THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of recently completed sales and properties that have failed to sell at auction and that are now listed for sale, and two separate articles on recent listings across the country.
- $110m raised for part of Qld’s Ray Scott Pastoral Portfolio
- NQ’s Tabletop Station withdrawn from auction & listed POA
- NQ’s Burlington Station fails to sell
- CQ’s well-watered Fishpond for sale by negotiation
$110m raised for part of Qld’s Ray Scott Pastoral Portfolio
Central Queensland families have paid more than $110 million at auction for five of the seven Ray Scott Portfolio properties located around Bauhinia.
In May, the Mt Gambier-based Scott family announced it was selling its Queensland productive vertically integrated breeding/finishing enterprise (see image above).
Acquired over several generations and strategically expanded over the last 20 years, the Ray Scott Pastoral Co portfolio features geographic and climate diversity, with access to live export, feedlots and beef processing.
In total, the 107,503ha aggregation comprised seven properties, spanning some of the most productive areas of Queensland – from St George in the south to Charters Towers in the north.
All were described as high quality, productive assets extensively pasture improved and offering beef breeding and finishing and extensive dryland farming.
Elders farmland agency and investments general manager Mark Barber said the offering attracted good interest, particularly from locals, with the majority of buyers being neighbours or near neighbours.
“The prices were strong and reflective of confidence in the current cattle market,” he said,
Three properties sold at auction. Located in the renowned Bauhinia district, they offered some of the most fertile country in Queensland.
- 10,522ha Fairfield was purchased by the Dennis family from Twin Hills Cattle Co for $49m ($4657/ha bare).
- 3237ha Kurrajong Park sold for $26.1m ($8063/ha bare) to nearby landholders Rob and Annie Donoghue.
- 2423ha Wongaburra sold for $12m ($4952/ha bare) to Stewart, Stephanie and Tom Nobbs, Yoman Brahmans, Bauhinia.
Two properties failed to sell, but sold shortly afterwards.
- 2299ha Ellis Camp passed in at $10.7m ($4654/ha) and sold above the reserve to the Dennis family.
- 1911ha Hatari passed in $12m and sold for significantly above the reserve to Theodore-based Cameron McIntyre.
Elders agents are in the late stages of negotiations with two parties for the 5369ha Carramar which passed in at $22.5m ($4191/ha) and the 2496ha Bauhinia Downs which passed in at $13.4m ($5368/ha).
In the meantime, the three remaining properties in other parts of Queensland are being offered via expressions of interest.
- 10,526ha Ingaby, situated on the Balonne River near St George, is a backgrounding property with centre pivot irrigation for fodder or finishing.
- 59,517ha Carse O Gowrie Station on the banks of the Burdekin River near Ravenswood in North Queensland and 8907ha Echo Hills Station near Surat are breeding properties offering development opportunities.
NQ’s Tabletop Station withdrawn from auction & listed POA
Quality breeding and finishing country in North Queensland is being offered for sale by Central Queensland producers Richard and Dyan Hughes and family.
Held for five years, the 18,970ha Tabletop Station is located 23km north of Collinsville and 70 km south-west of Bowen.
Queensland Rural agent Troy Trevor has been appointed to sell the property by price on application after it failed to sell at auction.
Featuring undulating open timbered country with quality soil types, the holding is currently being run as a breeding operation to a capacity of 4600 adult equivalents.
Tabletop has a reliable annual rainfall of 708 mm and with 448mm of rain recorded this year, there is an abundance of good quality feed.
The Hughes’ son Bristow said the family was looking to take the next step and the sale of Tabletop will facilitate expansion into other areas.
“The property is a great asset, in a great location with a huge amount of water. It offers the incoming purchaser potential for future pasture development and fencing to lift numbers, or productivity in terms of better weight gains on existing numbers,” he said.
The Hughes have also conducted soil tests and identified areas suitable for growing leucaena.
The property is watered by 16 equipped bores, 35 dams and semi-permanent waterholes in the Table Mountain, One Mile and Rocky Creeks.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom cottage, a one-bedroom donga, a two-bedroom dwelling, numerous sheds and modern steel cattle yards.
NQ’s Burlington Station fails to sell
North Queensland’s well-watered Burlington Station has passed in on a vendor’s bid of $15.25 million at auction.
Burlington was offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis including 4000 head of cattle comprising 3200 (joined) females, 100 bulls and between 1000 and 1200 weaners.
The 46,000ha breeding and backgrounding property is located 50km north of Mt Surprise – centrally located between Cairns, Charters Towers, Normanton and Hughenden.
It was purchased in August 2020 by Hughenden’s Stewart-Moore family from Dunluce Station.
Since that time, significant improvements have been made including 82km of new fencing, more paddocks and laneways and renovated cattle yards.
Stockplace Marketing agent Ashley Naclerio said the station offers highly regarded basalt grazing suitable for both breeding and backgrounding – a rare combination.
The soil types include productive black basalt soils along the Fossilbrook Creek frontage, black soil frontage on both the Saltwater Creek and Lynd River and large areas of red basalt country.
Water is a major feature with 6.5km of double frontage to the Lynd River, 14km of double frontage to Fossilbrook Creek and 12km of double frontage to Saltwater Creek.
Burlington is bisected by two permanent creeks, along with Tommys Springs and the seasonal Lynd River. There are also numerous smaller creeks and tributaries supported by 14 dams and nine bores.
There is a 144ML water licence from Fossilbrook Creek which presents the incoming purchaser with an opportunity to diversify into cropping or horticulture, in conjunction with a cattle breeding enterprise.
Improvements include a home, staff quarters, a cabin, numerous sheds, a butcher shop and three cattle yards.
CQ’s well-watered Fishpond for sale by negotiation
Central Queensland country with a history of producing quality, sought-after cattle has failed to sell at auction and is now being offered for sale by negotiation.
The 1169ha Fishpond, owned by the Pierce family for more than 100 years, is near Midgee, 24km from Rockhampton and the Gracemere saleyards.
Despite good interest from locals seeking expansion, the property was passed in at $3.5 million at auction.
The vendors are conservatively running 300 breeders, but it is also suited to backgrounding and previously fattened bullocks.
The flat plains country was originally timbered with mostly coolibah and blue gum and pastured with natives, including Queensland blue grass, kangaroo grass and water couch.
Naturally watered by creeks and lagoons, 175mm of recent rain has ensured an excellent start to the season.
The only infrastructure is a set of cattle yards.
Shepherdson & Boyd agent Mike Barry is handling the sale.
HAVE YOUR SAY