THIS week’s property review includes this summary of interesting recent listings across Queensland, and separate articles on other listings in New South Wales and South Australia and recent sales of note.

• Atherton family lists 3 NQ cattle stations
• Hughenden’s Zara Station has capacity for 5000 cattle
• Abundant feed & water on Wattlevale
• Langham offers beef & reef on Capricorn Coast

Zara, south of Hughenden, is offered with an estimated carrying capacity of 5000 cattle

Atherton family lists 3 NQ cattle stations

Three north Queensland cattle properties held by the Atherton family are headed to auction on November 18.

The first offering includes the adjoining 20,521ha Strathelen and Rellum Park near Torrens Creek, 80km east of Hughenden and 150km west of Charters Towers. The extensively developed enterprise is suited to cattle breeding and backgrounding.

Access is a key feature of the aggregation. The freehold properties lie on opposite sides of the Flinders Highway, while the Aramac–Torrens Creek Road also passes through them.

Strathelen and Rellum Park are offered with a carrying capacity of 1500 head. The sale includes an EU and PCAS accredited herd of 1158 Angus-cross and Droughtmaster composite breeders.

Stockplace Marketing agent Luke Westaway said the herd would give the buyer an established livestock base and the potential for immediate cash flow.

“A holistic approach to grazing management has contributed to healthy, productive and abundant pastures of buffel, forest blue grass, spear grass and a variety of legumes,” he said.

The country includes frontage to Torrens Creek and extensive ironbark and bloodwood grazing areas. Average annual rainfall is 457mm.

Improvements across the aggregation include two three-bedroom homes on the banks of Torrens Creek, three sets of steel cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Strathelen combines creek frontage, cleared grazing areas and timbered country. Red sandy soils and clay support a substantial body of native and improved pasture.

The property is divided into six main paddocks and additional holding paddocks.

Seasonal water is available along Torrens Creek and from five dams, while a water spear in the creek supplies a poly-pipeline stock-water system.

Rellum Park is mostly timbered ironbark country with extensive Torrens Creek frontage, transitioning to level and gently undulating grazing land on mostly red and lighter sandy soils. It is divided into ten main and holding paddocks.

Creeks, gullies and low-lying areas provide seasonal water, supplemented by a bore and six dams.

Hughenden’s Zara Station has capacity for 5000 cattle

The Atherton family’s third offering is Zara Station, a picturesque blue-ribbon cattle breeding, backgrounding and finishing property in the heart of north-west Queensland.

Set against the Alice Tableland escarpment, the 22,787ha leasehold property is 54km south of Hughenden and 136km from Strathelen and Rellum Park.

Zara is offered with an estimated carrying capacity of 5000 cattle. The sale includes an EU and PCAS accredited herd of 2098 Angus and Angus-cross breeders.

Mr Westaway described Zara as a particularly special property.

“It is a highly regarded premium Hughenden finishing holding, combining undulating black soil Mitchell and Flinders grass downs, around 4500ha of gidgee buffel country, with more than 2700ha pulled, as well as seasonal herbages.”

“This highly sought-after combination of land type variation and balance is seldom offered to the market,” Mr Westaway said.

The high carrying capacity country is currently growing an abundant body of grass and is divided into 12 main paddocks and five holding paddocks.

Landsborough Creek traverses Zara, with its headwaters forming a notable feature of the property. Bridle Creek provides seasonal water, supported by four equipped bores and three dams. Average annual rainfall is 476mm.

The three-bedroom homestead occupies an elevated ridge above Landsborough Creek, with panoramic views across the station. Other improvements include a cottage, cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Abundant feed & water on Wattlevale

A central-west Queensland breeding block is attracting strong inquiry from established producers looking to expand and buyers seeking an affordable entry into the market.

The 3850ha Wattlevale is located 22km from Jericho and 66km from Barcaldine.

Nutrien Harcourts agent Boyd Curran, who is managing the sale, said the property offered abundant feed and reliable water.

Wattlevale comprises mainly red sandy loam soils, with clay-based country, rocky outcrops and lighter loams along the creek lines.

Several paddocks have potential for pasture improvement through blade ploughing and the sowing of buffel, seca stylo and native pasture species, subject to the necessary approvals.

Additional water development, paddock subdivision and fencing upgrades could further improve grazing management and increase carrying capacity.

Wattlevale is divided into six main paddocks, two smaller paddocks and three holding paddocks. Three laneways and eight strategically positioned water squares connect the paddocks with the central cattle yards.

Stock water is supplied by two equipped bores and five dams.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, cattle yards and numerous sheds.

The property is being offered under instructions from receivers and managers Tim Heenan and Travis Anderson of Deloitte and will be auctioned on December 4.

Country on Wattlevale

Langham offers beef & reef on Capricorn Coast

In Central Queensland, productive grazing country and pristine Capricorn Coast frontage is being offered for sale by the Jones family, held by its Duke Islands Pastoral Co.

The 1039ha Langham is 7km from Stanage Bay and 150km north of Rockhampton.

It offers direct access to one of Queensland’s most spectacular coastal regions and the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

Nutrien Harcourts GDL agent Andrew McCallum expects interest from cattle producers, lifestyle buyers and those seeking a combination of the two.

“Langham’s combination of grazing land and coastal frontage presents a range of potential opportunities.”

Running 260 breeders, Langham comprises gently undulating soft hills that give way to marine plains, with 2.8km of pristine Capricorn Coast frontage.

The mostly sandy loam soils support Rhodes, panics, pangola and soft native grasses, complemented by seca and verano stylo.

Water is supplied by four dams and the reliable spring fed Moonlight Creek.

Infrastructure includes a recently renovated three-bedroom home, cattle yards, an extensive laneway system and a shed with built-in, self-contained living quarters.

Langham is being offered for sale by expressions of interest.

Langham comprises gently undulating soft hills that give way to marine plains, with 2.8km of pristine Capricorn Coast frontage.

Jones family

The Jones family also owns the 1010ha Marble Island, 20km off the Capricorn Coast, which includes the 121ha Hunter Island and 202ha Tynemouth Island.

Settled as a pastoral station in the 1900s, Marble Island was operating as a sheep station when Rex Jones purchased it in 1968. It was subsequently developed into a cattle station and today runs around 200 head of Droughtmaster-cross cattle.

The family has built much of the island’s current infrastructure, including two residences, cattle yards, an airstrip and dams.