Quondong Station

Quondong Station is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located in the North East Pastoral District of South Australia, approximately 165km northeast of the historic copper mining town of Burra. Registered in March 2022, the project encompasses a vast area of 144,377 hectares. The region is defined by its remoteness and traditional use as rangeland for grazing, specifically operating as a pastoral lease.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves implementing management changes to allow suppressed native vegetation to regenerate into forest. For Quondong Station, this regeneration focuses on native species such as Mallee eucalypts and Black Oak (Casuarina pauper). To meet the method's requirements, the project proponents actively manage the timing and extent of grazing pressures, often by controlling feral animals like goats and managing livestock density, to ensure vegetation can reach forest cover status (20% canopy cover and 2 meters in height).

Environmentally, the station sits in a semi-arid to arid zone with a low average annual rainfall of approximately 225mm. The landscape is characterized by red mallee scrublands and open woodlands growing on soils that are typically calcareous earths and sandy loams, which are common in South Australia's pastoral districts.

An interesting facet of this project is the station's dual focus on sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism. Established originally in 1869 by Thomas Elder, the property is currently a working Merino sheep station that has transitioned to "Soft Rolling Skin" (SRS) Merinos to eliminate the need for mulesing. The station also offers an "Off-Grid Experience" for tourists, promoting its remote wilderness and lack of mobile reception as a retreat, supported by a recently installed renewable energy system.