THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of recently completed sales, and two separate articles on interesting recent listings across the country.
- Bassingthwaightes expand with NT & Qld cattle stations
- Copeland family secures NSW’s Tara Moira
- Riverina asset exceeds expectations
- Paterson family expands with Cawkers Well
- NQ’s Helen Downs sells for $8.7m
Hodgson River is located in the Roper region, southeast of Katherine
Bassingthwaightes expand with NT & Qld cattle stations
Queensland Santa Gertrudis breeders David and Suzanne Bassingthwaighte (Bass Cattle Co) have added two substantial cattle stations spanning more than 140,000ha to their growing portfolio.
Based at the 13,700ha Muldoon near Mungallala, home of the Waco Santa Gertrudis Stud, the Bassingthwaightes have paid around $20 million for Hodgson River Station – the last of Colin Ross’ Northern Territory pastoral holdings.
They have also been named as the ‘prominent grazing family’ who purchased Elrose Station in north-west Queensland in August.
Hodgson River Station
The 111,000ha Hodgson River Station is in the Roper region, 130km from Mataranka and 230km south-east of Katherine. In May, it was offered to the market by Colin Ross from North Star Pastoral.
LAWD agents Olivia Thompson, Danny Thomas and Eline Wesselink handled the expressions of interest campaign which included 6800 head of high-quality Brahman and Brangus female cattle.
The well-established cattle breeding operation was purchased by North Star Pastoral in 2016 and added to company’s portfolio, which at the time included the nearby Maryfield Station and Limbunya in the Victoria River district.
During his ownership of Hodgson River, Mr Ross invested significant funds into increasing the property’s carrying capacity by upgrading fencing and waters, as well as applying more than 50 tonnes of premium pasture mix across the property to extend available grazing protein into the dry season.
It features open savannah eucalyptus woodlands growing native grass species, expansive flat plains with fertile black soils, well-drained basalt rock plateaus and low sandstone-capped hills.
There are spectacular natural features, including lost city formations, swimming holes, seasonal waterfalls and extensive river systems ideal for barramundi fishing – all of which present an opportunity for tourism.
Located in a high-rainfall region, water is supplied by 12 equipped bores, three waterholes and numerous permanent creeks and river systems, including the Hodgson and Arnold Rivers.
These permanent water sources present potential future opportunities for irrigation development.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom manager’s cottage, staff accommodation, numerous sheds and two cattle yards.
Elrose Station
Elrose Station was offered to the market in March by the family of the late Oskar Schwenk, a Swiss national who died in 2023 after earlier serving as chairman and chief executive of light aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Group.
The 30,756ha backgrounding and finishing operation is 46km from McKinlay and 64km south-east of Cloncurry and can run 5800 Adult Equivalents.
In August, Elrose Station was placed under contract – bare of livestock but including a substantial inventory of plant, vehicles and equipment. At the time, Colliers Agribusiness agent Rawdon Briggs was unable to disclose the price paid or the name of the buyer, other than describing them as a “prominent family with assets in several states.”
The country on Elrose has a mix of Mitchell and Flinders grass downs, creek and river frontage country and gently elevated red tableland country.
Natural water is a feature with 25km of double frontage to the Fullarton River plus an extensive system of creeks and channels, including several seasonal waterholes.
It also supports 18 dams, five equipped bores, shared bore access and connection to the Eloise Mine borefield, supported by 500mm of average annual rainfall.
Since 2021, the station has benefited from capital upgrades, including fencing improvements, two new water points, dam clean-outs and upgraded yard infrastructure.
Other improvements include a six-bedroom home, workers accommodation, three cattle yards, a large undercover sale complex and numerous sheds.
In 2019, the Bassingthwaightes paid just over $14 million including 10,000 head of cattle for the 265,600ha Epenarra Station near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory and in 2021, the family secured the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse, a major fuel stop and accommodation business, for a similar sum.
Copeland family secures NSW’s Tara Moira
Condobolin’s Copeland family has secured the largest contingent mixed farming operation in the Trundle district in central western New South Wales.
Assembled over 70 years by the Watt family, the 4327ha Tara Moira Aggregation was sold with 3331ha of crops.
Elders agents Brian McAneney and Chris Malone were unable to disclose the buyer or the price paid, however locals report details surrounding sale were the worst kept secret.
It is understood the Copelands also purchased two adjoining properties spanning 1181ha (the 970ha Tara Moira and Steeton and the 211ha 1489 Carlisle-Trundle Road) which had been leased by the Watt family and listed for separate sale.
Traditionally, the operation runs 5000 Merino and first-cross ewes, with a modern 4000-head lamb feedlot turning off up to 19,500 lambs a year.
The open, level kurrajong country features red loams soils which over the years have benefited from the application lime and of manure from the
feedlot, in addition to a comprehensive fertiliser program.
More than 95 percent is arable, and produces winter cereals, oilseeds, and pulses which are used in the feedlot.
The 2025 cereal planting included 790ha of canola, 1700ha of wheat, 615ha of barley and 215ha of lupins, which were included in the sale.
The Tara Moira Aggregation is watered by three dams and a bore.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, three other residences, a four-stand shearing shed, four sheep yards, 1900-tonnes of grain storage and numerous sheds.
Sheep on Tara Moira aggregation
Riverina asset exceeds expectations
The Holt family’s renowned Southern Riverina grazing asset Coolbaroo has been snapped up, with strong pre-auction competition pushing the price well in excess of vendor and agent expectations.
The 7569ha property, 19km north of Jerilderie and 76km from the New South Wales – Victorian state border at Tocumwal, was purchased by the Old family who owns country in Bourke and Balranald.
Elders agent Matt Horne was unable to disclose the price paid however, during the marketing campaign Coolbaroo was anticipated to achieve between $12 million ($1606/ha or $650/ac) and $13 million ($1729/ha or $700/ac).
Locals have told Beef Central the property may have fetched closer to $15m.
Coolbaroo is a low input grazing property with gently undulating Murray pine sandy loams, red Gum creek flats and mostly Riverina plains country growing native grasses, crows foot, clovers and medics.
Vendors Tom and Sophie Holt, together with their son Thomas, own and operate close to 30,000ha in Southern New South Wales including Walteela (Urana) and Glencairn (Jerilderie) and their home station Coonong also near Urana.
Water is supplied by nine windmill bores, four solar bores and dams. The property boasts 12km of picturesque frontage to the Yanco Creek, with the dry to seasonal Turn Back Jimmy Creek meandering through the southern side of the holding.
Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a self-contained guest cottage, numerous sheds, two shearing sheds, two steel sheep yards, three cattle yards and four silos.
Paterson family expands with Cawkers Well
Highly regarded western division New South Wales grazing country has been purchased by JHW Paterson and Sons for more than $8 million.
The 29,836ha Organically Certified Cawkers Well Station, 53km from Wilcannia and 151km from Broken Hill, was sold by the Townsing family after 19 years of ownership.
JHW Paterson and Sons is family business headquartered at Hells Gate on the Hay Plain. It owns around 67,000ha in the Riverina region of New South Wales and the Western District in Victoria.
Running 700 cows and calves on Mitchell grass plains, Cawkers Well was offered with an 8300DSE carrying capacity with an opportunity to muster and sell around 500 rangeland goats a year.
Nutrien Harcourts agent Troy Hartman conducted 16 inspections and fielded eight offers for the property which was listed for offers above $6.7m.
“Cawkers Well is highly regarded by locals as high carrying country that benefits from substantial flood out country from the Dolo and Grassmere Creek systems.”
Well watered by six bores and six tanks and dams, the infrastructure on Cawkers Well includes a three-bedroom home, a two-bedroom workers cottage, a four-stand shearing shed, a six-bedroom shearers quarters, yards and numerous sheds.
Breeder paddock on Cawkers Well
NQ’s Helen Downs sells for $8.7m
John and Lorraine Davison’s productive cattle and sheep holding in Queensland’s north-west has made $8.7 million at auction, ending 37 years of family ownership.
The 10,062ha Helen Downs is a freehold block south of the tick line, 72km south-east of Julia Creek in the McKinlay Shire.
The walk-in, walk-out sale included 745 head of cattle and around 200 sheep, plus plant and equipment.
It was purchased by Northern Territory PLB Nominees after strong interest from registered bidders representing Queensland, the NT and New South Wales.
The Stockplace Marketing auction result was described as excellent, reflecting the quality of the property and the strong buyer confidence in the current market.
Subject to seasonal conditions, the open black soil Mitchell grass downs country on Helen Downs can run 1400 adult equivalents.
Prickly acacia grows on around a third of the property, mainly along the bore drains, offering shade during summer and a high-protein feed source for livestock.
Helen Downs is extensively watered by a flowing artesian bore via 35km of open bore drains and a dam, supported by 450mm of rainfall a year.
The infrastructure is described as high quality and includes a four-bedroom home, a two-bedroom cottage, a six-stand shearing shed, a shearers quarters, steel sheep and cattle yards, a butcher’s shop, numerous sheds and 9km of new boundary fencing.