, Kent Town,
Arch
Grant, 1981, Camel Train and Aeroplane – The Story
of Skipper Partridge, Rigby, Adelaide
R.M.Williams
and Olaf Ruhen, 1984, Beneath Whose Hand, Macmillan, Melbourne,
R.A.A.,
1978, Bullock Tracks and Bitumen – South Australia’s
Motoring Heritage, Commercial Printing House
Horrie
Simpson and John Dallwitz, 1990, Horrie Simpson’s
Oodnadatta, Oodnadatta Progress Assoication,
Marla
– Oodnadatta Soil Conversation Board District Plan,
2002, National Hertitage Trust and the Department of Water,
Land and Biodiversity Conservation

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