World's 'biggest' farm, larger than 49 countries, has only 11 employees

An Australian cattle farm known as the Anna Creek Station is doing the rounds of social media for its vast expanse. The cattle farm spans 15,746 square kilometers, and is larger than 49 different countries. This makes it one of the largest privately-held properties in the world. To put it into perspective, the farm is bigger in size than Israel and as wide as Wales, according to the YouTube channel Half as Interesting.

Farm employs only 11 people

But the most interesting part about the Anna Creek Station is that there are only eleven people who work on the farm and despite its size there is very sparse vegetation due to scanty rainfall. The farm receives only 20cm of rainfall annually with temperatures going as high as 55C. Due to less pasture a large surface area is needed to provide grazing land for the 17,000 cattle at the farm.

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“Due to the level of grass being so low, a large surface area is required to keep up with the grazing needs of the 17,000 cattle that live on the land,” the video explains.

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Dependent on technology

The owner of the farm relies largely on technology to operate its water pumps remotely. Low-flying planes are used to locate the cattle which are then rounded up by stationhands riding motorbikes, allowing the owner to only employ 11 people at the farm.

If there is a requirement to visit the town, then Coober Pedy is where the workers need to go. The town is home to just 1,762 residents and a few businesses.

Since being established in 1858, the property has changed hands several times, with Williams Cattle Company taking ownership in December 2016 for $16 million, according to reports.