Cavan Station

Cavan Station offers a compelling history of one of the most important grazing properties in the Australian wool industry, now owned by Rupert Murdoch. Located near Yass, Cavan Station was a cradle of early innovation in the growing of fine wool. It is the place where the renowned pastoralists Alexander and William Riley, together with William Dutton, the first qualified vet in Australia, developed the Saxon merino sheep. This breed is one of only four strains that make up the modern Australian merino and is widely recognised for producing wool that is exceptionally white and bright in colour, soft to handle, and fine in diameter.

The book describes the extraordinary legacy the Rileys left at Cavan, their influence extending well beyond its boundaries, and the highly scientific approach they adopted to growing fine wool. Their strategy, combined with sustainability, has become the hallmark of the Murdoch family operation at Cavan today, setting new production standards in the wool industry. The property's location on the Murrumbidgee, just beyond the occupation limits of the 1820s, placed it in the path of Hume and Hovell's momentous 1824 expedition from Appin to Port Phillip, embedding it in Australian history even before the Rileys' arrival.

Through a narrative that encompasses not only the Rileys at Cavan but also the rich diversity of other significant occupants and neighbours in the district—such as James Calvert, Louisa Atkinson, Samuel Terry, and Hamilton Hume—the author vividly brings to life the astonishing rise of the Australian wool industry and the contributions of some remarkable individuals.