THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of recently completed sales, and two separate articles on interesting and significant recent listings.

• New Forests pays $20m for Southern Tablelands asset
• SA’s picturesque Mt Freeling Station changes hands
• Western Qld’s Lorne Station makes $8.4m
• Neil Schembri adds The Bark Hut Inn to his NT holdings

Mt Freeling Station in SA’s Flinders Ranges – see references below

New Forests pays $20m for Southern Tablelands asset

A global nature-based investment manager is believed to have paid around $20 million for one of the largest contiguous grazing assets in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales.

New Forests has secured the 1857ha Mt Hannibal and Kerrawarra located 26km north of Marulan and 45km from Goulburn.

Inglis Rural Property chief executive Sam Triggs was unable to confirm the purchaser or the price paid, however during the marketing campaign he said the property also offered future upside across multiple land-use scenarios, including carbon.

“The property’s quality soils and reliable rainfall are suited to natural capital projects, including carbon and forestry, featuring a high Net Plantable Area (NPA),” he said.

Comprising the three adjoining holdings (576ha Kerrawarra, 420ha Mt Hannibal and 862ha Tarlo Hill), the aggregation was marketed as being suitable for beef, sheep, prime lambs, dual-purpose cash cropping and fodder and hay production.

Offered with an estimated carrying capacity of 15,000 DSE, the breeding and finishing platform was running 600 cows and calves, and 1000 ewes.

Featuring well-drained granite and basalt soils, 50 percent of the country is gently undulating (25pc to 30pc is arable) and can support mixed farming operations, with the balance of slopes and elevated ridgelines suited to grazing.

Across the holding, water is secured via 35 dams, 2km of Tarlo River frontage, and 10km of double frontage to the Junction Creek, supported by 713mm of annual rainfall.

Infrastructure includes three homes, two steel cattle yards, a shearing shed, shearers’ quarters, numerous sheds and grain storage.

SA’s picturesque Mt Freeling Station changes hands

Mobile waste solutions manufacturer Mastec Australia has made its first farmland purchase, buying Mt Freeling Station in South Australia’s northern Flinders Ranges.

The 100,000ha pastoral holding is located just off The Strzelecki Track, one hour north-east of Lyndhurst and four hours from Port Augusta, and was offered with a pastoral board rating of 9700 sheep or cattle equivalents.

Ray White Rural agent Sam Krieg was unable to disclose the buyer or price paid, but an advertisement on employment marketplace Seek has revealed Mastec is looking for a manager or couple to run the remote outback station.

Mt Freeling Station was offered for sale by the Redpath family, who operate a dryland cropping enterprise in the state’s Mid North, after eight years of ownership.

During their tenure, the Redpaths made significant investments in fencing and additional watering points, opening previously unused country and allowing a further 31,193ha to be grazed.

With more than 250mm of rain this year and the property destocked, the station was carrying abundant feed.

Historically, Mt Freeling has run both sheep and cattle enterprises, although during the marketing campaign Mr Krieg said the property was best suited to a prime Merino sheep operation producing clean, high-quality wool.

The land types are mostly open low hills and undulating valleys covered with mulga, dead finish and prickly wattle, as well as low blue bush, native grasses and clovers.

Water is supplied by 17 bores, permanent and seasonal springs, and seasonal catchments in a 220mm to 240mm average annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom homestead, a cottage, an historic eight-stand shearing shed, 13-bedroom shearers’ quarters, 10 sheep yards, one cattle yard and numerous sheds.

Mt Freeling also offers untapped tourism potential, including accommodation and camping, as well as 4×4 tracks exploring The Mawson Plateau, Yudnamutana mines and Brindina Springs – home to the largest known colony of endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies.

Western Qld’s Lorne Station makes $8.4m

Nicole Stevenson from Moonoomoo Station near Pentland has paid $8.4 million ($1011/ha bare) at auction to expand with Lorne Station in western Queensland.

Offered for sale by Anita Dennis and Joe Taylor after five years of ownership, the 8310ha property is located 40km south of Aramac and 100km north of Barcaldine.

The fully exclusion fenced, exceptionally well grassed grazing country is suited to breeding and backgrounding cattle and sheep, as well as rangeland goats.

Kennedy Livestock & Property agent Jake Kennedy reported five registered bidders and three active on auction day.

“The result exceeded expectations following a strong inquiry from across Queensland, with grass driving some of the inquiry and expansion the remainder,” he said.

The country is mostly pulled gidgee and open buffel and Mitchell downs, with some native grasses and herbages.

Lorne Station is watered by two dams and a shared bore, in a 490mm average annual rainfall region.

Described as exceptional, the infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, staff quarters, numerous sheds, a three-stand shearing shed, steel cattle yards, a four-pen sheep or goat feedlot and four silos with a combined 70-tonne storage capacity.

Neil Schembri adds The Bark Hut Inn to his NT holdings

A Top End hospitality icon has been bought by Neil Schembri, owner of neighbouring Annaburroo Station.

Built and opened in the 1980s by Terry Baldwin, the former owner of Annaburroo Station, the Bark Hut Inn is on the Arnhem Highway on the western edge of Kakadu National Park, 2km from the Mary River and Mary River National Park.

Mr Schembri also owns the Mary River Wilderness Retreat and Go Up Town Park, a private 309ha freehold property and former tourist retreat bordering Mary River National Park.

He is the founder and co-owner of Greenspot, a privately owned Australian company that invests in real estate opportunities, particularly the repurposing of former industrial sites.

Mr Schembri purchased the adjoining 29,010ha Annaburroo Station in 2023. It is being developed as an agritourism destination combining pastoral operations, buffalo breeding, accommodation and tourism experiences.

With the Bark Hut Inn now joining Annaburroo Station under the same ownership, Mr Schembri said the acquisition is about creating something special for the Territory.

“We see enormous potential to connect visitors with authentic Top End experiences, from the pastoral and buffalo industries through to hospitality, accommodation, tourism and local food production,” he said.

The combined businesses are expected to support jobs, attract more visitors to the Top End and strengthen the tourism offering between Darwin, Kakadu and the Mary River region.

Mr Schembri said the focus will be on preserving each property’s unique character while investing in future growth.

“We are custodians of some remarkable Territory assets. Our goal is to build on their history, respect their legacy and create opportunities for future generations.”