Alfred Giles at Springvale

Page from diary kept by Alfred Giles recording his experiences at Springvale Homestead.

Springvale Homestead, near Katherine, is the oldest original homestead in the Northern Territory. The station was established in 1879 and managed by Alfred Giles, for Dr W J Browne.

After exploring with John Ross in central Australia, Giles moved north to continue exploration and survey work for the northern section of the Overland Telegraph Line. Following this he began overlanding stock from South Australia to the Northern Territory to supply the telegraph stations. On his last trip in late 1877 he overlanded sheep and cattle for Dr W J Browne to establish pastoral properties for him. Browne was one of the many men who believed the Territory could support large herds and supply the miners who were rushing into the newly discovered gold fields. The pastoralists' eyes were also fixed on the potential of the Asian market.

The journey from South Australia with 12,000 sheep and 2,500 cattle took 20 months. Keeping sheep and cattle in the Top End proved challenging for Giles. Initially it was believed that the cattle would be able to eat down the tall rank tropical grasses and then the shorter grasses suitable for sheep would thrive. This did not happen and the north was too hot for sheep to thrive. White ants took food supplies and destroyed fences and buildings. In 1887 Browne tried unsuccessfully to sell Springvale; his venture into pastoralismin the north had been unsuccessful. The returns had been too slight to repay his investment. Alfred and Mary Giles and their children stayed on at Springvale until 1894, when they abandoned the station.

They then moved to Bonbrook near Pine Creek; Giles supplemented his income from the stock with a butchering business and a mail run. After 1911 and the Commonwealth government take-over he accompanied several official fact finding tours, and was enthusiastic about the Territory's potential. Giles retired to Adelaide in 1924. His record in the Territory was one of 'determined but unsuccessful endeavour' (NT Dictionary of biography p. 114) Alfred Giles died in 1931.

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