THE Kimberley's Birdwood Downs station has been purchased by high profile Western Australian pastoralists Jack and Vicki Burton's company Northern Pastoral Management (NPM).
The 1821 hectare property, near Derby, was formerly part of Meda station and in the late 1970s the Department of Lands exercised the parcel to encourage pasture regeneration.
Then in 1978 the United States-based Institute of Ecotechnics' directors invested in the project for the opportunity to apply an ecotechnics total systems approach to enrich pastures that had been degraded by overgrazing and erosion.
When the Institute of Ecotechnics acquired the property, the land was no longer profitable.
Under the vision and leadership of Robyn Tredwell, John Allen and Mark Nelson, improved pasture was developed on the property to prove the productive capacity of the grasslands.
Over time the project was able to maintain a small cattle herd and horses for the Kimberley School of Horsemanship.
It also supported the production of hay and seeds.
"With the recent developments of the tropical pastoral industry the Institute of Ecotechnics and Birdwood Downs partners are pleased to announce the transfer of ownership of Birdwood Downs station to Jack and Vicki Burton from Kilto station who will expand the original vision to a larger, commercially viable scale," said the institute in a statement.
The property will be managed by NPM.
Mr Burton, also known as a 'WA cattle king', shocked the industry late last year when he stepped down as Yeeda Pastoral Company managing director and chief executive and sold his stake in the business, which he helped establish.
The Institute of Ecotechnics said the Burtons plan to develop and demonstrate a sustainable pasture model on a commercial basis, incorporating carbon sequestration.
