Property

Gibsons to offload quality St George grazing/farming aggregation

Property editor Linda Rowley, 01/07/2020

While the Brookdale aggregation is being sold bare of stock, 500 one-brand PTIC Euro cross heifers will be made available to the successful purchaser.

AFTER 16 months of ownership, Western Queensland grazing personality Mick Gibson and family have decided to offload their large-scale mixed grazing and cropping enterprise near St George in the state’s southwest.

Gibson Grazing paid $15 million for the Darran Aggregation which it has rebranded as the Brookdale Aggregation, because Brookdale is the largest of the three contiguous landholdings.

The 12,096ha holding comprises the 5054ha Darran, the 1246ha Beardie Lagoon and the larger 5795ha Brookdale, which collectively offer 25km frontage to the Balonne River, close to St George.

When Mick Gibson purchased the aggregation of properties for feed in February 2019, he told Beef Central he planned to background cattle there.

“We supply a lot of cattle to Coles. Over recent years we have had trouble getting cattle heavy enough due to the dry conditions. Darran’s a pretty nice place with plenty of cultivation and some irrigation. This should help add weight to cattle, from 265kg to closer to 300kg,” he said at the time.

This week, Mr Gibson’s son Declan explained that a good season on the family’s holdings further west had changed the company’s direction.

“We purchased the Brookdale Aggregation for feed, because our downs and channel country was in drought – but those properties have now received good rain, and beneficial flooding in the flood-out country.”

Declan Gibson said the Brookdale Aggregation was also experiencing an excellent season after late summer rains.

“It is boasting an abundance of feed, is well grassed with winter herbages and is lightly stocked.”

In the current season, he is confident the incoming purchaser can make some serious money.

“Brookdale is a mixed enterprise of significant scale in the St George district, offering cattle, sheep and production, irrigation and cropping.”

Marketing agent, Dick Allpass from Elders, said due to the diverse nature of the property, potential buyers could choose which way to run the country.

“Brookdale has a history of fattening livestock and wool production. In the past, it ran more than 5000 head of cattle and the potential for growth is there, depending on the amount of forage grown, as well as the area of native and improved pastures,” Mr Allpass said.

The Brookdale Aggregation has feedlot approval for 8000 standard cattle units and boasts heavy carrying of cattle or sheep on natural pastures, with the option to boost numbers with increased fodder production.

The holding boasts more than 3000 megalitres of water, a 1700 megalitre ring tank, plus an additional 470 megalitre allocation. The combined certified storage capacity is 6600 megalitres.

The sale includes all planted crops – 180ha of wheat and 200ha of chickpeas in the established irrigation area, and 1096ha of wheat planted in the established dryland farming area – as well as the materials to construct a 30km dog fence.

The Brookdale Aggregation is being offered by Elders via expressions of interest closing at the end of July.

It is expected to attract large farming families and corporates, including locals adding to their existing operations.

While the property is being sold bare of stock, 500 one brand PTIC Euro cross heifers will be made available to the successful purchaser.

Cultivation on Brookdale this year

Gibson Grazing

The Gibson family breeds bullocks for the export beef trade on their 10,700sq km Bullo Downs station in the Channel Country, in Queensland’s south-west.

The family also operates Dynover Downs near Euro, Sandringham west of Bedourie, the Binda backgrounding operation at Bollon, the 4000ha Olinda Park feedlot and farming aggregation near Dalby and the Queensland/Northern Territory border breeding and finishing property Manners Creek Station.

At capacity, Gibson Grazing runs around 73,000 head of cattle (including a 28,000 head breeder herd) on 11 properties spanning more than 2.4 million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory, producing 6750 tonnes of beef annually.

 

 

 

 

 

HAVE YOUR SAY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your comment will not appear until it has been moderated.
Contributions that contravene our Comments Policy will not be published.

Comments

Get Property news headlines emailed to you -
FREE!