THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of recently completed sales across the country and two separate articles on properties for sale.

• Holzwart family pays $22.5m for CW Qld’s Durrandella
• $11m for Maranoa’s Quebec, offering abundant grass
• $8m under the hammer for Stonehenge grazing country
• Farming family expands with NW Qld’s Spellary Creek
• Gascoyne cattle stations make $4m+ for Fortescue

Open country on Durrandella

Holzwart family pays $22.5m for CW Qld’s Durrandella

Keith and Roxie Holzwart have paid $22.5 million under the hammer for a central western Queensland grazing property offered to the market for the first time in more than 100 years.

The 25,700ha Durrandella is a leasehold property located 50km south of Alpha and 90km north of Tambo. It is operated as a beef breeding and finishing enterprise capable of running 2355AE.

The Holzwarts own grazing country near Roma and Springsure in Queensland and Avago Station in the Northern Territory’s Sturt Plateau region, west of Daly Waters and 270km south of Katherine.

The sale of Durrandella (offered bare of livestock) was handled by Elders agents Robert Murolo and Mark Barber, who reported seven registered bidders with four active on the day.

When Durrandella was offered to the market, it was destocked and carrying abundant feed.

The property is naturally divided by a section of the Great Dividing Range, creating two distinct areas known as the Back Country and the Front Country.

The Back Country is the stronger part of the holding, featuring established buffel grass and a mix of brigalow, ironbark and box country. The Front Country lies closer to the homestead and includes areas of buffel grass supported by lighter country.

Durrandella is watered by bores and dams.

Infrastructure includes a home, a second dwelling, quarters, three cattle yards and numerous sheds.

$11m for Maranoa’s Quebec offering abundant grass

Locals David and Susan Cameron have paid $11 million at auction for Roma’s Quebec owned by the late Bill Harris.

The 2030ha backgrounding block was offered to the market with a record of producing cattle weightgain resulting in heavy bullocks.

Offered with an 800 head carrying capacity, the property is located near Eumamurrin, 40km south of Injune and 50km north of Roma, in southern Queensland’s Maranoa region.

Ray White Rural agent Rob Wildermuth said Quebec attracted good interest with nine registered bidders and four active on the day.

He said Quebec was purchased by the late Bill Harris in 2007, realising a lifelong dream.

“From a young man shearing in the area in the 1960s, he always found the country north of Roma impressive and Quebec didn’t disappoint.”

“During his ownership, Mr Harris traditionally turned over steers as bullocks and, in recent years, started selling heavy feeder steers and some bullocks,” Mr Wildermuth said.

Most of the country is undulating with bottle tree and brigalow black scrub soils and a small area of lighter ironbark and pine red forest soils.

It is growing abundant buffel grass, with green panic in the creek, and native pastures.

Quebec is watered by 16 dams and Bungil Creek frontage. Infrastructure includes two three-bedroom homes, new steel cattle yards and numerous sheds.

$8m under the hammer for Stonehenge grazing country

Meandarra-based Hurst Pty Ltd has paid $8 million at auction for a large-scale grazing property in central-west Queensland.

The 52,800ha Evengy, 14km west of Stonehenge, 156km south of Longreach and 163km north of Windorah, was offered by David Smith and his daughter, Rebecca ‘Beck’ Smith, after 21 years of ownership.

The family is downsizing and will focus on its remaining holding, Hammond Downs, near Windorah.

Hurst Pty Ltd, a family-owned cattle operation with country near Meandarra, Quilpie and Windorah, purchased Evengy to expand its geographic footprint.

Nutrien Harcourts GDL agents Tony Lilburne and Andrew McCallum described the result as a solid outcome in current market conditions.

During the marketing campaign, Evengy presented with a good body of feed and was described as consistently carrying 800 cows and calves, rising to 1200 in better seasons. The agents said further water infrastructure development could lift carrying capacity.

The property features productive flood-out country from the Thompson River, Warbreccan Creek and Frasers Creek, along with black soils, gidgee and soft red mulga running into boree downs-type and range country.

Pastures include several varieties of Mitchell grass, Queensland blue grass, button grass and spinifex, together with seasonal herbages and salines.

In a 508mm average annual rainfall district, Evengy is watered by four equipped bores and nine dams.

Numerous permanent and semi-permanent waterholes are found along Warbreccan and Frasers creeks, while the Thompson River supplies Dinah’s Waterhole.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, five sets of cattle yards, numerous sheds and about 10km of exclusion fencing along the boundary.

Evengy floodout and yards

Farming family expands with NW Qld’s Spellary Creek

A north-west Queensland grazing property with farming potential has sold to the Gobbert family for $7 million ($1143/ha).

The 6123ha Spellary Creek is on the Flinders Highway, 25km east of Julia Creek, and offers breeding, backgrounding and finishing country, with additional potential for farming.

It was listed for sale by Marcus and Shelley Curr of Yelvertoft Station near Mount Isa after more than 20 years of ownership, as part of a broader asset restructure.

The purchasers are brothers Jason and Dean Gobbert who grow wheat, barley, sorghum, chickpeas and oats on three properties – Byra, Davirton and Challenor Park – in south-west Queensland.

They also grow sorghum on Ophir Downs near Richmond.

Spellary Creek returned to the market earlier this year after receiving more than 1000mm of rain, in a region that typically averages around 450mm annually.

During the marketing campaign, Dowling Livestock and Property agent Peter Dowling reported the exceptional seasonal conditions drove good buyer inquiry.

Spellary Creek was offered on a bare basis, however Mr Dowling estimated it could run between 500 to 600 cows and calves, or up to 1000 weaners.

The gently undulating downs country features black self-mulching soils, predominantly growing Mitchell and Flinders grasses along with natural herbages and includes some scattered areas of prickly acacia.

Water is well secured, with a flowing bore centrally located on the property, supported by a dam and the permanent Spellary Creek watercourse.

Infrastructure is limited to a set of cattle yards equipped with a five way overhead draft.

Ella Valla and Yalbalgo Stations

Neighbouring cattle stations in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region, owned by Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest for four years, have sold for more than $4 million.

Ella Valla and Yalbalgo Stations are breeding and backgrounding assets that were purchased by Fortescue in 2022 for renewable energy projects, as part plans to decarbonise the company’s operations.

LAWD agent Simon Wilkinson was unable to disclose the buyers or the prices paid, however during the marketing campaign, the properties were anticipated to raise more than $2 million each.

Due to overwhelming inquiry and nine expressions of interest, it is understood Ella Valla and Yalbalgo achieved well above that figure.

Mr Wilkinson said Ella Valla sold to a local, while Yalbalgo sold to an entry level producer seeking a foothold in the pastoral industry.

The 162,616ha Ella Valla and Yalbalgo are located near Inggarda and were offered with a combined carrying capacity of 2006 Adult Equivalents.

Situated in a 209mm average annual rainfall region, the holdings have red deep sandy and red sandy duplex soils supporting spinifex grasslands and scattered shrubs.

Gascoyne cattle stations make $4m+ for Fortescue

Spanning 76,167ha, Ella Valla Station is situated 75km south-east of Carnarvon and 85km west of the Gascoyne Junction and can run 875AE.

Water is supplied by 17 bores (four are equipped).

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, a three-bedroom cottage, a two-bedroom sleeping quarters, a shearing shed, numerous sheds, new cattle yards and 19km of new southern boundary fencing.

Yalbalgo Station

The 86,449ha Yalbalgo Station is located 55km west of Gascoyne Junction and 110km south-east of Carnarvon.

With an assessed carrying capacity of 1131AE, the property is currently destocked under a management plan focusing on water and infrastructure improvements.

Watered by 22 bores (seven equipped), the infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, numerous sheds, cattle yards, a meat house and a cool room shelter.

Recently, 67km of new fencing has been erected and 34km have been upgraded.

Meantime, the Emu Creek Station in the Pilbara, which was also marketed in July last year, was withdrawn from the market.

The 125,359ha holding (including 371ha of freehold land) has frontage to the North West Coastal Highway and is located 125km east of Coral Bay and 150km south-east of Exmouth.

The 86,449ha Yalbalgo Station is located 55km west of Gascoyne Junction and 110km south-east of Carnarvon.