Our history.

A story that straddles the pastoral and tourism industries of Central Australia.

01 / 1930s–1950s

From Mt Conner Station
to Curtin Springs.

The pastoral and tourism industries have varied and interesting stories to tell of the early years, and the history of Curtin Springs straddles both.

Like many Central Australian cattle stations, Curtin Springs saw many changes in the early years. The land was first taken up by Paddy DeConnley in the 1930s with a stock of sheep, and was known as Mt Conner Station. In 1940 it was leased to Abraham Andrews, who wanted to call the property ‘Stalin Springs’ after Joseph Stalin. Because his sons objected, it became known as ‘Curtin Springs’, after the late Honourable John Curtin, then Prime Minister of Australia.

Black-and-white photograph from 1950 of a dirt track leading to the station buildings and a windmill — Curtin Springs Station in 1950, photographed on a school expedition.

Peter Severin

Not long after we arrived in 1956, the heavens opened up and it rained 1 inch. Then it didn’t rain again for 9 years!
Peter Severin

02 / From 1956

Peter and Dawn Severin walking in front of the old homestead in 1958, soon after arriving at Curtin Springs

A Vanguard, a Bedford
and 1,500 head of cattle.

In 1956, Peter Severin arrived with his young wife Dawn, their toddler son Ashley and 1,500 head of cattle, in a Vanguard and a Bedford truck full of supplies and all their worldly possessions. The station was 500 square miles then. Peter’s brother Rollo and his family also arrived, but left very shortly afterwards.

Family folklore says that after Peter explained to his young wife that this was where they were going to live, she replied, “Boy… I’ve got news for you and it’s all bad.”

Life was very basic: wood stoves for cooking and hot water, all year round. For the first three years home was under the Bough Shed, with a tin room next to it for the stove and kitchen. Today the Bough Shed provides a dining area and a cool place for visitors to rest.

03 / Scones and cups of tea

Six visitors,
then nine.

In that first year just six people drove past Curtin Springs. The second year saw a 50% increase: 9 people came to visit!

In the late 1950s, pioneering tourist companies began the first tours to Ayers Rock, and with them began the endless batches of scones and cups of tea served to the tourists. Our cattle numbers and management methods changed over the years, as did the tourist facilities at the Wayside Inn.

A woman standing at the timber counter inside the early Curtin Springs store — The early Curtin Springs store.

04 / Milestones

Through
the years.

Year	Milestone
1957	The first tours to Ayers Rock began, once a week, run by Len Tuit.
1958	First liquor licence obtained. It required beds for three people and stabling for horses.
1958	Peter and Dawn installed a fuel dispensing pump and a 500-gallon underground tank.
1959–60	A small grocery store was started, and Dawn Severin began serving morning and afternoon cups of tea and scones. Curtin Springs was the first tourist stop developed outside of Alice Springs.
1958–1981	Over 100 bore holes drilled. Only 14 sites usable.
1961	Lowest rainfall on record: 2 inches.
1962–63	Peter and Lofty built the original entrance way to the Ayers Rock National Park.
1963–64	Peter Severin helped install the chain on the Ayers Rock climb.
1964	Len Tuit increased to 2 buses per week from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock, among many other tour companies. The first ‘tourist’ staff member was employed for the busy winter periods.
1967	The Stone House was built, from stone quarried on the property.
1967	The drought broke, with only 400 head of cattle left.
1970s	Mustering changed from horseback to helicopters, a requirement of the BTEC (TB and brucellosis) eradication program.
1974	Highest rainfall on record: 32 inches.
1980s	Budget accommodation and family rooms installed.
1987	Ashley Severin travelled to the UK and Europe for his Nuffield Scholarship.
Late 1980s	Mustering changed to water trapping.
2004	Accommodation increased to 27 rooms.
2009	Commitment to change the herd to Murray Greys: 1,200 bush herd cows sold and 260 Murray Grey cows purchased.
2014	Launch of new tours and experiences: Curtin Springs Paper and Curtin Springs Walks.
2016	Highest rainfall in one day: 158mm on Boxing Day.
2017	Launch of Curtin Springs Paper jewellery, and opening of The Gallery at the Old Abattoir.
Dec 2017	Installation of the new commercial kitchen.
Mar 2018	The Artist in Residence program commenced.
2018	Installation of 5 new staff accommodation buildings.
2019	Close of the Uluru climb.
2019–2020	An exceptionally hard drought caused major losses of mulga trees and thryptomene bushes. The dead timber increases the risk of future fires.
2020	COVID effectively closed tourism for eight months and ceased extra programs, including Artist in Residence and Curtin Springs Walks.
2021	Peter sadly passed away, aged 93.

Timeline recovered from the original website, with 2019–2021 updates supplied by the Curtin Springs team.

Ashley and Lyndee Severin standing together at a timber cattle yard in evening light — Ashley and Lyndee Severin.

05 / Now

Hard work, heartache,
tears and joy.

Curtin Springs is the place it is today as a result of a lot of hard work, heartache, tears and joy, and thousands of visitors.

Curtin Springs is over one million acres in size. It stands as a testament to the passion and commitment Peter, Ashley and Lyndee Severin have made to the pastoral and tourism industries of Central Australia.

We hope that you enjoy our story and a little glimpse of the history of Curtin Springs.

06 / From the family album