REVEALED: Who owns Tasmania’s farms

Amid unprecedented demand for Australian farmland, we look at the Tasmania’s biggest landholders and name the properties they own. FULL REPORT >>

Some of Tasmania’s biggest farms, by both land mass and profitability, have major global links and ownership.

The state’s beef, berries, fruits, grain, nuts and dairy, among a bounty of other produce, have all solidified the Tasmanian brand in markets across the world.

But who owns some of our largest farms which make it all possible?

Amid unprecedented demand for Australian farmland, we look at Tasmania’s biggest landholders and name the properties they own.

AAAW GROUP — AUSTRALIA AULONG AUNIU WANG GROUP (CHINA)

Owned by large Chinese retailer Dashang Group which operates department stores and supermarkets.

• Calthorpe Orchard, Sidmouth TAS – 94 hectares of established cherry, apple and pear trees
• Millers Orchard, Hillwood TAS – 30 hectares of established cherry, apple and pear trees. Purchased in 2017.

Top-Qual's Calthorpe orchard at Sidmouth, West Tamar

COMPASS AGRIBUSINESS

Manages 1600 hectares across several farms in Tasmania, worth $45.5 million, on behalf of independent investors.

INGLEBY FARMS

Owned by the British-based Swedish Rausing family, Ingleby Farms and Forests is a world leader in the production of high-quality food through sustainable agriculture. Manages farms in nine countries and across four continents.

Tasmania properties – six farms totalling 9013 hectares. Grow crops such as potatoes, broccoli, barley, peas and fodder crops. Also one of Tasmania’s biggest lamb producers running 20,000 breeding ewes.

MACQUARIE AGRICULTURE

• Vitalharvest Freehold Trust, NSW, SA and TAS. Purchased in 2021 for $357 million.

MOONLAKE INVESTMENTS (CHINA)

• VDL Farms (formerly Van Diemen’s Land Company), Cape Grim TAS – 17,800 hectares. Once Australia’s biggest dairy. Purchased in 2016.

Moon Lake Investments Managing Director Sean Shwe announces the freight service of VDL dairy milk to China on Qantas Freight planes with Premier Will Hodgman (right) Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

PRIME VALUE ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Circular Head Dairy Aggregation, Circular Head TAS

PROTERRA INVESTMENT PARTNERS (UNITED STATES)

Spin off of Cargill’s Black River Asset Management, Sold the 7350-hectare Kinbeachie aggregation to Daybreak Cropping in January 2019 for $25 million and offloaded its Corinella Group of properties in western Victoria and South Australia’s South East in 2021 for $350 million.

• Vaucluse Aggregation, Conara TAS — 4448 hectares.

PSP INVESTMENTS (CANADA)

Manages the superannuation funds of the Canadian public sector and armed forces in addition to the 30,000 member-strong Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The biggest investor in Australian agriculture with about $5 billion in assets through direct investment and joint ventures.

• Swansea walnut orchard, Swansea TAS (Stahmann Webster).

Webster's Walnut Orchards (Australia). Pictured is Webster's Swansea Orchard.

TASMAN AGRICULTURE LIMITED (NEW ZEALAND)

One of New Zealand’s richest farmers, Alan Pye, who made his fortune in potatoes.

Rushy Lagoon, Red Hills and East Wyambie TAS – 22,000 hectares running 4000 dairy cows, 8000 beef cattle and 7000 sheep. Purchased in 1997. Listed for sale with expectations of about $70 million.

Rushy Lagoon, Red Hills and East Wyambie TAS

TRT PASTORAL GROUP

Owned by Melbourne businessman Tim Roberts-Thomson. Sold the 33,700-hectare Juanbung Station near Hay NSW in 2019 for about $60 million and paid $120 million-plus for a 6000-hectare slice of the Woolnorth aggregation in northwest Tasmania in 2021.

• King Island Aggregation, King Island TAS – 9300 hectares.
• Woolnorth Aggregation, Woolnorth TAS — 6000 hectares.

TRT Pastoral, Delatite, Tim Roberts-Thomson with his children Madeleine and James are Angus cattle breeders, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

WAVERLEY STATION

Owned by Sydney businessman Michael Crouch. Runs a herd of about 30,000 Angus cattle on about 24,300 hectares.

• Waverley Station, King Island TAS.