March
Tough times for orchards, vines send values plummeting
Capital values for orchards and vineyards plunged over 2024. In contrast, farmland used for grazing and annual crops has prospered, and the outlook is rosy.
Wealthy silk Allan Myers puts Western District run on the market
High-profile lawyer Allan Myers also runs an extensive agribusiness and investment platform, with much of its focus on Dunkeld where he was raised.
TV star Edwina Bartholomew swaps Woollahra unit for country project
The “Sunrise” presenter and her hotelier husband Neil Varcoe have listed their Sydney apartment to help fund a heritage project in Central West NSW.
US giant quits NT cattle station amid carbon confusion
Uncertainty and delays in the release of new rules for carbon projects spur Hartree, indirectly owned by US global funds giant Brookfield, to sell
Swiss outfit to exit $100m of Queensland cattle stations
The two sprawling stations are part of a substantial cattle and sheep empire put together over years by Swiss aviation dynamo Oskar J Schwenk.
Top paddocks on Darling Downs tapped for renewables
Landowners are seizing the initiative to test market appetite for their property from the renewable energy operators.
Jumbuck sells Rawlinna, Australia’s largest sheep station
The $20 million-plus price tag of the property covering more than 1 million hectares reflects the risks of its volatility.
February
Falls Festival site going for a song as Live Nation cuts asking price
The entertainment group wanted $4 million two years ago for the site near the Great Ocean Road. It’s less optimistic now on price.
Outback Wagyu powerhouse to test appetite for top-end farms
The Taylors Plains property, which has come to the market with a $75 million guide, will be the first big test of appetite for trophy livestock properties in 2025.
January
The three things needed to lift winery asset sales out of the slump
Lower interest rates and a rise in consumer spending will help but for banks to lend more, margins will have to improve, industry figures say.
December 2024
Orchard and vineyard values down 15pc as livestock farms rally
Farmland planted with permanent crops such as wine grapes and nuts has fallen 15pc on average over the past 12 months, according to a key index.
Macquarie buys $175m stake in fresh fruit producer
Macquarie Asset Management adds a controlling stake in one of the country’s largest citrus, berry and table grape producers to its $4.7 billion agricultural portfolio.
Trophy farms worth $120m change hands in year-end deals bonanza
Among the five properties sold was the 1900-hectare wool aggregation Avington – and its 16,000 Merino sheep – in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.
November 2024
‘Horsing heartland’: Merlin Park up for grabs for over $30m
The horse training ground outside Melbourne may could become a residential development.
Snowy Mountains lodge developed by ex-Citibank exec hits the market
The luxury Nimbo Fork Lodge near Tumut, developed by fishing enthusiast and former banker Chris Fehon, is for sale. Meanwhile, the historic Waverley Estate in South Australia has sold.
Outback property the size of Sydney once coveted by Twiggy now on sale
Mining giant Fortescue has ditched plans to develop a renewable energy project on Rawlinna Station, which is Australia’s largest sheep station.
CPE Capital snags $200m Perth meat business
CPE is still in talks with sell-side adviser PwC, sources said. However, the deal is expected to be signed “imminently”.
October 2024
SA livestock farm with historic homestead fetches $28m
Ian and Louise Johnson have acquired a slice of South Australian farming history after emerging as the buyers of the Crower and Fellwood grazing aggregation.
Farmland buyers are back after sales slump
LAWD’s Danny Thomas says confidence is back and everyone is rushing to get deals done by Christmas – after sales volumes hit new lows in the first half of 2024.
Pub baron puts ‘horse heaven’ lodge on the market for $30m
Former Spotless boss Bruce Dixon says he has done all he can at Macedon Lodge near Melbourne, and it’s time to hand the reins to a racing horse person.