The Weekly Times’ 10th annual Who Owns Australia’s Farms investigation reveals that these longstanding families have increasingly been forced to compete with billionaires, high-profile business figures and deep-pocketed overseas pension funds for a slice of the state’s dirt.

The largest investors in South Australian farmland are also among the country’s biggest landholders.

Outback business partners Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello hold a vast nine-million-hectare footprint across Central Australia, including multiple South Australian stations under their Crown Point Pastoral Company banner. Their largest property is Clifton Hills Station (1.7 million hectares) on the Birdsville Track, followed by Innamincka Station (1.36 million hectares) and Macumba Station (1.1 million hectares).

Coming in at No. 2 is the Williams family of Williams Cattle Company, with a 4.65 million hectare portfolio. Their holdings include the iconic Anna Creek Station and its outstation The Peake – together forming Australia’s largest cattle enterprise at more than 2.3 million hectares – alongside cropping and grazing land in the Flinders Ranges.

Other major players include the Brook family, whose Brook Pastoral Company controls a three-million-hectare spread across Central Australia, including key South Australian holdings. The MacLachlan family’s Jumbuck Pastoral Company operates more than two million hectares in the state, while the sixth-generation McBride family runs 12 properties under AJ & PA McBride across more than 1.4 million hectares.

Another heavyweight is Mutooroo Pastoral Company, owned by the Morgan and Wells families, which spans over two million hectares and runs 80,000 Merino sheep and 7000 cattle across five stations – an area comparable in size to El Salvador.

Mutooroo managing director James Morgan said farming in the North East pastoral zone could be brutal, but rewarding when done right.

“History is riddled with pastoralists who bought at the top of the market and sold at the bottom,” Mr Morgan said. “Our business model has been more sustainable – and we’ve survived.”

Canadian pension funds also wield growing influence in the state. PSP Investments, the country’s largest investor in farmland and water, owns extensive dairy operations near Mt Gambier through its Aurora Dairies venture, glasshouses near Two Wells under Fresh Country Farms, and vineyards across the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale under the Southern Premium Vineyards banner.

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan-backed AustOn Corporation is another major player, with South Australian investments including the Mitolo Family Farms aggregation on the Adelaide Plains.

Fiera Comox owns the 1980-hectare Boorala property at Frances as part of its Excel Farms portfolio. Manulife Investment Management also holds significant interests.

Prominent private investors include businessman Kerry Stokes, mining magnate Robert Champion de Crespigny, and CK Life Sciences – backed by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing – which owns multiple vineyard assets across the Barossa Valley, Riverland, Padthaway, and Coonawarra wine regions.

See the families and institutions going head-to-head to secure South Australia’s farming land in this, the most comprehensive list of farm ownership.

AJ & PA MCBRIDE

Sixth-generation family owned company operating 12 properties across 1.4 million hectares of South Australia and producing about 7700 wool bales annually. Added the 3345-hectare Keilira Station to the portfolio in February 2024.

Ashmore, Kingston SE SA – 7354 hectares

Bleasdale Winery, Langhorne Creek SA

Braemar, Burra SA – 131,210 hectares

Brooklyn Station, Lucindale SA – 3839 hectares

Keilira Station, Kingston SE SA – 3345 hectares

Konetta, Greenways SA – 7380 hectares

Nepowie, Woolumbool SA – 5848 hectares

North Well, Kingoonya SA – 381,400 hectares

Teetulpa, Yunta SA – 84,414 hectares

Wilgena Station, Tarcoola SA – 507,300 hectares

Yudnapinna, Port Augusta SA – 224,000 hectares

AUSTON CORPORATION (ONTARIO TEACHERS’ PENSION PLAN) (CANADA)

The Australian agricultural arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has operated since 2018. Offers long-term capital to invest in and help grow innovative and agricultural businesses. In November 2023 purchased a major equity interest in Montague, which handles 18 per cent of Australia’s apple production and 15 per cent of stone fruit produce across orchards in Victoria, Tasmania and NSW.

It also announced a deal with South Australia’s Mitolo Family Farms in 2023, acquiring a majority equity interest with the Mitolo family retaining a significant ownership stake.

Mitolo Family Farms is one of Australia’s largest horticultural producers with 51,000ha of land and 700 staff.

Aroona Farms, Lyrup SA – 2600 hectares

Mitolo Family Farms (26 farms in NSW and SA), Adelaide Plains SA

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL EQUITY (KERRY STOKES)

Billionaire media mogul has significant farming interests, particularly in South Australia and Western Australia. Sold his Cygnet Park Farms aggregation on Kangaroo Island to Growth Farms in 2019 (see separate listing) for about $25 million.

Balquihidder Station, Parawa SA – 3000 hectares

Mt Scrub, Fleurieu Peninsula SA- 660 hectares

BALDY BAY PASTORAL (STERLING BUNTINE)

Kimberley-based pastoralist with significant holdings in northern Australia. Was part of a consortium of buyers who launched a last-minute bid for the S Kidman and Co assets in 2016.

Lissadell Station, Kimberley WA

BILLA KALINA PASTORAL COMPANY

Owned by the Greenfield pastoralist family since 1938.

Billa Kalina Station, Woomera SA – 500,000 hectares

BPC MAYLANDS (ROBERT CHAMPION DE CRESPIGNY)

Maylands, Parawa, SA — 1500 hectares

Salt Creek Farm, Salt Creek, SA — 1526 hectares

Myponga Portfolio, Myponga, SA

BROOK PASTORAL COMPANY

Owns more than three million hectares of certified organic grazing land in Central Australia’s Channel Country. Supplies natural beef brand OBE Organic.

Alton Downs, SA (via Birdsville)

Cordillo Downs, Innamincka SA

Murnpeowie Station, Maree SA

CC COOPER AND CO

Fifth-generation family farming operation based at Jamestown in South Australia. Business has grown to more than 800,000 hectares.

Coorabie, Ceduna SA

Jamestown Aggregation, Jamestown SA

Madura Plains, Nullarbor SA – 688,000 hectares

Narrung Aggregation, Narrung SA

CENTURIA CAPITAL (ASX – LISTED)

Specialist investment manager with more than $21 billion worth of assets under management, including several agricultural investments.

Clarendon, McLaren Vale SA

Evans Vineyard, Coonawarra SA

Hanlin Hill, Clare Valley SA

Petaluma Gores Road, Adelaide Hills SA

Rolf Binder Winery and Vineyards, Barossa Valley SA

Resurrection Vineyard, Barossa Valley SA

Stobie, Clare Valley SA

Sundrop Farms, Port Augusta SA – 246 hectares

CK LIFE SCIENCES (HONG KONG)

The family of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing owns a large stake in parent company CK Hutchinson Holdings. Operations are spread across Victoria, South Australia, NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Australian ag assets estimated at more than $2 billion.

Bussorah Vineyard, Padthaway SA – 165 hectares

Dalmeny Vineyard, Padthaway SA – 213 hectares

Jubilee Vineyard, Riverland SA – 234 hectares

Katnook Vineyard, Coonawarra SA – 165 hectares

Miamba Vineyard, Barossa Valley SA – 131 hectares

Qualco East Vineyard, Riverland SA – 171 hectares

Qualco West Vineyard, Riverland SA – 213 hectares

Station and Kirkgate Vineyards, Coonawarra SA – 256 hectares

CROWN POINT PASTORAL

Australia’s largest landholders and a partnership between north Australian pastoralists Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello. Former horse trainers and owners, Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello, have built a vast portfolio of more than 9.2 million hectares across the country – larger than Tasmania and more than twice the size of Switzerland.

Oldfield and Costello have bought 13 grazing properties over the past decade and a half.

Clifton Hills Station, Birdsville Track SA – 1,650,000 hectares

Innamincka Station, Leigh Creek SA – 1,360,000 hectares

Macumba Station, Oodnadatta SA – 1,100,000 hectares

Pandie Pandie Station, Birdsville Track SA – 662,500 hectares

EVELYN DOWNS PASTORAL COMPANY

Evelyn Downs, Coober Pedy SA – 234,500 hectares

FIERY COMOX (CANADA)

Global agricultural fund with a growing footprint in Australia, the US and New Zealand. Paid more than $100 million for Cherylton Farms in Western Australia in 2023. Has about $1.1 billion worth of assets in Australia.

Boorala, Frances SA – 1980 hectares (Excel Farms)

FIRST STATE SUPER

Amaroo, Paringa, SA — 1500 hectares

GARY OVERTON

Mulka Station, Marree, SA — 560,000 hectares

IAN AND LOUISE JOHNSON

Ian and Louise Johnson run a large Angus cattle and sheep operation across more than 13,500 hectares based at Willalooka, about 85km north of Lucindale.

They run their own cattle sales across three farms, which each have a 1000-head capacity.

Crower and Fellwood, Lucindale, SA — 1870 hectares

GEORGE AND SOPHIE MILLINGTON

Owners of APD Parcel Delivery Service in Adelaide, have invested heavily in farming space in recent years, including the famous Collinsville Station and associated Merino stud.

Collinsville Station, Hallett SA – 56,093 hectares

Collinsville Stud, Hallett SA

Kadlunga Aggregation, Mintaro SA

GROWTH FARMS

Acquires and manages prime Australian agricultural assets on behalf of private and institutional investors.

Cygnet Park Farms, Kangaroo Island SA – 7821 hectares

HANDBURY ASSET MANAGEMENT (SALTBUSH AG)

Operated by Paddy Handbury and his son. Business is centred on South Australia’s South East. Previously owned the famed Collinsville property at Burra in SA.

Arcoona Station, Woomera SA – 214,500 hectares

Chessington, Spence SA – 668 hectares

Lucindale Aggregation, Lucindale SA – 180 hectares

Swinging Shovel, Lucindale SA

HAWKER FAMILY

Bungaree Station, Euromina, SA — 2833 hectares

J & F FENNELL

Well-known central Australian graziers.

Wintinna, Coober Pedy SA – 372,500 hectares

JOCK MACLACHLAN

Operates across more than 550,000 hectares of pastoral land received as part of a succession settlement from his family’s Jumbuck Pastoral.

McCoys Well, Yunta SA – 58,680 hectares

JUMBUCK PASTORAL

Established in 1888, the MacLachlan family’s livestock empire spans 2.3 million hectares across seven properties in South Australia, Western Australia and NSW. This year Jumbuck sold the one – million hectare Rawlinna Station to the Consolidated Pastoral Company. In 2023 they carved off Killarney and Wave Hill stations to Callum MacLachlan and Meda and McCoys Well stations to Jock MacLachlan (see separate listings) as part of a succession settlement.

Bulgunnia Station, Glendambo SA – 309,600 hectares

Commonwealth Hill, Glendambo SA – 513,000 hectares

Gunbar Station, Gunbar NSW – 112,000 hectares

Mobella Station, Glendambo SA – 413,200 hectares

Mount Victor Station, Yunta SA – 199,914 hectares

Mulgathing, Glendambo SA – 530,700 hectares

LITCHFIELD PASTORAL COMPANY

Operated by the Litchfield family for more than 70 years.

Mt Lyndhurst Station, Leigh Creek SA – 348,900 hectares

Mundowdna Station, Leigh Creek SA

Wilpoorinna Station, Leigh Creek SA

MACQUARIE AGRICULTURE

Australia’s second-biggest investor in agriculture with more than $4 billion worth of assets across sheep, cattle, mixed farming, cropping and horticulture. Includes foreign capital.

Viridis Ag

Operates 12 aggregations across 113,500 hectares of Western Australia, South Australia and NSW focused on broadacre row cropping.

Jamalka, Eyre Peninsula SA – 5350 hectares

Wiltoo, Cummins SA – 4400 hectares

MANULIFE (CANADA)

Formerly Hancock Agricultural Investment Group. Owns about $1.2 billion in farming assets in NSW, South Australia and Queensland.

Attis Farm, New Residence SA – 131 hectares

Pomona Farms Australia, Sunraysia SA

MINTO PASTORAL COMPANY

Victorian pastoralist Chris Stoney and family run a portfolio of grazing farms stretching from the western NSW Riverina and far western NSW, down to Victoria’s High Country and Gippsland regions. Annually, Minto Pastoral Company mark about 50,000 lambs and 3000 calves across their portfolio.

Wirrealpa Station, Wirrealpa SA — 141,640 hectares (leased)

MUTOOROO PASTORAL COMPANY

Established in 1868, wool-growing giant Mutooroo is owned by the Morgan and Wells families, running about 55,000 sheep across five stations totalling 2.1 million hectares on the NSW-South Australian border.

Lilydale and Manunda Stations, Yunta SA – 161,100 hectares

Mulyungarie Station, Cockburn SA – 336,600 hectares

Mutooroo Station, via Broken Hill SA – 250,300 hectares

OGILVIE GROUP

The Ogilvie family, a major supplier to Woolworths, turn off 11,000 head of grain-finished and 12,000 head of grass-fed cattle a year, which are carried across their 16 backgrounding properties and their 3200-head Airlie Feedlot at Apsley on the South Australian-Victorian border.

The Ogilvie Group, owned by brothers Noel and Andrew Ogilvie and their sons Duncan and James and families bought the 4360-hectare Fairview Aggregation, located near Lucindale in SA’s tightly held South East region last year from Switzerland’s the Westphal-Abrezol family, via Nicomax Properties Pty Ltd.

Through their fattening program the Ogilvie’s target cattle aged from 8 to 18 months, with particularly large volumes traditionally bought during January weaner sales.

The Ogilvie family have farmed in the now coveted Limestone Coast region for about 75 years, dating back to when Noel and Andrew’s father, Doug, purchased the 485-hectare Churinga property near Biscuits Flat.

Fairview Aggregation, Lucindale, SA — 4360 hectares

16 backgrounding properties, VIC-SA

PAROO PASTORAL COMPANY

Family-owned business consisting of seven main properties in western NSW and South Australia’s South East and Eyre Peninsula. Properties cover about 500,000 hectares.

Buckleboo Station, Eyre Peninsula SA – 101,172 hectares

Gundooee, Coonalpyn SA

PAUL AND JO SMITH

Tieyon Station, Kulgera, SA —652,730 hectares

PRINCESS ROYAL STATION

Family owned and operated grazing and cropping business with assets across the Mid North of South Australia, as well as pastoral land in the Flinders Ranges.

Burra Creek Wines, Burra SA

Mackerode Station, Burra SA

Princess Royal Station, Burra SA

Tungali Feedlot, Sedan SA – 1800 hectares

Wooltana Station, Blinman SA

PSP INVESTMENTS (CANADA)

Pension fund for the Canadian public service, including the world-famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is the biggest investor in Australian agriculture. Has about $7.5 billion in farmland and water assets across multiple states through various joint ventures.

Aurora Dairies

Established in 2019 with the acquisition of Warakirri Dairies. One of Australia’s largest milk producers with strategic investments across 16,820 hectares of Victoria (20,140 cows producing 132 million litres of milk), South Australia (7400 cows producing 56 million litres) and Tasmania (12,700 cows producing 65 million litres).

Ashwood, Mt Gambier SA

Booney View, Mt Gambier SA

Canunda Park, Mt Gambier SA

Kingsley Estate, Mt Gambier SA

Kurleah, Mt Gambier SA

Landour, Mt Gambier SA

Mirembeek, Mt Gambier SA

Port Mac Bottom Dairy, Mt Gambier SA

Port Mac Top Dairy, Mt Gambier SA

Fresh Country Farms of Australia

Portfolio includes investments in hi-tech glasshouses and permanent crops including almonds, avocados, citrus, berries, mangoes, wine grapes and table grapes.

Two Wells Glasshouses, Two Wells SA – 45 hectares

Southern Premium Vineyards

Established in 2020, owns and operates vineyards in Australia’s most productive winegrape regions including the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Limestone Coast and the Riverina.

Adelaide Hills, SA (three vineyards – managed) – 95 hectares

Barossa Valley, SA (six vineyards – owned) – 342 hectares

Barossa Valley, SA (four vineyards – managed) – 68 hectares

Clare Valley, SA (three vineyards – owned) – 208 hectares

Coonawarra/Limestone Coast, SA (six vineyards – owned) – 790 hectares

Coonawarra/Limestone Coast, SA (four vineyards – managed) – 313 hectares

Currency Creek, SA (four vineyards – owned) – 485 hectares

Langhorne Creek, SA (four vineyards – owned) – 543 hectares

McLaren Vale, SA (four vineyards – managed) – 264 hectares

Padthaway, SA (three vineyards – owned) – 837 hectares

Wrattonbully, SA (four vineyards – owned) – 373 hectares

Wrattonbully, SA (one vineyard – managed) – 32 hectares

QUANDONG PASTORAL

Quandong Oakbank Station, Burra, SA — 147,770 hectares

ROBERTSON CHOWILLA PTY LTD

Chowilla Station, Renmark, SA —123,000 hectares

RURAL FUNDS GROUP (ASX-LISTED)

Owns a diversified portfolio of agricultural assets in cattle, almonds, macadamias, cropping and vineyards. Has about $1.9 billion worth of assets under management. Purchased the 14,000-hectare Wyseby property at Rolleston in Queensland in June 2023.

Geier Vineyard, Barossa Valley SA – 243 hectares (valued December 2023: $25.6 million)

Hahn Vineyard, Barossa Valley SA – 50 hectares (valued December 2023: $4.8 million)

Kleinig Vineyard, Barossa Valley SA – 206 hectares (valued December 2023: $21.6 million)

Mundy and Murphy Vineyard, Adelaide Hills SA – 55 hectares (valued December 2023: $4.4 million)

SANDOVER PASTORAL COMPANY

Ammaroo Station, Sandover, NT

Derry Downs Station, Sandover, NT

Dnieper Station, Sandover, NT

Old MacDonald Station, Sandover, NT

SELECT HARVESTS (ASX-LISTED)

Australia’s largest vertically integrated nut and health food company, supply domestic and global markets with premium-quality almonds.

Loxton/Paringa orchards, Loxton SA – 637 hectares

SWISS AUSTRALIA FARM HOLDING (SWITZERLAND)

Runs purebred Angus and Brahman cattle and Merino sheep across operations in South Australia’s South East, Queensland and NSW Western Division. Purchased the 143,000-hectare Neumayer Valley Station in Queensland in 2016. Neumayer Vallery Station and Elrose Station were listed for sale earlier this year.

Glenstrae, Willalooka SA – 7000 hectares

Naweena, Padthaway SA – 7500 hectares

TODMORDEN CATTLE COMPANY

Large-scale beef producers based on South Australia’s Oodnadatta Track and farming interests in the state’s South East.

Glengarry, Snowtown SA – 446 hectares

Hillview, Snowtown SA – 428 hectares

Todmorden Station, Oodnadatta SA – 716,860 hectares

Walaki, Lochiel SA – 269 hectares

WARAKIRRI ASSET MANAGEMENT

Established in 1993 and 100 per cent owned by its directors and employers. Has significant farming interests in the cropping an horticultural space.

Warakirri Farmland Fund

One of the largest owners of modern and high-density stone fruit orchards in the nation with assets in the Goulburn Valley and northern Victoria in partnership with WF Montague Pty Ltd. Acquired Coldridge and Grande Junction vineyards on a leaseback basis.

Coldridge Vineyard, Loxton SA

WELBOURN HILL PASTORAL

Runs Braford cattle across a pastoral lease about three hours north of Coober Pedy in South Australia.

Welbourn Hill, Marla SA – 338,700 hectares

WHITTLESEA AND COUSINS FAMILIES

Since 2015 have owned the Mt Eba Station, a working historical station 700km from Adelaide on the Stuart Highway considered “the gateway to the geographical centre of South Australia.

Mt Eba Station, Mt Eba SA – 336,700 hectares

WILLIAMS CATTLE COMPANY

A family partnership that first took shape in 1967, Williams Cattle Company owns several pastoral properties in far north South Australia, as well as grazing and cropping land in the Flinders Ranges.

Anna Creek Station, Coober Pedy SA – 1,574,600 hectares

Arckaringa Station, Coober Pedy SA – 275,000 hectares

Coonibar and Carrieton, Carrieton SA – 11,400 hectares

Hamilton Station, Oodnadatta SA – 701,000 hectares

Mount Barry Station, Coober Pedy SA – 492,000 hectares

Mount Sarah Station, Oodnadatta SA – 224,800 hectares

Nilpinna Station, William Creek SA – 565,800 hectares

The Peake Station, William Creek SA – 813,000 hectares

WILLOWAY FARMING

Owned and operated by the Brinkworth family across 943,000 hectares of land in South Australia’s South East and northern pastoral regions, far western NSW and the Riverina. One of Australia’s biggest wool growers.

South East Aggregation (32 farms), South East SA – 36,300 hectares

YADLAMALKA PASTORAL

Owned by South Australian pastoralist Andrew Doman and brother Tom, own a swathe of grazing farmland including three stations.

They bought the 44,696ha Wilkatana Station, located 45km north of Port Augusta on the edge of the Flinders Ranges, for a price of $7.4 million.

Beltana Station, Flinders Ranges, SA — 154,100 hectares

Wilkatana Station, Flinders Ranges, SA — 44,696 hectares

Yadlamalka Station, Flinders Ranges, SA

This list was compiled from industry sources, websites and media reports. The Weekly Times, publisher of AgJournal, accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of this list. For more information, email james.wagstaff@news.com.au