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.

• $30m hopes for NT cattle & hay operation
• Grazing opportunities on NT blank canvas
• Moonie’s Minna Billa lists for the first time
• Picturesque Hunter Valley grazing
• NSW grazing powerhouse
• Tonkins list northern NSW’s Pindaroi Station
• CQ block offers diversity
• Entry level grazing block in southern Qld

$30m hopes for NT cattle & hay operation

After almost 40 years, Red Centre cattle producer Wally Klein is selling his large-scale cattle station and mixed farming operation with hopes of raising $30 million.

The 238,435ha Orange Creek Station, pictured above, and Orange Creek Hay Farm are situated on the Stuart Highway near Hugh, 85km south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Offered with 5000 head of cattle and substantial plant and equipment, Mr Klein once owned Neutral Junction station.

Orange Creek Station

Spanning 238,300ha, the cattle breeding operation runs 5000AE (including 3000 breeders) on a variety of native grasses and 2000ha of improved pasture.

The property is ideally suited to organic production and well located to domestic and export cattle markets.

Orange Creek Station operates a feedlot with the capacity to handle 2000 weaners, fed primarily from forage sorghum and lucerne grown on 50ha of cropping land on the Orange Creek Hay Farm.

Strategically watered by 18 solar bores, it has five irrigation bores, 19 dams and four semi-permanent waterholes.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, accommodation for management and staff, multiple sheds and three cattle yards.

Orange Creek Hay Farm

Located 5km north of Orange Creek Station, the 135ha Orange Creek Hay Farm is a complementary freehold block offered with three irrigation bores and a 1090ML groundwater extraction licence that supports two centre pivots.

It produces lucerne, sorghum, oats and wheat hay to support cattle breeding and finishing on the Orange Creek Station feedlot.

The improvements are described as high quality and include a four-bedroom home, staff accommodation and numerous sheds.

The assets are being offered in one-line or separately by expressions of interest closing on May 27.

LAWD agents Olivia Thompson and Eline Wesselink are handling the sale.

 

Grazing opportunities on NT blank canvas

Grazing and cropping are being offered as possible development opportunities on a Northern Territory aggregation likely to attract a wide range of interest.

Owned for 20 years by Sydney-based Dr John Cooper, the 35,766ha Silkwood Aggregation comprises three holdings, Adelaide River Downs, Spitfire Creek and The Grand Plateau.

They are situated near Robin Falls, 110km south of Darwin and 180km north of Katherine in the Adelaide River and Douglas Daly regions.

While particularly appealing to tourism, conservation and subdivision, the ‘blank canvas’ properties are well positioned and offer producers opportunities to graze and hold cattle destined for international export.

The diverse country ranges from low-lying floodplains, productive open grazing plains and a significant number of valleys to rugged escarpments with spectacular views.

The kandosol, alluvial flood soils, red, black and sandy soils grow an abundance of bluegrass, Flinders and Mitchell grasses.

Located two hours from the Katherine cotton gin, Silkwood also offers an ideal climate and irrigation access for cotton cultivation.

An abundance of natural surface water resources can be found on Silkwood including the Adelaide River, Robin Falls, Burrell Creek, numerous springs and creeks. There is also potential for the incoming purchaser to obtain a ground or surface water extraction licence.

Adelaide River Downs

The 28,897ha crown lease in perpetuity may appeal to a producer willing to establish a cattle trading depot for the live export market.

Sharing boundaries with the renowned Tipperary Station and Litchfield National Park, Adelaide River Downs also has potential for cropping (hay or cotton), carbon farming and biofuel endeavours.

Spitfire Creek

Spanning 1299ha, the freehold parcel is located 1km from Adelaide River. Characterised by savannah grassland and woodland, this property is suited to grazing and spelling cattle, presenting an opportunity for the establishment of a cattle depot.

The Grand Plateau

The lower terrain on the 5570ha freehold block has well-grassed, open-timbered country with semi-permanent waterholes conducive to livestock production.

Silkwood is available as a whole or as separate parcels by expressions of interest closing May 21.

LAWD agents Olivia Thompson, Peter Sagar and Eline Wesselink are handling the sale.

 

Moonie’s Minna Billa lists for first time

After experiencing an exceptional season, southern Queensland’s Minna Billa Aggregation is being offered to the open market for the first time by Fred and Rita Giltrow.

The 7473ha backgrounding operation comprises two neighbouring holdings, Minna Billa and Ballymena, located 44km south of Moonie and 75km north of Goondiwindi.

In recent years, 52km of exclusion fencing has been constructed which means the entire property is now vermin free and in most seasons can run between 3500 and 4000 adult equivalents.

Adcock Partners Property and Livestock agent Andrew Adcock said the country on Minna Billa has never looked better.

“It is looking unbelievable with a large body of feed that has recently been watered by a further 190mm of rain.”

“The holding produces strong weight gains on the brigalow/belah melon hole country growing diverse improved pastures,” Mr Adcock said.

Most of the country is arable offering an opportunity to expand the current 485ha farming area that is growing forage crops.

Water is described as plentiful and is sourced from a bore, 12km of Weir River frontage as well as numerous dams.

Infrastructure includes two homes on Minna Billa, two cottages on Ballymena, numerous sheds, steel cattle yards, a four-stand shearing shed and sheep yards.

Mr Adcock is handling the offers to purchase campaign closing on May 24.

 

Picturesque Hunter Valley grazing

Two agribusiness leaders have listed their highly developed, drought-proof farm running, what is believed to be, the largest Suffolk flock in Australia.

Located on the western side of the Bylong Valley, the 910ha Wingarra is 44km north of Rylstone and 90km east of Mudgee in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

The vendors are former Carbon Farmer of the Year and Landcare Primary Producer Champion, Tim Woods and Jeannine Biviano, a former Telstra Business Woman of the Year.

Suited to any combination of sheep and cattle, Wingarra is currently supporting 1000 self-replacing ewes producing trade and export lambs, alongside 260 Angus breeders in a winter calving operation.

Mr Woods described Wingarra as arguably the best property in one of the most beautiful and fertile valleys west of Sydney.

“The mixed pasture sward has the ability to sustain stock and respond quickly to rainfall events regardless of timing, which has allowed us to increase the property’s carrying capacity.”

LAWD director Col Medway described Wingarra as an outstanding farming, finishing and breeding holding.

“This property is exceptionally well improved and lends itself to a variety of enterprises. Everything is complete, so the new buyer will walk into an unbelievable opportunity.”

The country rises from alluvial flats through arable slopes to areas of timbered sandstone escarpment growing a balance of irrigation, summer and winter responsive pastures.

Around 110ha is under irrigation producing lucerne and other high-performance pastures across the year.

The property is watered by a bore and a 419ML ground water entitlement from the Bylong River in a 606mm average annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a three bedroom sandstone home, two two-bedroom cottages, two cattle yards, a two-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, numerous sheds and three silos with 190 tonnes of grain storage.

Wingarra is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on May 16. LAWD agents Col Medway and Daniel McCulloch are handling the sale.

 

NSW grazing powerhouse

A grazing powerhouse on the south-west slopes of New South Wales is being offloaded by former Woolworths chief executive Paul Simons and his family.

The 3236ha Glencoe is situated near Taylors Flat, 50km north-east of Boorowa and 80km south-east of Cowra, and is currently running 18,000DSE on improved and native pastures.

It was purchased by Mr Simons in 2015 and is now being sold to consolidate his family’s assets.

The 97-year-old Mr Simons also owns Euralie near Yass (originally home to three generations of the Hume family, including explorer Hamilton Hume) where he breeds superfine wool.

Elders agent Richard Gemmell said Glencoe had been progressively developed to benefit from multiple income streams under differing seasonal conditions.

“Suited to sheep, cattle and pasture production, the property will provide the income purchaser with sound agribusiness risk management and operational scale that will continue to deliver ongoing financial growth.”

The country is mostly central valley creek flats run to rolling timbered hills with alluvial soils and granite and deep red loams. More than 80ha is sown to oats.

Situated in a 675mm average annual rainfall region, Glencoe is watered by 22 dams, three equipped bores, a creek and numerous springs.

The infrastructure is described as high quality and includes two renovated homes, staff quarters, a new shearing shed, sheep yards, machinery sheds, grain and fodder storage.

Glencoe is being offered by expressions of interest closing on May 15.

 

Tonkins list northern NSW’s Pindaroi Station

One of the Inverell district’s best mixed grazing and farming properties is being sold by Chris and Bec Tonkin after 15 years of ownership.

The historic 1938ha Pindaroi Station is located close to the township bearing the same name, roughly halfway between Inverell and Ashford on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.

It is only the second time in 55 years that Pindaroi has changed hands. Prior to the Tonkins, it had been held by Geoff and Kaye Bassett for around 40 years.

RDR Real Estate agent Wally Duff was unable to offer a price guide, however good grazing country in the district is making around $7500/ha, while good farming country is selling for $12,500/ha.

According to the Inverell Pioneer Village, Pindaroi once formed part of a much larger holding spanning 16,000ha settled by George Polhill in 1846. It was then acquired by James Campbell, a son of Alexander Campbell of Inverell Station.

The gently undulating country is situated 570m to 800m above sea level in an 800mm summer dominant rainfall area.

The Tonkins estimate the property could carry 700 breeders together with the cash crop or 700 breeders and 3000 ewes or 1000 adult equivalents.

Around 752ha are arable and comprise 70 percent chocolate and red basalt and 30 percent soft trap soils growing a mix of winter and summer crops.

Pindaroi is watered by two bores, the permanent Pindaroi Creek and 24 dams.

Improvements include two homes, numerous sheds, two shearing sheds, sheep and cattle yards and eight silos with 936-tonnes of grain storage.

While it is early days, Mr Duff reports good interest from corporates and out of area producers seeking scale.

Expressions of interest close on May 27.

 

CQ block offers diversity

A Central Queensland cattle and irrigation block has returned to the market via expressions of interest.

The 345ha Brackenhill is situated on the high bank of the Fitzroy River, 20 minutes from Rockhampton and 40 minutes from Yeppoon.

The holding is expected to attract producers seeking unlimited irrigation potential, sophisticated pondage systems or high carrying capacity country with abundant water and feed.

Alexander ‘Bob’ Meldrum, a cattle veterinarian and producer, purchased the river acreage in 1966. For the past 19 years, it has been managed and further developed by his two daughters Melissa and Natalie.

Brackenhill is well-watered by 1.6km of Fitzroy River frontage, 700m of Etna Creek frontage, numerous ponded flats and 11 dams.

The pondage pasture is irrigated by a gravity-fed system and supported by 334ML of supplemented and unsupplemented water allocations.

Featuring undulating hills, the well grassed breeding block has been cleared and sown to improved pastures, including leucaena, that can support 500 cows and calves.

Melissa Meldrum said the property also offers residential subdivision potential.

“Developers will be attracted to the riverfront development opportunity, the cleared landscape and its proximity to Rockhampton.”

Brackenhill is being offered for sale by the Meldrum family with EOIs closing on May 24.

 

Entry level grazing block in southern Qld

Calcite Station in the heart of southern Queensland’s Brisbane Valley has been listed for $2.15 million by Ausco Properties after four years ownership.

The 330ha holding is ocated near Ottaba, between Esk and Toogoolawah, a short drive from Lake Somerset and Lake Wivenhoe.

Around 50 percent of the property is selectively cleared with undulating hills to open flats running 120 cows and calves plus 140 backgrounders.

The balance is steeper, heavily timbered ridge country.

The vendors have been carrying out an extensive pasture improvement project, with around 24ha planted to regenerative improved pastures.

Calcite Station is watered by an equipped bore and nine dams. Infrastructure includes a shed and steel cattle yards.

The sale is being handled by Shepherdson and Boyd agent Jack Fogg who said interest is coming from local producers seeking expansion and Western Queensland retirees.