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

• $40m blue ribbon Riverina grazing
• $20m+ for large northern NSW contiguous holding
• Immediate cash flow with Roma’s Ardentrive
• Injune breeding & finishing
• NQ’s Ophir Downs lists for $5.7m
• Productive & picturesque Riverina grazing country
• Low cost Upper Hunter breeding country

$40m blue ribbon Riverina grazing

Around $40 million is anticipated for the Shaw family’s blue-ribbon grazing asset in the southern Riverina of New South Wales.

The 1643ha Wantagong Station is located 20km east of Holbrook and produces beef cattle, wool, prime lamb and fodder.

Nick Myer from Elders said the property was widely regarded as one of the region’s most historic and notable rural holdings.

“Wantagong is one of the finest properties in the tightly-held Wantagong Valley with an exceptional reputation for its operational versatility and productive capacity,” he said.

Mr Myers is anticipating a strong level of interest from a range of buyer profiles.

“The property is suited to a range of agricultural endeavours. It is underpinned by a high-quality natural resource base, enjoys an excellent balance of topography and an abundant natural water supply.”

Over the past 50 years, the property has been strategically managed and developed over two generations of ownership by the Shaw family, with ongoing investment into strategic infrastructure projects, pasture improvement, soil amelioration and water development.

The property has a circa 1951 homestead and staff accommodation.

The infrastructure includes extensive shedding, grain storage, a four-stand shearing shed, multiple sheep and cattle handling facilities, fully integrated solar systems and biodiversity initiatives.

Wantagong is available on a bare or walk-in walk-out basis including livestock, plant and equipment, feed on hand and consumables.

It is being sold via an expressions of interest campaign closing on October 26.

$20m+ for large northern NSW contiguous holding

One of the largest contiguous landholdings in the renowned Gunnedah / Boggabri region of northern New South Wales is expected to make north of $20 million.

The 3480ha Sylvania Aggregation is situated 29km from Boggabri and 49km from Gunnedah.

The area is well known for reliable winter and summer rainfall (an optimal growing climate for promoting grass growth and fattening cattle), fertile soils and versatile and arable country.

The high rainfall grazing and cropping operation was purchased in November 2021 by the Tumut-based Stoney Property Group for around $13m from MH Premium Farms (owned by rich-lister and UK-based hedge fund manager Sir Michael Hintze) after five years ownership.

The Stoney Property Group cited consolidation and capitalising on the district’s recent strong sales as reasons for offloading the holding.

Sylvania is located 30km from the historic Plumthorpe Aggregation which earlier this year made $125m WIWO, including 6100 head of cattle and a significant list of plant and equipment.

A valuation made on a land and buildings basis was $108m or $9580/ha improved and $9238/ha ex-structures. A calculated carrying capacity of 4650 cows selling off weaners or 69,750DSE reflected $23,226/cow area or $1548/DSE improved.

Around 88 percent (3079ha) of the aggregation is arable and growing 1450ha of wheat, with the balance perennial pastures that can carry an estimated 22,000DSE.

It is currently running close to 800 mixed cattle including 340 breeders, but previously was fattening 8000 sheep, trading 500 head of cattle and cropping 500ha.

The largely heavy black soils on the southern portion of the holding have a high-water holding capacity, consisting of mostly chocolate self-mulching clays rising to red loam soils.

Situated in a 570mm average annual rainfall region, the property is watered by four bores, wells, dams and the Bayley Park and Bollol Creeks. Two recently installed reticulation systems cover much of the aggregation.

Extensively developed, the improvements include two cottages, numerous sheds, 12 silos with a capacity of 880 tonnes, two cattle yards, a three-stand shearing shed and sheep yards.

Inglis Rural Property and Elders Gunnedah believe the productive capability and lack of available opportunities in the region will ensure strong enquiry and market participation.

The Sylvania Aggregation is being offered for sale via expressions of interest closing on October 26.

Immediate cash flow with Roma’s Ardentrive

A diverse southern Queensland property suited to finishing, backgrounding, breeding with grass, grain, fodder and bunk options will be auctioned on October 12.

The 3396ha Ardentrive, situated 25km south of Roma, is being operated as a high-grade 500 head Wagyu breeding operation by Peter and Karen Hancock.

During their five-year tenure, the vendors have also finished cattle and backgrounded more than 2000 head through to feeder weights.

Nutrien Harcourts agent Darryl Langton said he has booked several inspections already.

“Early inquiry is coming from Wagyu operators and integrated family enterprises, mostly from out of area, but some are based locally and headquartered elsewhere.”

The mixed belah, brigalow, kurrajong, box, carbeen and pine country has been cleared and developed to buffel grass, improved pastures and cultivation.

Around 1000ha of deep red loams with darker areas of brigalow and belah soils are in a cropping rotation program of grains, fodder and silage.

The property is growing 600ha of barley, 186ha of oats that are being grazed, 65ha of lucerne and 194ha of summer crop.

Ardentrive is watered by two bores connected to an integrated watering system.

The infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home and cottage, four cattle yards, numerous sheds, 4500 tonnes of silage storage and a 65t molasses system.

The 3396ha Ardentrive, situated 25km south of Roma, is being operated as a high-grade 500 head Wagyu breeding operation by Peter and Karen Hancock.

Injune breeding & finishing lists for $9m

Meantime, Mr Langton has listed quality Injune breeding and finishing country with a $8.995 million price tag following an expressions of interest campaign.

The 2209ha Omeo Station, 13km north of Injune and 100km from Roma, has been held for 30 years by Neale and Lindy O’Leary who are retiring to the Southern Downs region.

The grazing country is a superior mix of brigalow, belah and bottletree scrub soils running to cleared and improved box, ironbark and appletree, with some timbered forest country on the Hutton Creek and Chong’s Gully flats.

The carrying capacity is 400 breeders, including replacement heifers.

Omeo Station is watered by two sub artesian bores, eight dams and a permanent hole in the Hutton Creek.

The southern boundary of the well-fenced property forms part of the Dingo Barrier Fence, with large sections of the northern and western boundaries recently renewed.

The infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, a cottage, a garage and a machinery shed.

The 2209ha Omeo Station, 13km north of Injune and 100km from Roma, has been held for 30 years by Neale and Lindy O’Leary who are retiring to the Southern Downs region.

NQ’s Ophir Downs lists for $5.7m

North Queensland finishing depot Ophir Downs has been relisted for $5.7 million by Georgetown’s Darren and Melissa Pedracini after 11 years of ownership.

Located 14km from the Richmond Highway, the 9631ha property isnear Marathon, 96km from Hughenden and 46km from Richmond.

Ophir is currently destocked but is rated by the vendors as capable of running up to 600 head in dry years and 1200 head during good rainfall years – averaging 800 head (300kg to 550kg backgrounding weight).

Featuring undulating black soils and to flat downs country with black soils and some red pebbly ridges, Ophir Downs is grassed with Mitchell and Flinders, pig weed, peabush, some buffel and various herbages.

While most of the country is described as ‘reasonably clean’ there are some scattered prickly acacia with mimosa along the channels and around the watering points.

Recently, 20km of new fencing has been erected. Since 2014 all the internal and boundary fences have been replaced.

Ophir Downs has some seasonal creeks and channel areas and is watered by a capped bore (installed in 2010) supplying a turkey’s nest and tanks, as well as five dams.

Tom Slaney from Slaney & Co and Peter McPherson from Queensland Rural are handling the sale of Ophir Downs which is being sold bare of livestock, plant and equipment.

Mr Slaney said Ophir Downs is a well-priced, well-located cattle growing/fattening operation set up for low-cost production.

“It is easy to operate and could be run together with a breeding enterprise. Its tick free status, bitumen road access and proximity to rail and road provides the incoming purchaser with a range of market opportunities.”

Productive & picturesque Riverina grazing country

Productive and picturesque grazing country on the south-west slopes of New South Wales is being offered to the market with a $7 million to $9 million price guide.

The 695ha Scrubbers Bedden is near Adjungbilly, 50mins from Gundagai and 1.5hr from Wagga Wagga.

Alluvial valley floors rise to undulating and steeper grazing country with basalt caps and granite loams suitable for cattle, prime lambs and wool production.

Situated in a 1000mm rainfall region, water is supplied by eight dams and the Stony Creek. Improvements include steel cattle yards, sheep yards and a hayshed.

There is a licence agreement in place for a potential wind farm.

David Nolan from Webster Nolan Real Estate is handling the expressions of interest campaign closing on October 18.

Low cost Upper Hunter breeding country

Well-developed grazing country in New South Wales’ Upper Hunter has been listed for sale for $16,400 per breeding area.

Spanning 1015ha, Glencoe is a picturesque Upper Hunter beef cattle property nestled in a private valley near Rouchel Brook, 30 minutes south of Scone.

It has been listed by Michael Burke from McGrath Upper Hunter for $5.25m ($5172/ha) to $5.5m ($5418/ha).

The country ranges from arable creek flats to undulating and hilly basalt grazing currently running 320 breeders.

Mr Burke described Glencoe as well improved, offering low cost management opportunities.

Situated in a 700mm annual average rainfall region, water is supplied by 12 dams and springs, a solar equipped bore, 120,000 litre header tank feeding an extensive reticulated trough system, Back Creek and Dry Creek frontages and a 58-unit irrigation licence.

Improvements include two homes, two sheds, two steel cattle yards and 10km of new internal fencing.

Spanning 1015ha, Glencoe is a picturesque Upper Hunter beef cattle property nestled in a private valley near Rouchel Brook, 30 minutes south of Scone.