447,500ha Murrunji Station is located south-west of Daly Waters, 370km south of Katherine

TWO large-scale Northern Territory breeding properties spanning more than 900,000ha and running around 20,000 cattle are being sold by the Central Queensland-based Pickersgill family’s Bunderra Cattle Co, as the family consolidates its assets.

The sale of the 447,500ha Murrunji Station, south-west of Daly Waters (370km south of Katherine) and the 460,900ha Neutral Junction near Barrow Creek (150km south of Tennant Creek), have been prompted by a restructuring of the Pickersgill family business and succession planning.

Andrew Gray Land & Livestock agent Andrew Gray and JLL Agribusiness agents Geoff Warriner and Chris Holgar have been appointed to handle the sale of both properties via expressions of interest – as an aggregation or separately. The sale announcement is sure to be topical during the annual NT Cattlemens Association Conference in Darwin tonight.

The agents confirmed the properties were coming to market and further details (including the EOI closing date and final cattle numbers) would be announced in the coming weeks.

Water on Neutral Junction

In addition to the two NT cattle stations, the Pickersgills, based at Washpool Station near Comet, operates 11 cattle properties spanning 160,000ha in the renowned Central Highlands buffel grass region.

In 2020, the business targeted the NT for expansion and purchased the well-improved Murrunji Station for $23 million including 12,500 cattle.

For the past five years, the Mitchell and Flinders grass plains on a mixture of black soil downs and sandy loam soils have been used as a breeding operation to feed into Bunderra’s finishing and backgrounding business in Central Queensland.

During their five year ownership, the Pickersgills have undertaken extensive improvements including new fencing and laneways, installing a further seven cattle yards and an additional ten bores.

Around 14,000 breeders are expected to be included in the Murrunji sale.

In August 2022, the family paid around $30 million (including 7000 head of cattle) for the turnkey beef breeding and farming property Neutral Junction located five hours from Murrunji.

The country comprises mostly sandy loam soils with improved buffel and natural grasses that back on to picturesque mountain ranges. Due to the area’s naturally rich, pest free environment, the station is well positioned to produce high quality, chemical free, healthy cattle.

Around 100km of the Stuart Highway runs through the centre of the property providing reliable all-season access.

Established in 1907 and grazed since 1884, Neutral Junction will be sold with around 5400 breeders plus followers.

In addition to the 25 equipped bores, 20 water tanks, ten turkey nests and five dams, a 1654ML underground water extraction licence feeds two centre pivots spanning 120ha of reclaimer Rhodes grass.

An application for an additional, substantial water licence is yet to be granted. This would give the property strong potential for diversification into cropping.

Income is also generated from the general store, and the power and water contracts which service the local community.

The 460,900ha Neutral Junction Station is located near Barrow Creek, 150km south of Tennant Creek

CQ asset Maryvale remains unsold

In the meantime, the Pickersgill family’s Alpha (Central Queensland) backgrounding and finishing property Maryvale remains listed for sale with LAWD.

Offered to the market in May last year, the 11,796ha Certified Organic Maryvale is situated west of the Drummond Ranges, 35km east of Alpha and 95km from Clermont.

Maryvale has soft quick responding soil types growing buffel, forest Mitchell and other native grasses capable of supporting around 5000AE (season dependent).

The country comprises 3500ha of brigalow, gidgee and blackbutt, 5000ha of mountain coolibah and narrow-leaved ironbark and 3000ha of floodplain coolibah flats and poplar box.

The property is certified by the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, in addition to organic standards issued by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Located in a 564mm average annual rainfall region, Maryvale fronts the Lime, Casey, Bottle Tree and Breakaway Creeks that provide seasonal waterholes, and is securely watered by seven bores and 21 dams.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom homestead, staff accommodation, a two-bedroom cottage, two steel cattle yards and numerous sheds.