67,500ha NT cattle station snapped up by Aussie family

A tightly held pastoral property, plus a herd of 15,000 cattle, has been sold for millions - changing hands for the first time in four decades.

A 67,500ha Northern Territory cattle station has changed hands for the first time in four decades, with an Australian farming family acquiring the property along with 15,000 head of cattle.

Large-scale Northern Territory cattle producers Tony and Julie Harrower have sold their 67,500ha Dorisvale Station, located 350km southwest of Darwin in the Claravale region, west of Katherine.

Dorisvale Station was tipped to field offers worth $18m for land, plant and equipment.

A herd of 12,000 head of cattle, including predominantly Brahman cattle and 6000 breeders was also to be included in the sale, priced at $750 per head weighing more than 100kg, combining for a total walk-in walk-out value greater than $25m.

NT property records show Dorisvale Station transacted for almost $16m, with 15,000 head of cattle understood to have been included in the sale.

Private northern cattle producers the Schafer family have acquired the property, adding it to their existing NT landholdings.

LAWD director Olivia Thompson handled the sale of the Dorisvale Station after about two years on the market.

A herd of 15,000 cattle have been included in the sale of the 67,500ha Dorisvale Station, located 350km southwest of Darwin, NT.

During the Harrower’s tenure Dorisvale Station was subject to extensive capital expenditure including the expansion of water points, transition to solar bores, improved fencing and laneway systems (enhancing mustering efficiencies), as well as upgrades to the main cattle yards.

About 320ha have been sown to Jarra which is baled for hay and used for feeding cattle in holding yards. A combination of Kandosol and black soil flats support production.

Water supply and access comes via the Bradshaw Creek, Daly River, numerous springs and creeks throughout, as well as overlying the Oolloo, Tindal and Jinduckin aquifers.

The Bradshaw Creek, Daly River and numerous springs and creeks traverse Dorisvale Station throughout.

Alongside Dorisvale Station, the Harrower family also own and operate the 380,000ha Old Mt Bundey, also near Katherine.

The couple have retained the Old Mt Bundey, electing to sell Dorisvale Station to downsize their cattle enterprise.

The Dorisvale Station transaction is the latest in a string of northern pastoral property sales where Australian family corporate cattle farmers have snapped up first-class grazing assets.

Last month the tightly held 19,734ha Wadeholme station, located 96km northwest of Charleville near Langlo, was sold at auction, while Lord Cattle sold its 233,000ha May Downs station under the hammer after commanding a stellar price of $47.5m to Cloncurry-based McMillian Pastoral.

Originally published as 67,500ha NT cattle station snapped up by Aussie family