By Samantha Hall 

Sidney Kidman was born in a small town in southern South Australia on the of May 9, 1857.
He was the third of three boys born to his parents who were farmers who had moved to Australia from Suffolk, England in 1849. Kidman’s father died while he was only six months old. Kidman left home not long after finishing primary school with five shillings (about a nickel) to his name and mounted on a one eyed horse. Kidman worked for drovers and graziers all across South Australia and Western New South Wales learning the ins and outs of the cattle industry and the land from both white and Native stockmen.

He even tried his hand in the shearing sheds as a roustabout. Following the discovery of copper in the western New South Wales town of Cobar in 1870, Kidman put away enough money to establish a butcher’s shop in the township to supply meat to the miners who were flooding into town.
In 1878 Kidman received an inheritance of 400 pounds from his grandfather, and he continued to work his butcher shop and began trading cattle and horses with his 400 pounds. He eventually had such an impressive string of horses put together that he was able to supply the British Army based in India with horses.

In 1886 Kidman purchased his first cattle station “Owen Springs” on the Hugh River southwest of the town of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory (right in the center of Australia). He was by then a renowned bushman and excellent cattleman who had a detailed knowledge of the country he resided on. Kidman’s land holdings continued to grow, making it possible for him to move cattle from drought affected areas to better feed and the ability to sell cattle in higher markets. Due to his expanse of land, Kidman was able to survive the depression and the otherwise crippling drought of 1902.

To read more pick up a copy of the September 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.