Cattle Ranching in Australia
If you think you’re tough enough to work on a cattle station in Australia, here’s what you need to know…
About the job
Working on a cattle ranch (called a ‘station’ in Australia) is very varied and can include anything – from domestic work such as cleaning, cooking and gardening, to tough outdoor work mustering cattle on horseback or motorbike, fixing fences, welding gates, and yard work. It’s potentially dangerous work, where you’ll need to be flexible, friendly, and supportive of the close-knit team, who you’ll work with from sunrise to sunset. Very basic food and accommodation is often provided.
Most stations will want people to work for three to six months, and the pay can vary depending on your experience, age, capability, and where you work. The minimum weekly wage for someone over 20 starts at around AUD600 (£330) per week.
The cattle industry in the Northern Territory of Australia provides in excess of 1800 jobs and contributes to the Northern Territory’s third largest GDP earner, equating to more than 60% of primary production. The industry is growing all the time in size, productivity and efficiency. There is also a strong focus on long term sustainable production.
The Northern Territory supplies cattle all over Australia and contributes to the live export trade to South East Asia, including on average up to 300,000 cattle exported to Indonesia every year. The owns large areas of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory and is one place you can go to find out more about job opportunities.
An online search will bring up plenty of additional information, but a popular programme is run by , which offers training in station work and job opportunities, ideal for inexperienced people looking for work from abroad.
Laurence, Daisy and Sian
Getting in touch
The programme was filmed at Waterloo Station in the Northern Territory, and featured the Brett Cattle Company owned by the Brett Family and managed by Dougal and Emily Brett. To get in touch, they can be contacted via waterloo.stn@bigpond.com.
Getting there
Costs
• Flights to Kununurra are roughly £1700-£2000 both ways with two changes. If you book far enough in advance, you can get one-way flights from London to Australia for as little as £750, but this can vary significantly and you will need to factor in possible connecting flights on both sides. You will also need sufficient funds to return, or a return flight booked, and may need to prove this upon entry to Australia.
• Working Holiday Visa: £235 (AUD 420)
• ACRO Police Certificate: £45
• Travel insurance: £240 (approximate amount based on four months in Australia, with additional cover for partaking in hazardous activities - amount will vary depending on provider, level of cover, and length of stay. You must make sure that it covers the sort of work you may be doing).
• Living expenses: £2800 (AUD 5000) to support yourself and you may need to prove you have these funds available to you. Please note this is based on the visa requirements only, you will need to do more research into accommodation and other living expenses in your chosen area of work to determine how much you will need for the initial stage of your holiday.
Visa
• Please visit the for all the information you need on visas.
• Working Holiday Visas are open to UK citizens aged 18-30. For these visas, the purpose of your visit must be a holiday where you may end up working rather than the other way round. Find more information about these visas .
• These visas are valid for up to 12 months and you may work for this entire period, but you are limited to working a maximum of six months with any one employer.
• For the Australian Government to determine whether you are of good character, you may be asked to provide for each country you have lived in for 12 months or more over the last 10 years since turning 16.
• You will need a police background check certificate which you can apply for at .
Health Insurance
• If you are a British citizen you will be eligible for some essential medical treatments whilst visiting Australia, but this is not designed to replace private travel insurance covering health costs. Find more information .
Driving License
• Some stations will require you to have a driving license as you may be required to drive trucks, motorbikes or quad bikes as part of your work.
Passport
• You will need a valid passport for the length of your stay. Australian Immigration state that they prefer it to be valid for at least six months, so it would be a good idea to ensure your passport is valid for the length of your stay plus an additional six months.
Meet the workers
This information was correct at time of writing on 24/07/14 but you should check with relevant authorities and companies as costs and requirements can change at any time.
Remember local taxes may apply and that your earnings may affect your UK tax position and any benefits you may be entitled to.
