THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across the country, and a separate article of recently completed sales of note.

• Outstanding Upper Hunter breeding and fattening country
• SA’s Calgara Station expected to achieve up to $22m
• Renewed interest in Victorian Wagyu operation
• New England production powerhouse to be auctioned
• 85 years ownership comes to end in southern QLD
• Adjoining blocks to test the Ebor market
• Northern Tableland blocks spark interstate interest
• Direct Fitzroy River access

Outstanding Upper Hunter breeding and fattening country

One of the outstanding livestock breeding and fattening properties in Northern New South Wales’ Upper Hunter is expected to make between $13.5 million and $15.5 million.

Comprising 3020ha of country, Inverary is being offered for sale as a whole and or in three lots – 1093ha Inverary, 696ha Galway and 1230ha Manali.

Situated at Kars Springs at Scone, Inverary is located in the sheltered and picturesque Brawboy Valley, bounded on both sides by low plateau type hill country.

The property is being conservatively managed as a livestock breeding and fattening property, using holistic and regenerative farm management techniques, and is capable of running up to 1200 breeding cows or up to 24,000 DSE.

The property is well watered by a 2km frontage to the Dart Brook, the Nerobingabla and Cuan spring-fed creeks, eight bores, three equipped wells and 42 surface dams.

Over the past 12 years, Tom and Margo Johnston have focused on upgrading fencing, livestock water and pasture development.

Chris Meares from Meares & Associates said the Inverary Aggregation represents one of the most outstanding livestock breeding and fattening operations in Northern New South Wales.

“The natural resources of the basalt soils, high rainfall and conservative management have supported one of the outstanding Angus breeding herds in the Upper Hunter,” he said.

The properties are expected to sell for around $4500 to $5000/ha bare, with the successful purchasers offered the elite Angus breeding herd, as well as plant and equipment.

Inverary is being offered for sale by expressions of interest by Sydney rural property specialists Meares & Associates in conjunction with McCallum Inglis, Scone.

SA’s Calgara Station expected to achieve up to $22m

Calgara Station, owned by well-known South Australian producer Thelma Pye, is anticipated to achieve between $18 million and $22 million.

In 1957, Thelma and her late husband David purchased the cattle and sheep property, 6km south east of Tintinara and 190km south east of Adelaide, in the state’s Upper South East.

Prior to that, the couple managed Todd River Station at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Spanning 4300ha of flat to undulating well drained country, Calgara Station comprises the 2578ha Calgara, 1010ha Illawong and 711ha Fullwoods and Barratts.

Soil types range from grey and reddish sandy loams to heavier brown and dark brown loams and some heavy saline loam over clay and limestone.

The adjoining properties have been conservatively stocked for many years, consistently producing quality yearling cattle, lambs and wool.

Mike Lind from Elders Keith said there had been strong inquiry for the holding.

“Neighbours and producers from South Australia’s mid north, station country, and from Victoria have expressed interest in the property as a whole and as separate parcels,” he said.

In the last five months, five properties have transacted within close proximity to Calgara, making between $4571/ha to $5436/ha.

Calgara Station is being offered for sale as a whole or three separate contingent lots, with expressions of interest closing on October 30.

Renewed interest in Victorian Wagyu operation

COVID-19 has seen renewed interest in Victoria’s Moyhu Wagyu aggregation, which is carrying a renowned and registered Fullblood Wagyu stud.

The enterprise is situated in productive, high-rainfall country at Meadow Creek at the foothills of the Victorian Alps, near the King Valley – renowned for its fine wines and foods.

The aggregation spans 848ha and consists of four properties – Leatarn, Hancocks, Bartons and Sampsons, which are just 5km apart.

The Moyhu Fullblood Wagyu Stud boasts a 1000 head herd (including 550 breeders) focused on breeding Wagyu stud stock and finished high marble score Wagyu beef.

The cattle run on a mix of improved pastures based on rye grass, phalaris and clover with some native grass pastures.

Moyhu has been aggregated over the past 20 years by Bob Officer, who has decided to sell due to succession planning.

Selling agent Rawdon Briggs has seen increased inquiry during the second Victorian lockdown.

“There has been steady inquiry from Victorians keen to leave Melbourne and purchase country in regional areas, especially during the state’s second lockdown. The problem has been the physical ability to inspect the property,” he said.

The Moyhu Wagyu aggregation is being offered for sale by Colliers International for $14 million walk-in, walk-out.

New England production powerhouse to be auctioned

The New England production powerhouse Green Valley will be auctioned on November 19 by Ray White Rural.

The 664ha of arable grazing and farming land is positioned on top of the Great Dividing Range, 22km from Guyra and 56km from Armidale.

Andrew Starr from Ray White Rural said Green Valley was a high yielding farm with an ideal location.

“The property has been set up to maximise weightgain performance and achieve a benchmark 500kg of production per hectare per annum. It also maximises labour efficiencies with internal roads, laneways and state-of-the-art cattle yards,” he said.

Green Valley is watered by a network of dams, Roggery Creek and a substantial storage dam.

Mr Starr said the property was highly developed with recently sown modern high-performance perennial pastures that are now well established.

“While those paddocks have been in fallow, the property has been running half its stocking level, which could entice the successful purchaser to seek early access for their cattle.”

It is understood the vendors are liquidating their agricultural assets to help fund their significant commercial real estate interests.

Mr Starr said while the level of interest had dropped since the 2018 high, the quality is certainly high.

While the New England region boasts some high-profile Wagyu property owner names, such as Gina Rinehart, Stone Axe Pastoral, Paraway and Wally Rea, Green Valley may not be big enough to justify a standalone hub for a corporate.

However, Mr Starr said the highly productive block, that maximises what it can produce for its land area, should sell to an owner-operator.

85 years ownership comes to end in southern QLD

After 85 years of single-family ownership, Donald McIntosh has decided to sell his diverse Glenmorgan property Murilla South in southern Queensland.

Situated 25km north of Glenmorgan and 40km south of Surat, the 5394ha property consists mainly of productive black self-mulching soils, with the balance being softer red soils.

Suited to grazing, fodder crops and grain, there is currently 1330ha under cultivation, including a 1044ha wheat crop, 182ha of chickpeas and 68ha of barley.

Murilla South is watered by 14 dams that have never been dry in the 85 years of ownership. There are 17km of exclusion fencing with most fences renewed in the last eight to 10 years.

Murilla South will be auctioned by Nutrien Harcourts GDL on November 12.

Adjoining blocks to test the Ebor market

Two adjoining blocks in New South Wales’ highly regarded Ebor district are expected to test the market when they are auctioned next month.

The 414ha breeding and fattening Meldrum and the 162ha Beaumont are located 27km from Dorrigo and 75km from Coffs Harbour.

Both feature softly undulating country, with a mixture of red and chocolate basalt soils. They enjoy a long history of operating as fattening properties, with Meldrum finishing up to 700 steers and Beaumont finishing up to 275 steers.

The water on Meldrum is supplied by a long double frontage to permanent Meldrum Creek and from a large spring fed dam. Beaumont is watered by a long frontage to permanent Meldrum Creek and is watered by a bore.

Both blocks are owned by Kim and Sally Grant from the New England region who are downsizing.

John Starr from Elders Dorrigo said the safe, reliable cattle country performs year after year.

“There hasn’t been a larger-sized property by Ebor standards for a number of years, so these two properties will identify the area’s real values,” he said.

Meldrum and Beaumont are being offered for auction separately on November 27.

Northern Tableland blocks spark interstate interest

There has been strong interstate interest in two New South Wales Northern Tablelands grazing blocks.

Located in the Gwydir Shire, Wyandra and Orange Grove are situated in the Queensland-NSW border bubble, with interested Queensland parties allowed to inspect the properties without going into quarantine for 14 days.

The 1888ha Wyandra, 29km west of Bingara, has been owned by the Stace family for the past 19 years. It is listed for $2100/ha ($850/ac).

The country is undulating to hilly and the soils are red basalt to productive grey loams.

After good rains and a good season, selling agent Damien Crump from Crump Stock and Station Agency said the country is boasting a terrific body of feed.

Wyandra is largely destocked, however the breeding block has conservatively run 1000 goats, 180 self-replacing cows with progeny being kept to feeder weights, and 200 Dorper/Aussie White self-replacing flock, with progeny being sold as lambs.

The property is well watered by the Pallal, Island Home, Silas and Arnolds creeks, dams and springs and bores to a reticulated stock water system.

Meanwhile the 1244ha Orange Grove, 25km south of Bingara and 35km north of Barraba, is described by Mr Crump as having water “second-to-none”.

It features a 5km double frontage to the reliable Halls Creek, has a 1km frontage to Anderson’s Creek, as well as numerous springs and three equipped bores to a reticulated stock water system where most paddocks are equipped with cement troughs.

Around 930ha is undulating to hilly country, while the remaining 282ha is arable. Soils range from red and brown loam to some trap.

The Nicolle family, who has held the property for 55 years, has consistently run 200 breeders and 400 feeder cattle, ranging from weaners to supermarket specs. The selling agent is confident that Orange Grove would run 300 breeder cows.

Direct Fitzroy River access

There has been widespread interest from locals and from New South Wales producers for Central Queensland’s River Block which offers direct access to the Fitzroy River.

The 363ha block at Gogango, 45 minutes west of Rockhampton, boast rich alluvial soils with brigalow, belah, bauhinia and bluegum river flats, heavily grassed, with a large portion that has been previously farmed.

Owned by Garrett and Kate Kirk for the past seven years, River Block is suited to a 200 head backgrounding operation due to the tremendous weightgains achieved on this county type.

Brett Christie from TopX said River Block offered water security and potential for further development as it is situated upstream from the Rookwood Weir Project.

“It is located in an intensive agriculture corridor, with water security adding to the potential for intensive agriculture, feedlots, horticulture production and aquaculture,” he said.

“There are potential water storage sites of 2000 plus megalitres and a tender in place for significant allocation from the proposed weir, as well a lease option for 688ha of adjoining country,” he said.

 

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