THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across New South Wales and Queensland, a separate article on listings in Western Australia and South Australia, and a summary of recently-completed sales.
- $25m+ sought for Northern Rivers beef operation
- Cooma’s Maffra North lists for $8.5m+
- CQ’s Gemini Downs heads to auction
- Gray family sells SW Qld’s Shepparton Park after 70 years
$25m+ for Northern Rivers beef operation
Frank Hannigan, Northern Rivers solicitor and former chairman of the Casino Food Co (owner and operator of the Casino meatworks), has listed local breeding and finishing country owned by his family for more than 120 years.
The 1562ha Avoca Vale Farms, pictured above, is 10km west of Casino (often referred to as the beef capital of New South Wales) and 40km from Lismore. It is close to Ballina and Byron Bay and is anticipated to make more than $25 million.
Assembled and developed over four generations, the contiguous holding features rich heavy basalt, alluvial and loam soils. More than 70 percent is considered arable and sown to high performance sub-tropical pastures.
Meares & Associates agent Sam Meares said Avoca Vale should appeal to cattle producers seeking location, scale and on-farm security.
“The Hannigan family has worked tirelessly to select, aggregate, improve, develop and conservatively operate a remarkable holding with an excellent risk mitigation profile for others to benefit from in the future,” he said.
Originally home of the Franco Hereford stud, which operated from the 1980s until the final dispersal sale in 2023, a smaller capacity herd is currently running and will be made available to the successful purchaser, along with plant and equipment.
The heavy carrying capacity country runs 1250-1500 cows or 25,000 to 28,000DSEs. Separately, the 753ha Avoca Vale parcel can carry 800-950 cows, the 597ha Shannonbrook can support 225-275 cows and 212ha Lanes can run 225-275 cows.
Situated in a 1070mm annual rainfall region, Avoca Vale Farms is watered by 25 dams, creeks, bores, the Diamond D lagoon (a well-known permanent spring fed water source) and an associated 82ML water licence for contingency purposes that also offers the incoming purchaser irrigation potential.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, three cottages, five cattle yards (including a sales complex), 11 supplementary feeding yards, numerous sheds, a feed mill and silos with a 300-tonne capacity.
Avoca Vale Farms will be offered for sale on a bare basis via online auction starting March 24.
Cooma’s Maffra North lists for $8.5m+
Offers above $8.5 million are being sought for a southern New South Wales asset that once formed part of the historic Maffra Station.
Located in the Springfield district, 39km from Cooma, the 1385ha Maffra North is being offered for sale by the Rolfe family, who have owned and operated it since 2011.
Originally part of Maffra Station, the property was purchased from Betty Osborne and had been held in the Osborne family since 1865 and considered one of the most historically significant rural estates in the district.
Colliers Agribusiness together with Wagga Regional Livestock have been appointed to handle the sale. Colliers agent Adrienne Harvey said Maffra North had been transformed into a highly productive grazing and fodder system.
“Substantial investment has gone into fencing, reliable water security, pasture improvement and livestock handling infrastructure, all of which have lifted carrying capacity and operational efficiency,” she said.
Around 19km of new fencing has been installed and a further 7km upgraded, with the property now divided into 20 paddocks suited to rotational grazing.
A fully reticulated water system services the entire holding supplied by a spring‑fed solar pump and a bore feeding multiple storage tanks and concrete troughs.
Springfield is highly regarded for its cool‑climate grazing, dependable rainfall and basalt‑derived soils. In January, the district received 85mm of rain – a great start to the season.
The agents are anticipating interest from local producers and buyers from other districts looking to scale up or secure a standalone operation in reliable Monaro country suitable for wool, finishing or mixed grazing operations.
Maffra North has an estimated carrying capacity of 8200DSE but is being sold bare of livestock.
Infrastructure includes a recently renovated four-bedroom home and steel sheep yards.
Maffra North is being offered for sale by offers to purchase closing on April 1.
CQ’s Gemini Downs heads to auction
After 34 years of ownership, the Walker family is calling time on its mixed grazing and farming opportunity in the Isaac River region of Central Queensland.
The 2876ha Gemini Downs is located 57km north of Clermont and 76km south-west of Moranbah and is being auctioned on March 11 with 156 breeders with progeny and five bulls.
Jake Kennedy from Kennedy Livestock & Property reports interest from locals and central and central western Queensland producers looking for diversity, with both cropping and cattle on offer.
The country on Gemini Downs comprises productive black soil downs and decomposing basalt and brigalow ridges with brigalow, coolibah, bauhinia and bottle trees.
The 1195ha of grazing pastures consist of mostly buffel grass with butterfly pea along creeks, as well as 92ha of leucaena.
The 1681ha of cultivation country features fertile black soil flats currently planted to 102ha of forage sorghum/sugar graze and 464ha of sorghum.
The property is watered by two bores, a semi-permanent dam at the base of the Gemini Mountains and the Twelve Mile Creek with wet-season waterholes, supported by around 610mm of annual average rainfall.
Infrastructure includes two four-bedroom homes, a two-bedroom cottage, cattle yards, two sheds and four silos.
Gray family sells SW Qld’s Shepparton Park after 70 years
More than 70 years of ownership by the Gray family will end when Shepparton Park in south-west Queensland is auctioned later this month.
Purchased in 1955, the 907ha Shepparton Park is 10km north of Condamine and 26km south of Miles – close to feedlots and all major western downs’ cattle selling centres.
It is offered with a balance of brigalow, belah, box and wilga country growing a mix of native grasses and improved pastures including buffel, as well as herbages in season.
Well fenced, it is subdivided into 15 paddocks set up for cell grazing operation, with 40ha planted to leucaena.
It is watered by a permanent waterhole in the Dogwood Creek and three dams, supported by 635mm of average annual rainfall.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, cattle yards and a shed.
Shepparton Park will be auctioned on February 26 by Nutrien Harcourts GDL agents Petrice Loader and Owen Brockhurst.
Shepparton Park is 10km north of Condamine and 26km south of Miles – close to feedlots and all major western downs’ cattle selling centres.