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.

• Cape York station listed with unknown cattle numbers
• Prime CQ finishing country to be auctioned
• High carrying capacity country in CQ
• Northern NSW’ family offers two versatile holdings
• Well-watered & grassed country in NSW’s central west
• Versatile grazing on Walgett’s Springvale
• CQ backgrounding, breeding or spelling block
• Southern Qld’s Bona Vista returns to the market
• Western Downs grazing fails to sell at auction

Cape York station listed with unknown cattle numbers

The sale of one of the oldest cattle stations on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula will end more than 100 years of single family ownership.

The 107,064ha Fairlight Station is located near Yarraden, 70km west of Laura and 320km north of Mareeba.

The breeding operation, pictured above, will be auctioned with an unknown number of cattle by Vohland Real Estate agent Russell Wolff on March 19.

“Inspections are being carried out by helicopter, with most of the interest coming from large family operators,” he said.

The country on Fairlight Station consists of river and creek flats, undulating ridge country running to hilly broken areas mostly timbered with ironbark, bloodwood, gum, box, messmate and tea tree.

Soil types range from loam river and creek flats, yellow clay and red brown ridge soils with some sandy soils to the north.

A wide range of pastures includes spear, kangaroo and native grasses, as well as seasonal herbages and stylo.

The property has a 35km frontage to the permanent Palmer River, natural springs, flowing creeks and permanent waterholes in the Kennedy, St George and Little River systems, supported by 30 dams and two bores.

Fairlight has a 25 year carbon agreement in place for savanna burning.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, a 16-room workers quarters, numerous sheds and two cattle yards.

Prime CQ finishing country to be auctioned

After nearly 60 years of ownership, Sam and Louise Staines are offloading their prime fattening country in Queensland’s Central Highlands.

The 10,210ha Rockland Spring is located 56km south of Blackwater and 72km north of Rolleston, in a tightly-held region renowned for first class developed scrub pastures.

CountryCo agents Greg and Mick Hardgrave, together with Sullivan Rural agent John Sullivan, have been appointed to handle the sale.

Greg Hardgrave said it was early days, but he had fielded strong inquiry for Rockland Spring which is presenting with a strong body of feed.

“The property is well situated in the heart of the Highlands, with most of the interest coming from local, larger farm operators seeking to expand,” he said.

“The vendors have placed a large emphasis on improved pastures, including buffel, capable of running 3500 adult equivalents.”

Rockland Spring comprises:

• 6200ha of developed scrub pastures (brigalow and blackbutt country)
• 3000ha of developed tableland country (ironbark, wattle and some scrub) with the odd bottletree
• 500ha of lancewood, spinifex and ironbark country
• 500ha of escarpment which forms a natural boundary to the east (the Shotover Range is part of the Blackdown National Park).

Water is secured by more than 50 dams (six are fully equipped). The Rockland Spring pumps for 8.5km from the property’s north-east corner to the home, cottage and yards.

Improvements include a four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom cottage, a two-bedroom donga, numerous sheds and two cattle yards.

Rockland Spring will be auctioned on April 19.

High carrying capacity country in CQ

A blue ribbon bullock block in Central Queensland is being offered for sale via offers to purchase closing on March 26.

The 6788ha Morbank is located 65km from Marlborough and 100km from Rockhampton.

Ray White Rural’s Richard Brosnan said there has been good, wide-ranging inquiry, mostly from the CQ region and further field, due to the country’s high carrying capabilities.

“Morbank is well known as a bullock finishing property, historically running 2000 head to slaughter weights. In recent years, there has been a large investment in infrastructure, pasture development and vegetation management.”

The property has developed brigalow, softwood and vine country on two titles with 5943ha freehold and 845ha leasehold. There is a good stand of buffel on the scrub soils, as well as established pastures and native grasses.

Morbank is abundantly watered by 22 dams and three bores, supported by numerous creeks and springs.

Infrastructure includes a recently renovated four-bedroom home, a single self-contained air-conditioned unit, workers quarters, numerous sheds and three steel cattle yards.

Morbank is for sale via offers to purchase closing on March 26.

Northern NSW family offers two versatile holdings

Gowrie’s Wilson family has listed almost 2000ha of blue-ribbon grazing and farming country in northern New South Wales, some of which has been held since 1930.

The 1260ha Lowestoft Aggregation and 612ha Woodlands are located about 10km apart, halfway between Nundle and Tamworth.

Ian Morgan Livestock agent Ben Goodman has been appointed to sell the two properties separately via an expressions of interest process closing on March 18.

“While the two properties complement each other, the family is selling them individually. There has been good inquiry from New South Wales and Queensland producers seeking a sound mixed farming operation,” Mr Goodman said.

Lowestoft Aggregation

The 1260ha of country, situated 19km from Wallabadah, comprise four properties – 401ha Lowestoft, 277ha Darra, 185ha Middle Goonoo Goonoo and 396ha Sugarloaf – aggregated over a 50 year period.

As a whole, the holding runs 370 cows and calves, 1000 composite ewes and fattens between 1600 and 1700 prime lambs annually.

It also grows cereal crops for fodder, as well as wheat, barley and sorghum on around 164ha which could be expanded by a further 356ha.

Before the cropping area was increased, the Lowestoft Aggregation ran 600 cows and calves and 500 Merino ewes on country that is a mix of valley floors and creeks with soft undulating rolling hills to timbered hills.

Mr Goodman said Lowestoft offers some of Tamworth’s finest grazing country.

“The aggregation consistently produces high quality livestock which are sold to feedlots, abattoirs and saleyards,” he said.

Situated in a 711mm annual rainfall district, Lowestoft is watered by five equipped bores. The four holdings have their own water supply but are also connected to each other for back-up water.

There are 30 dams plus creeks with permanent and non-permanent waterholes.

Infrastructure includes three homes, five sheds, two cattle yards, sheep yards, a two-stand shearing shed and silos.

Woodlands

The 612ha Woodlands is located 8km from Currabubula, 11km from Duri and 28km from Tamworth.

It was purchased by the Wilson family in 2014 for additional cropping and grazing opportunities and is currently being used as a fattening depot for trade cattle or the family’s breeder cattle.

Woodlands is growing 282ha of barley, wheat and sorghum with a further 81ha considered arable.

Mr Goodman said there is an absolutely outstanding stand of sorghum with a high yield potential.

Woodlands is watered by three bores and six dams.

Improvements include cattle yards, numerous sheds, six silos (two are new) with 426 tonnes of capacity.

Well watered & grassed country in NSW’s central west

The Heriot family is seeking offers of more than $8 million for a mixed grazing and farming enterprise in New South Wales’ central west.

The 3214ha Warrabah is located 21km east of Quambone and 50km west of Coonamble.

After failing to sell at auction in October last year, the property received 330mm (13 inches) of rain just before Christmas and a further 140mm in January.

Ray White Rural Scone agent Hamish Firth said this has resulted in a mountain of feed, mostly buffel.

“Warrabah is presenting very well and is attracting good inquiry from producers seeking an asset with mixed farming capabilities,” he said.

There is an additional opportunity for farming.

“Last year 890ha was growing oats and that area is ready for planting, but the farming capacity could be increased by a further 1214ha.”

While the vendor estimates the property can run 800 cows and calves, the operation currently runs 1600 cattle and in 2022 ran 2000 cattle on buffel and Mitchell grass and native pastures.

Around 2.6km of exclusion fencing has been installed on the northern boundary, with an additional 5km of exclusion fencing material purchased for the next stage.

Supported by more than 430mm of rainfall a year, Warrabah is watered by two bores and nine dams with Negara Creek frontage.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, two three-bedroom cottages, two sheds, a four-stand shearing shed, steel cattle yards and three silos with a total capacity of 160t.

Warrabah is presenting very well and is attracting good inquiry from producers seeking an asset with mixed farming capabilities

Versatile grazing on Walgett’s Springvale

One of the largest freehold grazing properties in the Walgett area of New South Wales’ north-west has been listed with a $5.8m price tag.

Located near Cumborah, 49km north-west of Walgett and 54km south-west of Lightning Ridge, the 9053ha Springvale has been owned by Jon Pocknell for around 20 years.

Mr Pocknell has been running a sheep, beef and goat operation with the long-term carrying capacity estimated at 2000 ewes, 50 cows and calves and up to 1000 rangeland goats harvested annually.

The country comprises black self-mulching grey loam types that run into red loams and timbered red and stoney ridges.

There are significant areas of mulga and coolabah growing a diverse mix of pastures including Mitchell and buffel, as well as a 20ha saltbush plantation.

Springvale is watered by three unequipped bores and a 11ML irrigation licence.

The vendor has recently renewed 30km of boundary fencing and is in the process of upgrading the remainder.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, a four-stand shearing shed, steel sheep and cattle yards and two goat yards.

The sale of Springvale is being handled by Kellys Property Sales agent Dianne Kelly and Moree Real Estate agent Paul Kelly.

Springvale cattle

CQ backgrounding, breeding or spelling block

Central Queensland’s Liz Mahood, Woolein and Darling Plains, is seeking offers above $5.6 million for a backgrounding, breeding or spelling block owned by her family for more than 100 years.

The 1617ha Bucket Gully is located 52km from Moura and 53km north-east of Biloela.

The country is mostly ironbark and bloodwood open forest with bottle trees with red to brown duplex soils and areas of brown to black cracking clay.

Adcock Partners agent Andrew Adcock said rotational grazing practices had been employed by the vendor to maintain a high percentage of groundcover, retain soil moisture and encourage greater diversity of edible vegetation.

“This has paid dividends with well grassed native pastures, with introduced buffel and seca stylo, responding exceptionally well to recent rain events,” he said.

The Harris, Millers Creek and Bucket Gully Creeks traverse property which is watered by five bores (two are solar equipped) and a 300,000 litre storage tank supplying 11 troughs.

Mr Adcock said with increased attention on the importance of building biodiverse and resilient landscapes, the vendor has developed the property towards increased capacity to build natural capital.

“The frontage paddock includes an observation site to monitor ecology, pasture and water infiltration rates through the process followed by the Australian Holistic Management Co-operative.”

“This provides the option of continuing to collect data towards ecological outcomes verification,” Mr Adcock said.

Always a good sign of soil fertility – bottle trees on Bucket Gully

Southern Qld’s Bona Vista returns to the market

A southern Queensland blue-ribbon backgrounding property has returned to the market after passing in at auction late last year.

The 10,074ha exclusion fenced Bona Vista is situated 70km from St George and halfway between Roma and Mitchell.

Elders agent Jon Kingston said the property was now being sold with a walk-in walk-out option, including plant, equipment and livestock (600 cows, 500 branded calves and 500 heifers and steers).

Held by retiring vendors Lance and Margie Fox since 1997, the property is well located, close to markets and feedlots.

Mr Kingston said 305mm (12 inches) of rain had fallen in the last three months promoting a massive body of feed.

“Bona Vista would complement a large-scale cattle operation. The good middle ground country would suit producers wanting to bring cattle from the west to the east or from the north to the south.”

Around 60 percent of the country consists of self-mulching black soils, with the 40 percent balance comprising lighter red loams.

The grasses are mostly buffel and Mitchell with some areas planted to improved pastures running around 2500 adult equivalents.

Bona Vista is divided into 18 paddocks all connected with a well-designed laneway system for ease of handling.

Timbers are largely brigalow and belah with a mix of myall, box, wilga, sandalwood and coolibah. There is a small area of mulga on its western boundary.

Around 2430ha of cultivation country has previously grown oats or improved pastures with 200ha currently prepared for leucaena planting.

Bona Vista is watered by an artesian bore and 16 dams.

The infrastructure is described as excellent and includes two homes, a machinery shed, two sets of steel cattle yards and an airstrip.

Western Downs grazing fails to sell at auction

Offers above $4.8 million are being considered for prime grazing country near Hannaford on Queensland’s Western Downs.

The 1123ha Kendall Park, 28km from Meandarra and 135km from Dalby, is being offered by Ron and Coralie Austin after nine years of ownership.

Despite fielding strong inquiry from neighbours, interstate and Queensland producers, Nutrien Harcourts Dalby agent Ross Murray said the property failed to sell at auction.

The Austins purchased Kendall Park in 2015 and during their ownership have upgraded water security, removed and controlled regrowth, and improved pastures and fencing where needed.

After recent rains, the property has an abundance of grass for breeding or backgrounding.

Around 80 percent is brigalow, belah, flat clay plains growing a balance of established native and improved pastures divided into 10 paddocks, each serviced by a trough or dam.

Kendall Park is traversed by the Forks Creek, with water secured by 10 dams and 130,000l of rainwater storage supported by 600mm of average rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, three steel sheds (one new), two silos, two molasses tanks and cattle yards.

Kendall Park cattle