Griffiths family of Baymore Station reflect on changes across the property's 100 year history

Third-generation farmer Garry Griffiths and his wife Ros are still on the original 18,210-hectare block.

The property was leased and settled in 1923 by Garry's grandfather John Griffiths, his wife Jane, and six of their eventual 13 children.

They travelled to the site by horse and cart and lived in tents while the house was built, which was comprised of pine logs cut on the property.

Mr Griffiths said Baymore started as a Merino operation.

"When grandfather settled there he was a shearer, he just gradually went out and built the house," he said.

"We pulled the house down but part of the woolshed is all still there."

In the mid 1990s the family joined negotiations with other landholders, representatives from the state and federal governments, and Aboriginal groups over management plans for the UNESCO-listed Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area.

Mrs Griffiths said there was deep uncertainty when the listing was proposed. There was no precedent of working properties within UNESCO sites and land values were immediately affected.

"Our land values seemed to plummet. It was pretty scary at the time," she said.

The sensitive sites on Baymore were positioned in a way that allowed the property to continue working, Mrs Griffiths said, but other some neighbours were unable to find workarounds and instead opted to sell.

"Our plan of management is in line with what they agreed to as well with fencing and spreading waters, it was best practice," Mrs Griffiths said.

"The working relationship between us and the government has been positive."

Infrastructure upgrades were cost-shared with the relevant government departments, Mr Griffiths said.

"We put a plan together to benefit us as well - some people couldn't do that so they opted to sell out," he said.

"We wanted to stay, so it's worked ok for us."

Although the popular Mungo National Park was in close proximity to the station, there were rarely problems with tourists and researchers were required to seek permission for access, Mrs Griffiths said.

Over the years the couple acquired neighbouring stations in Pan Ban and Springhill, each around 32,000ha, which are now run by their two sons.

Part of the reason they could fund the purchases was the move from Merinos to Dorpers in 2009, Mr Griffiths said.

"That was the same story as a lot of people, the main reason was because of shortages of skilled staff and shearers," Mr Griffiths said.

"Wool prices were just too volatile for where we sit.

"People started in Dorpers not that far from us and we could see there was a future for us.

"We just haven't looked back, we bought two stations probably three years after we got into Dorpers.

"We could see we were going to be able to expand and bring some of the family home."

They currently run about 3000 breeders on Baymore and have celebrated a few years of good seasons.

Mr Griffiths said major upgrades during his time included upgrades to water, including more than 100 kilometres of pipeline, and fencing.

Last month the couple hosted a reunion to celebrate the station's centenary, with five generations of the family attending.

Phyllis Carmichael, the last surviving child of John and Jane Griffiths, turned 92 that weekend and unveiled a plaque listing the generations that lived at Baymore.

Mrs Griffiths said it was lovely to get the family together, with the couple's youngest daughter Brittany travelling from Darwin to attend.

She hoped the family name would carry on and that of their 12 grandchildren, some would want to keep farming.

Mrs Griffiths said over the past decade there had been optimism in the area.

"It was looking that way in the '80s that children wouldn't come home and work on the properties but then things got better," she said.

"There was a bit of a mass exodus out of wool and then lamb started to get good.

"Roads are better, transport's better, there's more access to town.

"Education is still similar, with homeschooling and those sorts of challenges, with kids going away to boarding school but that's just what happens with isolation."