Beltana Station – The best place to start your Flinders Ranges adventure!

Beltana Station (incorporating Puttapa Station) is a fully working sheep and cattle station that offers a variety of accomodation, a cafe & restaurant and a range of activities. Taken up in 1854 by John Haimes, first surveyed in 1855 by John McDouall Stuart. In 1862 Sir Thomas Elder acquired Beltana through his brother-in-law Robert Barr Smith. Thus starting a historic journey that would last well over 100 years.The station was the starting point for expeditions including one made famous by Ernest Giles in 1875 to Western Australia. Thomas Elder imported some of the first camels to South Australia and Beltana Station became one of the most successful breeding studs and largest depot for camels in Australia.

Camels were the mainstay for transport to remote areas, with expeditions and also building the overland telegraph line in the 1860s. Today Beltana Station (incorporating Puttapa station) is 1876 sq km in area (460,000 acres). Owned by the Ragless family, Beltana has so much history and wild beauty to discover.

The homestead, cottage, shearing shed and men’s quarters all date back to the 1860s, are all made of local stone and still in good order today. A must-see. Venture out around the station and Historic Beltana township, the old Ghan Railway line, Copper King paint mine, Puttapa Springs, Sliding Rock, Lake Torrens, old ruins, out stations and much more. Beltana, Puttapa Station and Historic Beltana have also featured in movies such as Gallipoli, Thousand Skies, Stealth, Rabbit Proof Fence and more.