THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across Queensland and a separate article of recently listed properties of note in New South Wales.

• Mount Isa’s May Downs lists after 38 years
• NQ’s Kallanda Station heads to auction
• CQ backgrounding & finishing depot with cropping potential
• Impressive Teelba Valley’s Glen Elgin
• Low-cost high weight country in NQ

Cattle on May Downs near Mt Isa

Mount Isa’s May Downs lists after 38 years

Tick free cattle breeding and finishing country in North Queensland is being offered for sale by James and Marjorie Lord after 38 years of ownership.

The 233,000ha May Downs is located 28km west of Mount Isa.

Included in the walk-in walk-out sale is a highly regarded herd of tropically adapted quiet and fertile composite cattle. A handover muster of 8000 head will be guaranteed for the first round, with an estimated 9500 head expected.

Stockplace Marketing agents Luke Westaway and James Coates have been appointed to handle the sale, with the geographically strategic and scalable investment expected to attract widespread interest from a range of buyers.

The country offers panoramic views and features open black soil and basalt Mitchell grass downs offering weight for age production or heifer reproduction options, as well as buffel creek frontages and spinifex-covered ridges.

The efficient, low-cost calf production system is also supported by a diversity of quick responding country known for its grazing security through a variety of browse and resilient pasture species.

Mr Westaway said during the Lords’ ownership, May Downs has been holistically managed as a rangeland system.

“This approach is aimed at creating a sustainable mix of native and introduced pastures, along with extensive ground cover and regenerative woodlands, to ensure a quick response to moisture events and offer quality top browse,” he said.

“The diversity of the property allows grazing to be managed according to the availability of feed and the ability to use pastures when they are most productive,” Mr Westaway said.

In addition, a well-maintained station road network and levy banks disperse water into productive pasture regeneration areas.

The property is watered by 23 bores, 24 dams, as well as seasonal waterholes along the Templeton River and the Mingera, Wilfred and Sherrin Creeks, supported by 400mm of annual average rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a home, a number of dwellings, numerous sheds and multiple cattle yards.

May Downs will be auctioned on May 29.

NQ’s Kallanda Station heads to auction

An extensively developed North Queensland breeder and backgrounder operation has been listed for sale by Lach and Penny Thomson after 20 years of ownership.

The 27,700ha Kallanda Station is a leasehold enterprise near Paluma, 90km west of Ingham and 145km from Greenvale.

Nutrien Harcourts agent David Woodhouse said the EU accredited property would integrate well into a larger breeding operation, or act as a supply hub for a backgrounding/finishing operation.

“Inspections are weather dependent, however there has been good inquiry from locals wanting to expand their breeding operations and Central Queensland producers seeking safe and reliable country.”

Since purchasing Kallanda in an under-developed state by the current owners more than 20 years ago, the Thomsons have embarked on an extensive and targeted development program with the main focus on water security and fencing.

The undulating to flat country has a mix of strong alluvial dark and granite type soils that conservatively run around 2300 head of mixed cattle.

Kallanda has experienced an above average wet to date, and presents with a strong stand of pastures and stylos.

Based on the current infrastructure, the vendors estimate the property can carry between 2400 and 2600 Adult Equivalents (season dependent) or 1750 breeders and followers plus 300 replacement heifers.

However, there is a productivity and carrying capacity upside with the development of an additional 4600ha which are not currently used by the owners.

Kallanda is watered by two bores, 29 dams, one spring and numerous permanent, semi-permanent and seasonal waterholes.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a two-bedroom guest accommodation, numerous sheds and two cattle yards.

Kallanda is being offered with more than 520 good quality Brahman breeders and replacement heifers, together with plant and equipment. It will be auctioned on May 15.

Brahman cattle on Kallanda

CQ backgrounding & finishing depot with cropping potential

A Central Highlands backgrounding and finishing depot with cultivation potential has been listed by Mick Duckett and Emma Robinson after 13 years of ownership.

The 3740ha Amatunga is located 30km east of Clermont and 49km from Capella, with four export abattoirs, saleyards, feedlots and grain handling facilities within a 400km radius.

RBV Rural agent Matt Beard said the versatile property is attracting good early interest from producers across Central and North Queensland.

“Prior to 2012, Amatunga was run as a mixed farming operation growing wheat, chickpeas and sorghum on a mix of heavy self-mulching black soils. The property could be very easily taken back to that,” Mr Beard said.

The vendors have developed around 240ha to leucaena, with an opportunity to convert more than 800ha of legumes and improved pastures back to cultivation.

Currently, the vendors are running 1500 Adult Equivalents on well grassed coolabah and brigalow country that runs down to Ti Tree waterways and up to fertile volcanic ridges.

Amatunga is watered by nine bores that feed into a water reticulation system that disperses to 17 tanks and 30 troughs across the property, along with the Huntly Creek.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, a two-bedroom cottage, two sheds and steel cattle yards.

Amatunga will be auctioned on May 16.

Aerial view of yards on Amatunga

Impressive Teelba Valley’s Glen Elgin

Queensland’s Western Downs country conducive to finishing, backgrounding and breeding is being sold by Jeremy and Brenda MacMillan after 23 years.

The 2880ha Glen Elgin is situated in the Teelba Valley, 84km from Meandarra and 182km from Roma.

The gently undulating brigalow and belah country is exclusion-fenced (apart from the creek). Currently destocked, it is growing abundant buffel grass and capable of running 1200 dry cattle equivalents.

The quick-responding, soft, deep red soils intersperse into sweet pebbly grazing country, with more than 1200ha previously cultivated.

Nutrien Harcourts GDL agent Russell Jorgensen said Glen Elgin was one of the standout opportunities in his area offered to the market in 2025.

“The impressive grazing country where livestock do exceptionally well has received 100mm of rain in the last two weeks,” he said.

Glen Elgin is watered by a bore, two dams and the Teelba Creek.

Subdivided into seven main paddocks, the incoming purchaser can rotationally graze, with electric fencing infrastructure dissecting the property into 40 by 40ha average size cells.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home and steel cattle yards.

Glen Elgin will be auctioned on May 22.

Low-cost high weightgain country in NQ

High weightgain country in North Queensland, operated at a low cost, is being offered for sale after five years of ownership by Mundubbera-based Darcy and Kara Knudsen for $8.2 million as they consolidate their assets.

The 10,084ha Mugwee is a breeding, backgrounding or finishing property located in a tick free area, 37km west of Stamford and 97km from Hughenden.

It has good access to live export cattle markets at Townsville and Cloncurry, as well as southern meatworks, feedlots and store cattle markets.

Brodie Agencies agent Tom Brodie said Mugwee was experiencing an excellent start to 2025.

“Typically, the Hughenden and Richmond district average is around 450mm of rain, however more than 625mm has fallen to date resulting in a good body of Mitchell and Flinders grass, as well as sweet finishing summer herbages, vines and forbs.”

However, Mr Brodie said recent rainfall over the past two weeks means property inspections will be held up for two or three weeks.

The undulating Mitchell and Flinders grass downs country and the small creek systems have fertile chocolate soils growing abundant buffel grass.

Mugwee is well watered by an equipped artesian bore, a shared sub-artesian bore and two dams. In recent years, there has been a considerable investment in the water infrastructure which means, in most cases, cattle have to walk no more than 1.5km to get a drink.

Other infrastructure includes a home that has not been lived in for many years and cattle yards.

Mugwee is offered for sale for $8.2m bare of livestock, plant and equipment.

The 10,084ha Mugwee is a breeding, backgrounding or finishing property located in a tick free area, 37km west of Stamford and 97km from Hughenden.