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

• $50m for historic Eastern Riverina holding
• $9m for Wellington’s Warrengunyah
• Scale and versatility in NSW’s CW
• $11m for blue ribbon Yass property
• Multi-million dollar sale tipped for Sydney’s Echo Vale

Ardenside Station

$50m for historic Eastern Riverina holding

An historic and landmark pastoral holding in New South Wales’ Eastern Riverina has been listed for sale after 25 years of ownership, with a $45 million to $50 million price tag.

The 5260ha Ardenside Station near Tooma, at the headwaters of the Upper Murray in southern New South Wales, is being sold by former investment banker Clive Standish.

Established in the late 1800s, Ardenside Station formed part of a massive pastoral empire created by Melbourne businessman, politician, and pastoralist Edmund Jowett, which spanned Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

In 1981 it was purchased by Burns Kidman Reid, a grandson of the legendary Australian “Cattle King” Sir Sidney Kidman.

In the early days of ownership, cattle were walked from Ardenside up to the high country forestry leases at what became known as the Ardenside Run.

In early spring, the cows were moved to three stopover points that neighbour Bago and Maragle State Forests and Kosciuszko National Park.

Earlier this month, Oakvale, Bowens Retreat and McPhersons Plains spanning 664ha were sold for close to $1.7m.

Ardenside Station features 2km of Murray River frontage.

The property is rectangular in shape, stretching for more than 20km with an altitude ranging from 220m to 840m above sea level. As a result, rainfall patterns vary from a winter-dominant 800mm on Ardenside to 900mm on the higher country at the northern end at Allerthorpe.

Professional agronomic advice from Mark Lucas has seen more than 70 percent (3850ha) of the property established to high-performance pastures, including phalaris, cocksfoot, fescues, and sub and white clovers.

Strong red granite and clay loam soils, supported by an annual average rainfall of 800mm to 900mm and 50 years of top dressing, provide pasture and fodder cropping.

Under the management of Max Manefield, the property sustainably runs between 45,000 and 50,000 DSE.

Meares & Associates principal Chris Meares said that in terms of livestock production, Ardenside is an absolute factory.

“Today, the station runs around 2000 Te Mania blood Angus cows, boasting one of the outstanding Angus herds in eastern Australia, with the progeny taken through to either weaning or feedlot weights depending on seasonal conditions.”

“This is complemented by a select flock of around 3500 outstanding Kurra-Wirra blood Merino ewes, which traditionally join to either Merino or Poll Dorset rams, historically cutting up to 6kg of wool at a popular 17.5 microns,” explained Mr Meares.

Mr Meares is anticipating interest from a range of sectors, including corporates, institutional investors and large-scale family operators.

Ardenside Station is being offered for sale via expressions of interest closing on October 28. It is being offered as a whole or as three separate holdings:

• As a whole: Ardenside Station can run 46,100 DSE, or 1960 cows and calves, 200 replacement heifers, 3475 Merino ewes, 750 replacement ewes and 650 wethers.
• 2004ha Ardenside: Can run 23,440 DSE, or 878 cows, 560 replacement heifers, 1904 Merino ewes and 750 replacement ewes.
• 3146ha Allerthorpe: Can run 22,670 DSE, or 1044 cows and calves, 561 replacement heifers, 1568 Merino ewes, 651 Merino wethers and 477 crossbred lambs.
• 110ha Ingledale: Can run 1500 DSE or 200 steers or dry cattle.

$9m for Wellington’s Warrengunyah

Meantime, another historic homestead and property, this time in the Central West region of New South Wales, has been listed after 45 years of ownership with hopes of raising around $9 million.

Spanning 608ha across two adjoining holdings, 245ha Warrengunyah and 363ha Woodbine are located 3km from Wellington and 54km from Dubbo.

They feature 127ha of fertile alluvial Bell River flats and 180ha of gently rising arable country suited to cash cropping, fodder production and pasture development.

The balance is sheltered sandy loam native grazing country currently carrying 150 breeding cows and 1500 ewes, or 7000DSE.

Meares & Associates agent Sam Meares said there is scope for significant productivity expansion through further pasture and irrigation development.

Situated in a 640mm annual rainfall region, the aggregation has 7km of Bell River frontage, bores, dams, six alluvial wells, extensive irrigation infrastructure and a 364ML groundwater entitlement.

Infrastructure includes an historic (circa 1888), renovated six-bedroom limestone homestead overlooking the Bell River, two three-bedroom cottages, a three-stand shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards, stables, sheds and grain storage.

Warrengunyah and Woodbine will be offered as a whole, or as two individual holdings, via an online auction commencing on October 28.

Scale and versatility in NSW’s CW

Elders agent Richard Gemmell is fielding strong inquiry for a premium mixed grazing and farming aggregation in New South Wales’ central west.

The 5707ha O’Brien Aggregation is 25km from Quambone and 80km from Coonamble and is being sold by Michael O’Brien after 42 years of ownership.

The established Angus breeding and backgrounding enterprise can run 11,414DSE and has extensive areas of arable farming country suited to cereals and oilseeds, as well as seasonal pasture growth.

The O’Brien Aggregation comprises four holdings – the adjoining 1192ha Wyangarie West, 1260ha Royona and 1225ha Cherrigorang, and the nearby 2029ha Yarraglen.

• Wyangarie West – breeding and finishing and farming country. 2385DSE or 2DSE/ha. 317ha previously cropped. Watered by a 1/3 share from a neighbouring bore.
• Royona – breeding and backgrounding cattle. 2520DSE or 2DSE/ha. 1133ha last cropped (wheat, chickpeas, lupins and cereal rye) in 2020. Watered by a 1/2 share from the Cherrigorang flowing bore, Merri Merri Creek frontage and two large waterholes. Three silos and two sheds.
• Cherrigorang – breeding, finishing and farming country with strong pasture development potential. 2450DSE or 2DSE/ha. 271ha previously cropped and 283ha cleared. Watered by the Cherrigorang flowing bore. A three-bedroom home, steel cattle yards and a shed.
• Yarraglen – breeding and backgrounding cattle. 4059DSE or 2DSE/ha. 1558ha last cropped (wheat and field peas) in 2020. Watered by a 1/3 share from a neighbouring bore. Occasional flooding from the Marthaguy Creek. Steel cattle yards.

Mr Gemmell said the O’Brien Aggregation has been strategically acquired and developed since 1984.

“The current owners have meticulously assembled the four holdings into a cohesive operation that can be efficiently managed as a single enterprise or operated independently as standalone properties.”

Mr Gemmell said the O’Brien Aggregation will appeal to a range of buyers.

“The property’s scale, location to markets, reliable water supply and good infrastructure are attracting interest from agribusiness investors, established grazing and farming enterprises from interstate, and those seeking expansion within the Coonamble and Quambone districts.”

The O’Brien Aggregation is watered by artesian and sub-artesian bores and extensive creek frontages in a 430mm average annual rainfall area.

Available for purchase in one line, as individual holdings, or in various combinations, expressions of interest for the O’Brien Aggregation close on October 22.

$11m for blue ribbon Yass property

More than $11 million is being sought for a blue-ribbon grazing platform held since 1915 by members of the Walker family.

The 612ha Ledgworth, 11km south-east of Yass and 35km from the ACT border, is being sold by Michael and Katie Walker after more than a century of family ownership.

With 469ha of arable cropping land and 139ha of perennial pastures carrying 6750DSE, the property is equally suited to a combination of winter cropping and cattle and sheep production.

The Walkers have run a self-replacing merino flock producing superfine merino wool together with prime lamb production and cattle breeding and finishing.

Ledgworth has a history of cropping wheat, oats, canola and triticale for grazing, and occasionally haymaking.

The gently undulating landscape is underpinned by productive red granite-derived soils, mostly clay loams, complemented by a long history of fertiliser application.

More than 95 percent of the property is suitable for direct drilled pasture establishment.

LAWD national director Col Medway said Ledgworth is ideally positioned for future subdivision development.

“The dual road frontage, combined with the current 40ha minimum lot size, provides an efficient future subdivision development in one the fastest growing regions in rural NSW.”

Situated in a 692mm rainfall region, Ledgworth is watered by two headwater tributaries of O’Brien’s Creek, seven dams, a permanent spring and an equipped bore.

Infrastructure includes a grand 1915 renovated six-bedroom home, three renovated cottages and shearers’ quarters, a five-stand woolshed, steel sheep and cattle yards, a stable complex, sheds and grain storage facilities.

Ledgworth is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on October 29.

Ledgworth

Multi-million dollar sale tipped for Sydney’s Echo Vale

One of the largest remaining privately held rural landholdings in Sydney’s North West Growth Area has been brought to market by Garfield Pastoral Holdings after 30 years of ownership.

The 737ha Echo Vale is located near Marsden Park, 45km north-west of Sydney’s CBD and 26km from the Western Sydney International Airport.

Echo Vale has a rich agricultural history stretching back more than a century.

The land originally formed part of a broader pastoral holding linked to the former Riverstone Meatworks, which was acquired by William Angliss in 1919 before passing into ownership of the British Vestey family in 1934.

During much of the 20th century, the Vestey interests operated the Riverstone Meatworks and managed extensive surrounding grazing land.

As those holdings were progressively divested through the late 1980s and 1990s, parts were transformed into residential communities including Windsor Downs, while other parcels remained as large rural properties within Marsden Park.

Garfield Pastoral Holdings acquired Echo Vale in 1996 and has continued cattle grazing and breeding operations across the property for the past three decades.

Echo Vale forms part of the proposed Marsden Park North employment precinct, which is expected to support almost 3900 jobs and will benefit from significant road infrastructure upgrades.

According to CBRE, around 128ha of the land can be developed to accommodate around 594,450sq m of future industrial floorspace worth around $3 billion, subject to planning approvals.

Agents Jason Edge and Cameron Grier have been appointed to manage the sale via an expressions of interest campaign closing on October 22.

Echo Vale