ANOTHER significant Central Australian grazing holding has changed hands, continuing a trend which started around the middle of last year.

Macdonald Downs, located about 280km north of Alice Springs, has been purchased for a reported $8.6 million by Queensland cattleman George Scott, Scott Cattle Co, based at Thylungra in the Channel Country.

Settlement was finalised in December.

Historically there have been few sales in the tightly-held Alice Springs region, but that changed last year with a sequence of sales recorded from July. See this earlier report on recent transactions published by Beef Central.

Valuer Herron Todd White notes in its latest monthly property report that of the eight private purchaser property acquisitions last year in the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions, four were in the Alice Springs area.

Macdonald Downs, sold by vendors the Chalmers family on a walk-in, walk-out basis, included a good quality 5000 head Santa and Droughtmaster cross breeder herd, plant and equipment.

The offering attracted strong interest with seven parties inspecting, before eventually being secured by Scott Cattle Co.

Recent property listings, completed sales

There’s been some important additions from across Northern and Central Australia to Beef Central’s database of properties listed for sale, or sold this week.

Listed for sale:

• Numery Station, a 202,000ha fattening and breeding property located 180km east of Alice Springs, listed by Elders Alice Springs
• St George-Dirranbandi District Aggregation Qld – 111,000ha of safe grazing country. Four separate properties currently run as one commercial family cattle business. Offered as whole or separately, with or without livestock & plant. Carrying capacity 5000 EU Poll Hereford cattle plus sheep & goats. Listed by Elders, St George.

Properties sold, under contact:

• Silver Valley, Wallumbilla QLD – 5860ha, 55km SE Roma. Well-watered backgrounding/fattening enterprise. Undulating brigalow soils. Carrying capacity 600 breeders plus progeny. High production enterprise including 1000hd feedlot & 4500t silage. Believed to have sold for more than $6.5m to well-known district cattle operators. Agent: Murray & Associates.
• Prospect Station 300km north of Richmond, QLD. 90,900ha of semi-open forest grazing country carrying a large body of grass with over 50 watering points and 13 bores. Sold with +2500 cattle, plant & equipment. Carrying capacity 5000 head.  Believed to have sold for more than $5m to the McCoy family from Richmond. Agent: TopX
• Esmeralda Station QLD – 400,000ha of mostly open forest country 280km north of Richmond. 30,000 head high grade Brahman cattle included. Currently under contract.

Click here to access Beef Central’s full summary of recent grazing property listings, or click here to see recently completed sales.