St Lawrence property Granite Vale sells for $14m at auction

A Central Queensland cattle property, which has been owned by a prominent cattle farming family for nearly 70 years, has gone under the hammer at auction. See how much it went for.

A St Lawrence property formerly owned by the Olive family has sold for millions. Pictured: The late Joe Olive.

One of Central Queensland’s most celebrated cattle properties has gone under the hammer, selling for the first time since 1956.

Granite Vale, at St Lawrence between Rockhampton and Mackay, sold post-auction for $14.4 million on July 19.

Owned by the Olive family since 1956, the 3968-hectare holding at St Lawrence north of Rockhampton, helped pioneer ponded and tropical pastures for the state’s beef industry.

The property had been owned by the Olive family for almost seven decades with patriarch, the late Joseph Olive, working with the Department of Primary Industries to trial and introduce tropical grasses including Para, Aleman and Hymenachne.

Granite Vale at St Lawrence was owned by the Olive Family for nearly seven decades and was recently sold at auction.

Mr Olive was a foundation member of the Cattleman’s Union and his leadership in the industry was recognised with the Tropical Grassland Society of Australia Award for Innovation in Tropical Pasture Development in 1987 and the Royal National Association’s Bicentennial Beef Producer of the Year in 1988.

He passed away in 2016 and his wife, Valda “Pat” Olive, now lives in Rockhampton.

The late Joe Olive with an Australian Beef industry Award at the first Beef Expo in Rockhampton in 1988, taken at Gracemere Saleyards.

Their daughter Karyn moved back to the property in February this year and worked with loyal and local contractors to return the property to its former glory to prepare it for sale.

“At the time of Dad’s retirement, he had sold a number of non-ponded paddocks on Granite Vale,” she said.

“I know the high esteem Dad was held in across the beef industry.

The work he oversaw on Granite Vale was a must-see, particularly in the 1980s when we regularly hosted field days to spread the message about tropical pastures.

“It was and remains an important advance for the beef industry.”

Granite Vale at St Lawrence was owned by the Olive Family for nearly seven decades and was recently sold at auction.

“Dad worked closely with the DPI, particularly John Wildin who wrote many authoritative books on ponded and tropical pastures that assisted other graziers to adopt similar techniques.”

The property listing boasts the farm as a “premium developed” grazing property with large steel and timber cattle yards, double decker loading ramp, undercover vet crush, calf handling facilities and plunge dip.

Granite Vale at St Lawrence was owned by the Olive Family for nearly seven decades and was recently sold at auction.

The main homestead is four bedrooms with three bathrooms, a brick carport and butcher shop.

There is also a three bedroom, two bathroom, managers residence, workshop, machinery and hay sheds and stables.

The auction will end the family’s almost 70-year association with Granite Vale.