Home-grown owners of Australia’s farms revealed

AMID increased scrutiny over exactly who owns Australia’s farms, JAMES WAGSTAFF discovers the major domestic players.

• SPECIAL REPORT: Who owns Australia’s farms?

• Family farm beats foreign
• Farm or shares? The difference in value over ten years

AMID increased scrutiny over exactly who owns Australia’s farms, here are the major domestic players.

Acton Land and Cattle

Owned by the family of the late Graeme Acton. Runs about 1.57 million hectares. In 2015 sold a controlling interest to Australian Country Choice (see listing) to form a joint venture.

Angus Pastoral Company

A family-onwed beef company, founded in 1960. The Angus family (above) Runs 161,875ha in central and north Queensland.

 

Australian Agricultural Company

Established in 1824, operates across seven million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Listed on the ASX, includes some foreign money.

 

Australian Country Choice

Owns, leases and manages 54 Queensland properties totalling 662,500ha, turning off 150,000 cattle a year. Also in partnership with Acton Land and Cattle.

Australian Food and Agriculture

Owned by the Bell family of Bell Securities. Operates 224,138ha in NSW. Properties include the Boonoke and Wanganella Merino studs (above) in the Riverina.

Antony and Sybil Baillieu

Holdings include the 9700ha Yarram Park at Willaura in Victoria’s Western District and the 8094ha Eynesbury Station on the outskirts of Melbourne. Sold Mt Elephant Station at Derrinallum in 2010.

Tom Brinkworth

One of Australia’s wealthiest graziers. Operates more than one million hectares spread across 100 properties, including Water Valley Station at Kingston in South Australia and the 35,000ha Uardry Station at Hay.

 

BROOK PROPRIETORS

Birdsville Hotel owners Nell and David Brook (above) and family run about 3.5 million hectares in southern Queensland and South Australia. Major shareholder in OBE Organic venture.

 

Clark and Tait

Founded by Peter Tait and James Clark in the early 1900s. Large-scale graziers with numerous holdings, mostly in Queensland. Holdings include Barcaldine Downs Station at Barcaldine.

 

Dunkeld Pastoral Company

Owned by prominent Melbourne barrister Allan Myers. Properties include the 10,120ha Dunkeld Station in Victoria’s Western District and the 400,000ha Tipperary Group in the Northern Territory.

 

Tim Fairfax

Member of the Fairfax publishing family. Owns 10 pastoral properties throughout Queensland.

Grant Farris

Founder of Darwin’s Broadsword Marine contracting business. Made his first investment in agriculture last year when he paid $10 million for Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory.

 

TA Field Estates

Owned by Michael and Angela Field. Runs five properties, including the 52,000ha Wyvern Station at Carrathool. Bought the 6100ha cropping property Mobinbry at Goondiwindi in Queensland in 2014.

Roger Fletcher

The founder of Fletcher International Exports at Dubbo and former Australian Wool Innovation board member (above) owns the 32,000ha Kiargathur Station at Condobolin in NSW and 40,000ha around Lightning Ridge.

 

Twiggy Forrest

The mining magnate and one of Australia’s richest people has bought up big in recent years, including the 275,000ha Minilya Station west of Coral Bay in Western Australia and the 225,315ha Brickhouse Station at Carnarvon.

 

Ron Greentree

The former GrainCorp and Grain Growers Limited chairman farms a reported 100,000ha in northern NSW, including the 47,500ha Milton Downs which was listed for sale in 2014 with an asking price of more than $200 million.

 

Gunn Agri Partners

Has made significant purchases in Queensland in the past six months, including the 406,000ha Esmeralda Station at Richmond. Purchased a 36,000ha aggregation of three properties near Roma in southeast Queensland late last year.

 

Handbury Group

Headed up by Paddy Handbury. Holdings include the 343,000ha Arcoona Station at Woomera in South Australia and Swinging Shovel at Lucindale. Sold Collinsville Merino stud and property in 2014.

 

Harris family

Includes brothers Ken and Ron Harris. Significant cropping interests around Moree in northern NSW. Holdings include Gogo Station at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia.

 

Gerry Harvey

Retail king has several agricultural interests, including a $34 million stake in north Victorian dairy farm Coomboona Holdings. Purchased the 1750ha Ardgour property at Bundella in northern NSW last year.

 

Henwood family

Family of pastoral giant Stan Henwood runs about 70,000 cattle on 26 properties, including at Carrathool, Coleambally, Grong Grong and Hillston in the NSW Riverina.

 

Heytesbury Cattle Company

Owned by the Holmes a Court family. Holdings span more than 2.5 million hectares and include the iconic 282,400ha Victoria River Downs Station in the Northern Territory.

 

Hughes Pastoral Group

Run by Peter and Jane Hughes and sons Sam and Fred. Operates more than 2.25 million hectares in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW, including the 1.2 million hectare Lake Nash Station.

 

INDIGENOUS Land Corporation

Owned by the Federal Government. Runs about 100,000 cattle on 2.15 million hectares across properties in every state. Properties include the 365,000ha Durack River Station in Western Australia.

Jumbuck Pastoral

Owned by the MacLachlan family. Has 12 properties in South Australia, Western Australia and NSW totalling 5.7 million hectares. Holdings include the one million hectare Commonwealth Hill at Coober Pedy in South Australia.

 

S Kidman and Co

One of Australia’s largest beef producers with a herd of 185,000 cattle. Has pastoral leases covering 10 million hectares in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

 

Lawsons Grain

Macquarie Bank-backed agricultural fund operating over eight aggregations in NSW and Western Australia with about 74,400 arable hectares. Biggest holding is the 12,762ha Hakea at Esperance in Western Australia. Fund includes some foreign money.

 

Leppington Pastoral Company

Family company based in NSW, primarily focused on dairy. Milks about 2000 cows. Holdings include the 10,000ha Billabong Station near West Wyalong in NSW and the 2700ha Moxey Farms at Gooloogong.

 

AJ & PA McBride Pty Ltd

Family-owned company established in 1920 operating more than 1.1 million hectares. One of Australia’s largest wool growers. Holdings include the 474,194ha Wilgena Station near Tarcoola in South Australia.

 

McDonald Holdings

One of Australia’s largest beef cattle operations, running about 175,000 cattle over 3.36 million hectares. Properties include Brightlands Station at Cloncurry and Rutlands Plains Station at Normanton.

Midfield Group

Midfield Meats boss Colin McKenna (above) owns about 7284ha in southwest Victoria and South Australia’s South East, including the 3237ha Union Station dairy farm near Warrnambool in southwest Victoria.

 

 

Minnamurra Pastoral Company

Established at Mudgee NSW in 1974 by Bruce Reid. Now runs 18,000 cattle, 25,000 sheep and grows 5000ha of cereal crops across 150,000ha in NSW and Queensland.

 

Nangwarry Pastoral Company

Owned by former Defence Minister and Australian Wool Innovation chairman Ian McLachlan. Significant interests in South Australia and NSW, including Oxley Station northwest of Hay.

 

North Australian Pastoral Company

Runs a herd of about 200,000 cattle across 5.8 million hectares in Queensland. Owners Foster family and UK company MP Evans Group in due diligence to sell to Queensland Investment Corporation for $400 million.

 

Paraway Pastoral Company

Macquarie Bank-backed pastoral fund founded in 2007 and includes foreign money. Owns 30 properties — or 16 aggregations — totalling 2.7 million hectares. Includes significant interests in the NSW western Riverina.

 

Paspaley Pastoral Company

Pearling company Paspaley’s rural arm. Holdings total 140,000ha, including the 45,000ha Melaleuca Station in the Northern Territory and the 19,000ha Kurrajong Park on NSW’s fertile Liverpool Plains.

 

Gina Rinehart

The mining magnate and one of Australia’s richest people has invested significantly in agricultural land in recent years, including the 400,000ha Fossil Downs Station at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia.

 

Stanbroke Pastoral

Owned by the Menegazzo family. Operates about 1.6 million hectares in northern Queensland, including Donors Hill Station at Julia Creek.

 

Kerry Stokes

High-profile businessman and Seven Network chairman. Portfolio includes the 400,000 Napier Downs Station at Derby in Western Australia and several properties on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.

 

Sundown Pastoral Company

Owned by the Statham family of northern NSW and focused on beef cattle and crops. Is one of Australia’s largest water holders. Properties include the 20,000ha Sundown Valley in northern NSW.

 

Sustainable Agriculture Fund

Owns and operates grain, cotton, beef and dairy farms across five aggregations in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Includes 9710ha at North Star in NSW, 6786ha on King Island and 5425ha in western Victoria.

 

Warakirri Asset Management

Owns and operates 77,000ha of cropping farms in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. Also owns 11 dairy farms over 4600ha in Victoria and South Australia’s South East.

 

Webster Limited

Australia’s fourth-oldest company. Runs Walnuts Australia, with 2200ha of walnut operations in Tasmania and NSW. Purchased major land and water company Tandou last year. Fund includes some foreign money.

Wellard Group

The live exporter’s property portfolio includes the 16,500ha The Grange aggregation at Dongara in Western Australia and the 11,050ha Bobawina aggregation at Watheroo. Wellard (below) is listed on the ASX. Fund includes some foreign money.

 

Western Grazing Company

Started off as a family-run dairy business. Now operates one of the nation’s biggest beef herds on eight properties totalling almost 3.5 million hectares. Properties include the 1.2 million hectare Wave Hill Station.

 

Williams Cattle Company

Owns several stations throughout South Australia and is poised to purchase the 2.4 million hectare Anna Creek Station from S Kidman and Co, pending FIRB approval of the sale of the remaining Kidman properties.