This week’s property review includes this wrap-up of recently completed sales and two separate articles on interesting properties listed for sale.

• CW Qld family expands with NQ’s Woodhouse Station
• Prime NSW Marra Creek country makes $15m
• Nebo brothers pay $14.7m for Carnemore
• Two NT depots sell separately

Western Qld family expands with NQ’s Woodhouse Station

A Western Queensland family has expanded its existing holdings with the purchase of North Queensland’s Woodhouse Station.

The 30,284ha property is located near Clare, about 50km south-west of Ayr and 100km south of Townsville, in the Burdekin Shire.

Woodhouse Station was offered by the Rapisarda family in February last year on a walk-in, walk-out basis, including 6530 head of quality Red Brahman cattle.

Queensland Rural agent Troy Trevor was unable to disclose the name of the buyer or the price paid, however Woodhouse Station was originally offered with $55 million expectations.

Owned and operated by Rapisarda Investments since 1996, the property has formed part of the family’s long-running agricultural operations in the region, where they have grown sugarcane, rockmelons and cucurbits for more than 50 years.

Woodhouse Station, once part of the Queensland Stations empire, comprises 29,617ha of breeding country rated to run 6800AE, along with 659ha developed for irrigated horticulture and sugarcane.

Situated near the Clare Weir, the property has access to 3404ML via the Burdekin Haughton channel, which traverses the holding, supplemented by 430ML of underground water.

Historically, 100 percent of the available allocation has been accessible during the growing season.

Water is supplied by 26 dams, 16 bores and numerous permanent and semi-permanent creeks and waterholes.

Infrastructure includes significant fencing and water improvements, three cattle yards and an extensive laneway system.

Woodhouse is watered by 26 dams, 16 bores and numerous permanent and semi-permanent creeks and waterholes.

Prime Marra Creek country makes $15m

St George Merino breeder Tim McDonald is expanding his southern Queensland holdings after paying around $15 million for prime Marra Creek grazing country in central western New South Wales.

The 13,600ha Womboin Station is near Girilambone, 110km north of Nyngan and 146km north-west of Warren. Combined with an 843ha crown land lease, Womboin spans 14,443ha.

Sydney-based Meares & Associates agent Sam Meares was unable to disclose the sale price, however it is understood the property achieved close to the $1112/ha ($450/ac) price guide offered during the marketing campaign.

Mr Meares said Womboin appealed to a broad cross section of buyers.

“Local, regional and interstate interests recognised the outstanding sheep breeding and wool growing reputation of the Marra Creek district, as well as the 30 plus year tenure of Womboin’s manager Andrew McGrath,” he said.

The property was offered to the market by Gordon Welsh as part of a strategic portfolio realignment across central western regions of both New South Wales and Queensland.

The productive and low input cost grazing property is well regarded for both cattle and sheep breeding and finishing, as well as fine wool production.

Rated to run 14,000DSE, Womboin has historically carried 6500 Egelabra blood ewes and in recent years, has backgrounded and finished 500 to 1000 opportunistic trade or agistment cattle.

The open to lightly timbered country features a diverse soil profile, ranging from alluvial Marra Creek flats along the western boundary through to extensive clay pans and lighter red and brown loams to the east.

Extensive ponding across the clay country has encouraged a strong mix of annual and perennial herbages, clovers and grasses, including old man and bladder saltbush.

The Warrambool, a seasonal watercourse running through the holding, provides an abundance of additional seasonal feed during wet periods.

Boasting 38km Marra Creek frontage, Womboin is watered by 31 dams and three equipped bores, supported by 420mm of annual rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home on the banks of the Marra Creek overlooking the Homestead Lagoon, a ten-stand shearing shed, renovated shearers quarters, four sheep yards, new steel cattle yards, 1200 tonnes of grain storage and numerous sheds.

Nebo brothers pay $14.7m for Carnemore

Central Queensland brothers Steve and Tim Borg have paid $14.7 million at auction for Carnemore, a Capella district mixed farming and grazing property.

The Nebo-based Borg family operates Harrybrandt Grazing, a Brahman commercial beef cattle breeding and finishing enterprise south-west of Mackay.

Offered by the Codd family after 60 years of ownership, the 5564ha Carnemore is located near Tieri, 75km from both Emerald and Clermont.

Emerald Land and Cattle Co agent Brock Palmer said the auction result was pleasing and in line with expectations.

Carnemore features more than 400ha of rich black soil cultivation country, including 240ha currently under forage sorghum or forage regrowth.

The property currently carries 1000 breeders turning off weaners across native and improved pastures, including Mitchell, Flinders, buffel, blue grasses and panics. However, there is scope to increase carrying capacity through further water development.

The country is a mix of semi-open black soil undulating downs, areas of brigalow and mountain coolabah and pockets of softwood scrub.

Lighter areas comprise rich loam and sandy loam soils, with box and ironbark country running down to flooded coolibah creek flats.

Creek systems and gentle topography create a natural drainage pattern, supporting water-harvesting opportunities across the holding.

Water is supplied by three equipped bores, three dams, and seasonal waterholes and springs along Belcong and Tipperary Creeks, supported by average annual rainfall of 635mm.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, steel cattle yards and a shed.

Yards on Carnemore

Two NT cattle depots sell separately

Anthea Henwood from Buchanan Downs has paid around $4.5 million for a well-positioned Northern Territory cattle depot block, located one hour from Darwin Port.

Owned by Katherine-based company Hammaco (Kurt Hamma of TV fame, and Meg Elliott), the 543ha Heaton Hill is situated near Tortilla Flats, 15km north of Adelaide River and 30km from the Batchelor Meatworks.

LAWD agent Olivia Thompson was unable to disclose the buyer or the price paid, however after it failed to sell it auction, the property was listed for $4.5 million.

With Stuart Highway frontage, Heaton Hill has all-season road train access and is well established to gamba grass and seasonally stocked with 700 feeder cattle.

The balance is ridge country suited to wet season stock management.

Infrastructure includes 2000 head steel cattle yards for feeding and spelling, depot yards, an undercover race, shaded feed yards, sprinklers, loading ramps and lighting for 24/7 operations.

The depot is securely fenced and subdivided into three main paddocks.

Around 150ha is established to hay paddocks (jarrah and tully grass) yielding between 3000 and 4000 large square bales of hay a year, with the capacity to increase.

Located in a high rainfall area with an average of 1465mm annually, Heaton Hill is watered by two bores and two dams.

Other infrastructure includes accommodation for managers and staff, two sheds and underground three-phase power.

With Stuart Highway frontage, Heaton Hill has all-season road train access and is well established to gamba grass and seasonally stocked with 700 feeder cattle.

Meantime, the nearby Coomalie Holding Depot, also near Tortilla Flats, has changed hands for $7 million in a private sale.

Located 25km north of Adelaide River and an hour south of Darwin and owned and operated by Hamish and Georgia Brett, the Coomalie Holding Depot is a live export depot facility supplying cattle to South East Asia

The new owner is believed to be Malaysia’s Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) that operates Rosewood Station and Carmor Plains near the Northern Territory and Western Australian border.

Brahman cattle in the Coomalie depot facility