THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, and a separate article of recent listings in Queensland.

• $30m+ for historic SA holdings
• Four quality properties list in NSW’s New England region
• Low input grazing in western NSW
• Southern NSW cattle & sheep grazing
• High country VIC grazing should make $7m+

$30m+ for historic SA holdings

Offers above $30 million are being sought for two iconic properties in South Australia’s south-east producing prime lamb, wool and beef.

The 1870ha Crower and Fellwood, pictured above, are situated 16km south-west of Lucindale in the tightly held Conmurra area. They have been held by the Giles family since 2000 but have a history dating back 160 years.

The two properties failed to sell following an expressions of interest campaign and are now being offered for sale as a whole or as individual holdings, with Elders agent Grant Schubert negotiating with interested parties.

“Interest is coming from investors, locals and producers from Victoria and New South Wales seeking scale, water security and higher rainfall.”

Mr Schubert reports signs of hesitancy and caution in the broader property market.

“It is not the fear of missing out (FOMO), it is the fear of making a mistake. People are waiting for that opening rain as a break of confidence and for interest rate security to measure the market.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity for interested parties to work with the vendor and get a result,” Mr Schubert said.

The Giles family has been running around 5000 ewes, 6000 prime lambs and 380 head of cattle, however Mr Schubert said Crower and Fellwood were ideal conversional cropping country.

“Drainage works have been undertaken over the last 15 years and the high ground red loams to productive grey loams have the ability to almost instantly respond to opening rains,” he said.

Situated in a 600-650mm average annual rainfall region, Crower and Fellwood have five irrigation pivots spanning 206ha and three water licences totalling 1371ML.

Infrastructure includes a heritage-listed four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom home, a six-stand shearing shed, a four-stand historic stone shearing shed built in 1864, cattle and sheep yards and numerous sheds.

 

Four quality properties list in NSW’s New England region

Spilsbury Family Farms

An aggregation of five holdings in New South Wales’ New England developed for grazing, pasture and fodder production are attracting good interest from local producers and the surrounding districts.

The 2098ha Spilsbury Family Farms are located in the tightly-held Wandsworth locality, 26km north-west of Guyra and 55km south of Glen Innes, in a 900mm to 1050mm rainfall region.

Aggregated by the late Frank Spilsbury, Wiluna was purchased in 1975 followed by Keston, Strabanne, Greenbank and then Warrawee – considered as strategic to providing additional accommodation for the other holdings.

The former real estate agent retired from Elders Armidale in 2022 and passed away in May last year following a short illness. The properties are being offered to the market to finalise his estate.

Friend and colleague Richard Gemmell said the aggregation offered a once in a generational opportunity.

“The farms have some of the finest country in the district. Recognised for its diversity and production, farmland north-west of Guyra has long been revered for high yielding sheep, wool, lamb and beef cattle.”

“Frank’s strategy for multiple income streams under differing seasonal conditions provides sound agribusiness risk management and operational scale,” Mr Gemmell said.

The aggregation comprises five non-contiguous holdings within a 10km radius.

• 537ha Wiluna runs between 4462DSE and 6000DSE. Watered by dams, creeks and springs, it has a three-bedroom home, a shearing shed, stock yards and machinery sheds.
• 1164ha Keston Greenbank (two adjoining holdings run as one) runs between 5000DSE and 8600DSE. It is watered by dams and creeks and has stock yards, a machinery shed and a silo.
• 395ha Strabanne runs between 2700DSE and 3420DSE. Watered by dams, it has a shearing shed and sheep yards.
• 5ha Warrawee has a three-bedroom home and machinery and storage sheds.

The Spilsbury Family Farms aggregation is being offered by Elders agent Richard Gemmell as a whole or as separate holdings via expressions of interest closing on May 1.

 

Glenmorgan former stud headquarters

Following the dispersal of their stud, Nicholas and Karen Morgan are selling Glenmorgan, home of the Angus seedstock business of the same name for the past 22 years.

The 1119ha blue-chip asset is located near Llangothlin, 11km north of Guyra and 50km north of Armidale, in the New England region of northern New South Wales.

Up until earlier this year, the focus has been on selling pasture prepared (a combination of fescues, clovers, oats and rye) yearling bulls.

Ray White Rural agent Andrew Starr and Birch Rural agent Bruce Birch have been appointed to handle the sale of the highly developed property.

Mr Starr reports good early interest from Queensland producers looking to value-add yearlings on higher rainfall country and then breed them in the north.

Mr Starr believes the sale of Glenmorgan will attract producers wanting to background Wagyu through to feedlot entry weights.

“The property features a combination of strategic paddock preparation and development and management efficiencies.”

“In terms of the kilogram of beef per hectare benchmark for maximising a high-end product, Glenmorgan is a good fit because it grows high performance perennial pastures,” Mr Starr said.

Located in a high rainfall region, water security on Glenmorgan has been extensively developed with a trough network, more than 80 dams, a bore and frontage to the Georges Creek.

Improvements are described as superior – boasting first-class livestock handling facilities with extensive fencing and strategically developed central laneways and tree lines.

Infrastructure includes an historic five-bedroom homestead (circa 1903), a manager’s home, a cottage, two cattle yards, a three-stand shearing shed, sheep yards and numerous sheds.

The expressions of interest campaign for Glenmorgan closes on May 2.

 

Midlands offers versatility

Also in the renowned New England region of New South Wales, a cattle, wool and prime lamb operation has been listed for around $12 million.

Midlands is situated in a 900mm rainfall district, 22km north-west of Guyra and 57km from Armidale. For the past 19 years it has been held by Andrew and Sue Ross.

The 1006ha are gently undulating and consist of basalt and trap soils with some loamy creek flats. Around 75 percent is arable.

Midlands has an estimated carrying capacity of 9500DSE. Vendor Sue Ross believes with additional forage crops and pasture improvements this number could be increased.

The property features a 1.5km double frontage to Georges Creek and is watered by 33 dams (mostly spring-fed), as well as two equipped bores.

Midlands has been developed with good fencing and laneways for ease of management.

Infrastructure includes two homes, a cottage, steel cattle yards, two three-stand shearing sheds, four sheep yards, numerous sheds and a silo.

 

Beaumont well-improved

John and Trish Bellinger are selling their Northern Tablelands grazing and irrigation opportunity after almost 20 years of ownership.

The 1194ha Beaumont is located 7km east of Ashford and 52km north of Inverell.

Nutrien Harcourts GDL agent Jeff Garland said the well-improved property was one of the most versatile properties in the region.

“Beaumont is attracting good inquiry from Queensland and New South Wales farming families, investors looking for a stand-alone enterprise and larger enterprises looking for a backgrounding and finishing depot,” he said.

The property has a good mix of soil types from alluvial flats along the Severn River rising to soft trap with some steeper areas.

Under the current management, Beaumont has been run as a self-replacing sheep and cattle enterprise with cash cropping.

The holding is estimated to run 6800DSE, however vendors, the Bellingers, believe these numbers could be increased by direct drilling more than 300ha to pastures.

Around 80ha are currently farmed to lucerne (this area could also be increased), with the irrigation also suited to a range of cash and small crops.

Receiving around 750mm of rainfall annually, Beaumont has 10km of double frontage to the Severn River, 15 dams, four pivots and three water licences totalling 150ML.

The irrigation is used to grow forage crops to finish cattle and sheep to safeguard stock turn-off in any season.

Infrastructure includes two homes (one circa 1920), a four-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, steel cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Beaumont will be auctioned on April 12.

 

Low input grazing in western NSW

After more than 105 years of single-family ownership, Riverina producers Ian and Linda McLean are selling their western New South Wales Lachlan River operation.

The 9573ha Woorilla Aggregation comprises three holdings – the 4577ha Woorilla, 2904ha Tarrawonga and 2092ha Walkers.

Situated on the Riverina Plains 38km from Hillston, the aggregation has 5km of Lachlan River frontage and 10km of Merrowie Creek frontage.

The low-input, grassland and bush country is suited to sheep, goats and cattle and is estimated to run 4000 ewes and followers, with a history of opportunistic cattle trading and finishing.

Around 220ha has been approved for cultivated irrigation with the red loams and clay-rich vertosol chocolate-cracking soils offering scope for development.

The property is adjacent to irrigated cotton and wheat, almond orchards and intensive cropping operations.

The Woorilla Aggregation has a 972ML Lachlan River water licence (available for separate sale), an 8ML water licence, six bores and a dam.

Improvements include a five-bedroom home, a renovated shearers quarters, a five-stand shearing shed, four steel sheep yards, steel cattle yards and a shed.

The Woorilla Aggregation is being offered as a whole or as three separate parcels via online auction starting on April 30 by Inglis Rural Property.

 

Southern NSW cattle & sheep grazing

Sydney businessman Rob Rich’s productive livestock operation on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales is being offered to the market with a $28- $30 million price guide.

The 2393ha Girrakool and North Pomeroy is a cattle and sheep breeding enterprise located halfway between Goulburn and Crookwell.

The country ranges from flats along the Wollondilly River and Kiala and Oxley Creeks to undulating and rolling grazing hills.

Aggregated over 25 years, Mr Rich’s RTR Pty Ltd has invested in building bridges, erecting new fencing, 22km of internal laneways and 52 cattle grids connecting all paddocks and providing ease of management and movement of livestock.

Following improved fertiliser and pasture management, manager Mitch O’Brien is seeking to significantly lift livestock numbers to 1800 cows and calves or 1000 cows and calves and 6000 ewes, or between 13,000 and 15,000 ewes and lambs.

The property has a 10km double frontage to Wollondilly River and 4km of double frontage to the permanent Kialla Creek supported by 54 dams and two bores.

Improvements include three recently renovated homes, a shearing shed, steel sheep and cattle yards and numerous sheds and silos.

Girrakool and North Pomeroy will be auctioned bare on April 23 by Webster Nolan Real Estate agent David Nolan.

 

High country VIC grazing should make $7m+

Offers above $7 million are being considered for high country grazing country being sold by a Victorian farming family after 42 years of ownership.

The 532ha Ancona Station is situated 160km from Melbourne in a 962mm average annual rainfall region watered by 36 dams and a water licence sourced from the Brankeet Creek.

The beef and sheep country has a mix of fertile alluvial creek flats and undulating grazing pastures capable of running 400 breeders.

CBRE Agribusiness agent Matt Childs said with an ability to improve on production, Ancona is likely to attract existing producers and property investors.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom manager’s home, a shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards and sheds.

Ancona is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on April 24.

 

• See today’s separate story on recent QLD property listings