Old Andado Station is an historic homestead that used to operate as a cattle station at the edge of the Simpson Desert, in Australia's Northern Territory. Comprising a number of outbuildings, including a historic meat house and a saddle shop, the pastoral property is the only remaining homestead of its kind in Australia. Every year, Old Andado Station sees hundreds of visitors who come to the region to cross the red sand Simpson Desert, enjoy off-roading adventures on the world famous Bins Track, and get a true taste of life in the Australian outback. The Old Andado homestead has also served as a base for Parks and Wildlife crews, who travel to the area to study the Mac Clark Acacia Peuce Reserve's abundant wildlife.
The history of Andado Station dates back to 1910, when the homestead consisted of little more than a crude shelter made of timber and cloth. The shelter was later replaced by a mud-brick hut, and in 1955, a new homestead was built. This newer building is the homestead we see today and serves as a poignant reminder of what life was like was without modern amenities such as hot running water, electricity, air conditioning and telephones.
1972 saw the restoration of the homestead into a tourist destination operated by Tjauritchi Wanda Tours Pty Ltd, a corporation formed by then owner H. Overton and his business partners Molly and Malcolm Clark. The Clarks then owned the homestead outright from 1969 until the 1980s, when the family was forced to de-stock under the threat of brucellosis and tuberculosis. The homestead was eventually sold at a pittance, but Molly Clark succeeded in securing a crown lease over 45 square kilometres of land around the homestead. Molly continued to live at Old Andado until 2008, when she fell ill and was forced to move to Alice Springs. She passed in 2012, after founding the National Pioneer women's Hall of Fame in Alice Springs.
Today, Old Andado Station is maintained by a group of passionate volunteer caretakers known as the Friends of Old Andado Incorporated. Much of the homestead's original construction and way of life has been preserved - from its corrugated iron roofs to its cement floors, which were poured over ash and fat. Until the 1970s, there was no power; light was supplied by kerosene lanterns. And until the 1980s, when a satellite phone tower was installed in Alice Springs, the only method of communication - besides a camel drawn mail cart - was a radio telephone. Future plans for the Old Andado homestead include the installation of a soar power system and 24-hour electricity.