STATION

Butmaroo Station is a working sheep and cattle property spanning 3,000 acres in the Bungendore district of south-east New South Wales. The name Butmaroo comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “deep creek,” a fitting reference to the waterway that winds through the landscape and continues to shape the country today.

Long before European settlement, this region was home to the Ngarigo people, whose traditional lands extended across a large part of south-east New South Wales, reaching as far as the present-day Victorian border.

European exploration and settlement began in the early 1800s. In 1824, explorer Allan Cunningham travelled through Bungendore, and the first settlers arrived soon after. Around the same period, Captain Richard Brooks established a stock station in the district and named one of his outstations “Bungadow.” By 1835 a village had formed, later becoming known as Bungendore, and it was officially proclaimed in 1837.

Over the following decades, the district developed steadily. In 1851, the local population was recorded as just 63, but growth accelerated with the construction of a flour mill, hotels, and a courthouse. The arrival of the railway in 1885 marked a major turning point, and by then Bungendore’s population had risen to around 700.

Butmaroo Station itself has a long and evolving history. In 1886, it was advertised for sale by owner John Flynn. In 1903, a school was built at Butmaroo to serve local families, remaining in operation until 1923 when it was amalgamated with the school at Gidleigh and the Butmaroo school closed. The property changed hands several times, including in 1910 when it was purchased by James Derbyshire Harrison.

In the early 1900s, the wider Bungendore district was also shaped by the rabbit industry. By 1909, rabbit trapping had become a major economic force, supported by a rabbit-freezing plant in Bungendore that employed 14 workers and more than 250 trappers. In the year ending 31 July 1909 alone, over 1.5 million rabbits were frozen locally.

The Harrison family owned Butmaroo until the 1950s, after which the property passed through several custodians. In 2011, Butmaroo Station was acquired by its current owners, who have since been restoring the historic buildings and improving the surrounding landscape

 Today, Butmaroo Station continues to operate as a working farm, while also offering a unique opportunity to experience the property through stays on the station. Whether you’re visiting to slow down and reconnect with the country, interested in what the land produces, or simply drawn to the story and potential of a significant rural holding, Butmaroo is a place with a proud past — and a future still unfolding.