THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across Queensland and Western Australia, a separate articles on New South Wales listings and a third on recently completed sales of note.

• EOI’s for Sinclair Hill’s Qld portfolio
• Western Downs blue-chip cattle backgrounding & dryland cropping enterprise
• Well-watered Victorian redgum country
• $25m for WA’s Gunapin Ridge

The three-property Boanbirra Aggregation, spanning 40,198ha, south-west of Bollon in southwest Queensland, is being offered for sale via an expressions of interest process

EOI’s for Sinclair Hill’s Qld portfolio

The estate and family of the late Sinclair Hill are offering the last of his once extensive rural property holdings, which stretched across western Queensland and into New South Wales.

The 91-year-old veteran cattleman and polo player died in November last year following an accident on his farm near Nowra.

The three-property Boanbirra Aggregation, spanning 40,198ha, 45km south-west of Bollon in south-west Queensland, is being offered for sale via an expressions of interest process through JLL Agribusiness and Devine Rural.

Exclusion fenced, the portfolio comprises the adjoining Boanbirra, Fernlee and Donna Downs holdings.

The aggregation was first listed during the drought year of 2019 after Mr Hill announced his retirement from the cattle industry. It returned to the market in 2024 after failing to sell.

Suited to cattle, sheep and goats, with scope to breed and finish livestock, Boanbirra was transformed under Mr Hill’s ownership from a beef breeding and finishing enterprise into a large-scale Dorper prime lamb operation.

The country features a mix of red loams and heavier black soil flats along watercourses, with areas suitable for cultivation.

Devine Rural’s Brendan Devine, who has had a long association with livestock marketing on behalf of the Hill family, said Boanbirra has long proved productive for breeding and backgrounding sheep and cattle.

“The properties benefit from strong herbage and clover growth in winter, while there is a strong grass response in summer, particularly across the large improved buffel area on brigalow and gidgee country that is second to none in south-west Queensland,” he said.

“Combined with the exclusion fencing and more than 140 watering points supplied by a capped artesian bore producing 90 psi, the weight gain and bloom on livestock is a major feature of the Boanbirra Aggregation,” Mr Devine said.

JLL’s Fergus Russell and Chris Holgar said interested parties could purchase the aggregation as a whole or as separate parcels.

“This is intended to cater to a broad market, including local and interstate participants seeking scale in a low-cost production region.”

The aggregation’s land types include 16,800ha of wooded alluvial plains, 9400ha of brigalow, 5100ha of soft mulga and 3800ha of open alluvial plains.

Pastures include extensive areas of buffel, along with a mix of summer and winter herbages that respond quickly to seasonal rainfall.

With an estimated carrying capacity of 30,000 Dry Sheep Equivalents, the aggregation has historically carried 12,000 Dorper ewes and followers, with significant agistment and cattle finishing used when seasonal conditions allow.

A key feature is the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative bore scheme, which reticulates water to 140 header tanks and 160 troughs across the aggregation. The system is complemented by seasonal catchment dams and waterholes.

Infrastructure includes multiple residences, a four-stand shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards and machinery shedding.

Sinclair Hill

A skilled horseman and renowned 10-goal polo player who schooled King Charles III in the finer points of the game, Mr Hill spent a lifetime buying grazing properties and improving them through investment in water, fencing and pastures.

His Queensland holdings once comprised Newstead (Ilfracombe), Babbiloora (Tambo), Redford and Tooloombilla (Mitchell), Hoganthulla (Augathella), Winneba, Taylors Plains and Juandah Downs (Mungallala), Spring Creek (Bollon), Bridgeman Downs (Roma) and Yunnerman Station (Bollon).

Some were sold a decade ago to the Lee family’s Australian Country Choice.

His NSW properties included Berwicks (Willow Tree) and Terlings and Dundenoon (Moree).

Western Downs blue-chip cattle backgrounding & dryland cropping

Capital Property Custodian is divesting its blue-chip cattle backgrounding and dryland cropping enterprise in Queensland’s Western Darling Downs after three years of ownership.

The 5395ha Murilla South, near Noorindoo, 108km from Roma and 193km from Dalby, is being offered to the market as the fund seeks to free up capital for further investment within its existing rural property portfolio.

Strategically located between Roma and Dalby, the property is well placed to service Queensland’s cattle, feedlot and grain markets.

Murilla South features a balance of self-mulching grey, black and chocolate soils, complemented by lighter loam country growing Mitchell and Flinders grasses, Queensland bluegrass and buffel.

Around 1092ha of established cultivation provides flexibility for dryland cropping and fodder production, supporting the property’s large-scale cattle backgrounding operation.

Ray White Rural agents David Felsch and James Arthur said Murilla South’s scale and level of development were expected to appeal to corporate buyers and larger family operators.

“Murilla South is a turnkey holding offering scale, versatility and an exceptional standard of development.”

“It is ready for immediate operation, offering strong water security, extensive reticulation, first-class cattle handling facilities, fencing and operational infrastructure,” they said.

Water security is a key feature, with the property supported by an artesian bore, a shared bore connection, an extensive reticulated water system, dams and frontage to Murilla Creek, including semi-permanent waterholes.

The property also includes high-quality cattle handling and operational infrastructure.

At its centre is a steel handling complex designed to process and move cattle at scale. With all-weather access, the yards have a 1000-head capacity and include a multiple-draft system, round yard, crush and scales, covered working area, water points and a double loading ramp.

The complex is further supported by five adjoining holding yards.

Murilla South also benefits from 22km of exclusion fencing, along with an extensive laneway and internal fencing system.

Additional infrastructure includes a renovated five-bedroom home, a five-stand shearing shed, steel sheep yards, numerous sheds, equine facilities, four bulk grain silos with 100 tonnes of capacity each and eight smaller seed silos.

Murilla South includes high-quality cattle handling and operational infrastructure.

Well-watered Victorian redgum country

A Western Victorian grazing property, with what is understood to be the largest private frontage to Rocklands Reservoir, has been listed for sale after 66 years in the hands of the Puls family.

Located on highly regarded redgum country near Rocklands, 50km north of Hamilton, the 1159ha Glenvale once formed part of the historic Glendinning Pastoral Station.

Elders, who has been appointed to sell the holding, is quoting a price guide of $12.9 million ($11,120/ha or $4500/ac) to $14million ($12,108/ha or $4900/ac).

The property is currently operating as a lamb production enterprise running 8800 sheep or more than 5000 lambing ewes or 10DSE/ha. However, it could also run cattle with supporting yards and electric fencing infrastructure.

A feature is Glenvale’s 7km of privately leased reservoir frontage, which provides about 50ha of additional grazing country.

Agent Lachy Patterson said the property represents a landmark rural offering and a rare acquisition opportunity.

“The sweeping water views create a spectacular backdrop to daily farming operations, while providing outstanding recreational opportunities and a unique level of privacy and biosecurity, with only two adjoining farming neighbours.”

Mr Patterson said holdings of this scale, quality and location are rarely brought to market and as such, has attracted considerable interest from across Australia and internationally.

“A genuine turnkey farming enterprise, Glenvale is exceptionally well set up for livestock production, with extensive improvements throughout,” he said.

“It has been carefully developed and maintained, benefiting from an excellent fertiliser history, strong pasture performance and outstanding water security.”

Glenvale is watered by 33 dams and is situated in a district with a long-term average annual rainfall of 600mm to 650mm.

Infrastructure includes a renovated four-bedroom home with expansive water views, a two-bedroom cottage, a substantial sheep handling complex with covered yards and capacity for up to 3500 sheep, additional sheep yards, a four-stand shearing shed, steel cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Grain storage is provided by six silos, each with a capacity of 40 to 60 tonnes.

Other features include a solar-powered kangaroo exclusion fence along the rear boundary and strong natural fire protection from the property’s northern edge.

Glenvale is offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on September 30.

$25m for WA’s Gunapin Ridge

A drought-protected land holding in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, offering abundant water and diverse income streams, has been relaunched with a price guide of $25 million to $30 million.

Listed by the Rasheed family after 19 years of ownership, the 3050ha Gunapin Ridge is located on the Perth side of York and Beverley (35km), 64km from Perth and surrounded by the Wandoo State Forest.

The holding has 1150ha of cropping land and 1080ha of grazing country capable of running up to 10,000 head of sheep or 1000 head of cattle.

Mark Hay Realty Group principal Mark Hay believes the property’s best and highest use is grazing but is also suited to several biodiversity practices, with further upside available from irrigating.

“This is one of the most unique farms to hit the market in this region for decades. It screams opportunity for many different entrepreneurial ventures and farmers who will capitalise on the unbelievable water supply, location, scale and unique private farming location,” he said.

Gunapin Ridge is watered by 26 dams, a soak and a bore, with access to an enormous and largely untapped underground aquifer which runs for 4km across the property. It has been flow-tested at around two million litres a day.

Mr Hay said the landholding falls outside the prescribed water licence area and beckons future development.

“Sinking further bores to harness the immense water assets offers huge potential for horticulture, lotfeeding, strip grazing, irrigated lucerne, hay and clover farming and even aquaculture.”

Infrastructure includes a six-bedroom home, a three-bedroom cottage, a four-stand shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards, silos and numerous sheds.

The entire 26km boundary has been re-fenced with a high quality 1.85m high vermin-proof fence costing around $1 million.

Gunapin Ridge offers potential for biodiversity pursuits or environmental offsets. It is being offered by expressions of interest closing on September 23.