North Australian Pastoral Company

The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) is a large, privately owned, Australian cattle company which operates 13 cattle stations (as well as the Wainui farm and feedlot) covering over 60,000 km², managing about 200,000 cattle, in the Northern Territory and Queensland. It produces beef cattle which are grass fed and grain finished before sale to Australian meat processors who onsell beef to domestic and international customers.

The NAPCO partnership was formed in 1877 by Queenslanders William Collins, William Forrest and Sir Thomas McIlwraith, with Englishmen John Warner and Sir William Ingram. The first station acquired was Alexandria Downs in the Northern Territory. Monkira and Coorabulka were acquired in 1939 as part of their plan to breed cattle at Alexandria and then fatten and sell from the Channel Country.

Francis Foster invested in NAPCO in 1937 taking an 18% interest which grew through his life time to 43%, bringing with it exceptional pastoral skills and a long term vision.

In 1968 the company acquired Glenormiston along with the adjoining property, Marion Downs, at about the same time.

In May 2016, QIC Limited acquired an 79% interest in NAPCO with the Foster family owning the remaining 21%.

NAPCO was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2016.