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

• UK fund secures two CW Qld properties
• Surat’s Ashton Grove sells prior to auction
• $12.5m for Clarke Creek’s Yatton
• Neighbour pays $10m for CQ breeding country
• CQ’s Terry Lea and Rosehill settle

Droughtmaster cattle on Kellys Creek

UK fund secures CW Qld properties

United Kingdom investment fund and asset manager Viresco Group is believed to have made its first Australian acquisition, paying around the $21.7 million asking price for two adjoining holdings in central western Queensland.

The 11,753ha Kellys Creek and 10,265ha Pauralos Park were offered by Clermont vendors Alan and Jane Foot for about $1000/ha ($400/ac) bare.

Together, the 22,018ha aggregation is suited to breeding, backgrounding and finishing cattle and sheep.

Previously operated as Dorper and Australian White breeding enterprises, the properties were offered with a combined carrying capacity of 18,500DSE or 2700AE in an average season. Before the sale, the aggregation was running 2500 mixed cattle and 1000 Australian White sheep.

Kellys Creek is located 100km north-west of Longreach and 80km south-east of Winton.

The Landsborough Highway passes through the property, with 7000ha falling to the eastern side and 4600ha to the west. The fenced Longreach to Winton rail line also runs through the holding, parallel to the highway.

The EU-accredited Pauralos Park is 115km north-west of Longreach and 75km south-east of Winton, neighbouring Kellys Creek along its north-eastern boundary.

Both properties are well positioned to supply live export cattle markets to the north, as well as cattle and sheep store and prime markets to the south.

Situated in a 415mm average annual rainfall district, Kellys Creek and Pauralos Park comprise clean, tick-free country and are free of prickly acacia.

Kellys Creek features heavy-carrying, undulating pebbly open downs growing Mitchell and Flinders grasses. Areas of lighter-carrying sweet creek flats are shaded by coolibah trees.

Pauralos Park also comprises heavy-carrying undulating open downs with Mitchell and Flinders grasses, with coolibah trees lining creek channels that form the headwaters of the Darr River. An artesian bore supplies water to both holdings.

Pauralos Park has six dams, while Kellys Creek has eight dams plus seasonal waterholes along Kelly Creek, which runs through the property and can hold water for up to six months depending on the length of the wet season.

Infrastructure on Kellys Creek includes a three-bedroom home and portable steel cattle and sheep yards. Pauralos Park has a four-bedroom home, which has not been occupied since 2019, as well as steel sheep and cattle yards. Both properties include a six-stand shearing shed and numerous other sheds.

Brodie Agencies principal Tom Brodie handled the sale but was unable to disclose the name of buyer or the price paid.

Surat’s Ashton Grove sells prior to auction

A local landholder seeking expansion has snapped up southern Queensland’s Ashton Grove prior to auction.

Located on the doorstep of Surat, the 1561ha breeding and backgrounding property is 84km south-east of Roma and within easy reach of regional saleyards, feedlots and major processing facilities.

JLL Agribusiness agents David Summerville and Clayton Smith were unable to disclose the buyer or the price, but it was believed to be a good result by district standards.

The turnkey grazing operation featuring reliable pasture country with scattered Bauhinia trees was sold by Lionel and Lynda Crosby after 12 years of ownership.

Well-established stands of Mitchell and buffel grasses, supported by winter herbages and clovers, provide carrying capacity for up to 300 breeders.

The property also includes prized open black soil plains, offering scope for future cropping development and the potential to strengthen its finishing capability.

Water is supplied by three dams and a sub-artesian bore, which reticulates to a tank and troughs, supported by 573mm of average annual rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom donga, cattle yards and a shed.

Yards on Ashton Grove

$12.5m for Clarke Creek’s Yatton

A Central Queensland family has expanded its cattle interests with the purchase of Yatton, a low-cost, efficient operation suited to backgrounding.

Ray White Rural agent Richard Brosnan said 2823ha Clarke Creek property, 195km north-west of Rockhampton, sold at auction for $12.5 million.

“Yatton attracted 16 inquiries and six inspections, and was ultimately contested by two registered bidders who recognised the productivity generated by the vendors’ development program.”

During their ownership, the vendors had carried out an extensive program of land development, pasture improvement and infrastructure upgrades, including new centrally located steel cattle yards and a dip.

The property features a diverse pasture mix of progardes, buffel, Gatton panic, signal grass, bambatsi and urochloa.

Yatton was previously owned by beef industry heavyweight the late John Purcell, a forthright industry representative who served as Cattlemen’s Union president from 1984-86 and again from 1994-97.

Neighbour pays $10m for CQ breeding country

A neighbouring landholder has paid $10 million for Eastlands, a Central Queensland breeding property, to expand an existing operation.

Offered by retiring vendor Edward Adams, the 4492ha grazing property is located 40km east of Duaringa and 95km south-west of Rockhampton.

Ray White Rural agent Richard Brosnan said the campaign generated strong interest, attracting 26 inquiries, 12 inspections and three registered bidders at auction.

“The price paid was a good result for a property in the right location,” he said.

Destocked for more than 18 months, Eastlands carried a strong body of feed during the marketing campaign and offered scope for further development.

The property features a mix of developed forest and brigalow country, with part of Eastlands fronting the Dawson River.

Water is supplied by 15 dams and supported by 710mm of average annual rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, while an agreement allows Eastlands to use the neighbouring cattle yards on Mourangee.

Eastlands carried a strong body of feed during the marketing campaign and offered scope for further development.

CQ’s Terry Lea and Rosehill settle

Two Central Queensland grazing properties marketed by Hourn & Bishop Qld’s Brad Hanson have recently settled.

The Barlow family, of Triple B Brangus near Dingo, has expanded its holdings with the purchase of Terry Lea near Gogango.

The 1040ha breeding, backgrounding or finishing block is located 39km east of Duaringa and 70km west of Rockhampton.

During the marketing campaign, Terry Lea was promoted for its exceptional grazing capacity across heavily developed and improved country, with the ability to run more than 400 adult equivalents.

The fertile softwood scrub and ironbark country is well grassed with improved pastures including buffel, green panic, seca stylo and butterfly pea.

Situated in a region with an average annual rainfall of 803mm, the property is watered by five dams and two bores.

Infrastructure includes steel cattle yards and two sheds.

Meanwhile, the Shields family has sold its extensively improved and well-maintained beef enterprise, Rosehill, to a south-west Queensland producer seeking drought-resilient country.

The 3933ha breeding, backgrounding or finishing property is located 46km north-west of Gin Gin and 94km west of Bundaberg in the Takilberan district of lower Central Queensland, an area known for its abundant natural water.

Rosehill features country ranging from open valleys to rolling open and timbered hills, with ironbark, blue gum and spotted gum supporting 2000 breeders or adult equivalents.

Productive, free-draining soils support improved pastures sown to Rhodes grass, bluegrass, signal grass, wynn cassia, siratro, fine stem stylo and lotononis, along with native spear grass.

The property is watered by 30 dams, four bores, permanent creeks and springs, and receives average annual rainfall of 1009mm.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, steel cattle yards with a new undercover hydraulic crush and double-decker loading facilities, and two sheds.

The fertile softwood scrub and ironbark country on Terry Lea is well grassed with improved pastures including buffel, green panic, seca stylo and butterfly pea.