Ian and Camilla Shippen purchase Rhyola and Inverness at auction

Two aggregated pastoral farms spanning 9900ha have been purchased by a renowned Riverina sheep farming family.

Renowned Riverina sheep farmers Ian and Camilla Shippen are continuing to expand their operation, snapping up another pastoral holding near Deniliquin at auction for $16 million.

The Shippen family run Banyandah Pastoral, a family-owned self-replacing merino operation in the NSW southern Riverina at Moulamein.

They bought the 9921ha Rhyola and Inverness aggregation, located 65km northwest of Deniliquin, at auction on Thursday adding to their existing holdings, which they have expanded in recent years.

Last year they secured a slice of the 3353ha Woorndoo aggregation near Lake Bolac, which was sold for $70 million.

Ian and Camilla Shippen who run Banyandah Pastoral at Moulamein, have expanded their farm holdings in recent years.

In 2018 they also purchased the 5900ha Western Victorian grazing property, Mt Fyans, in a deal reportedly worth $37 million.

Their Riverina holdings include the nearby Bundyalumblah and Blue Gate farms.

The James family listed the Rhyola and Inverness for sale in June.

The sale marks the first time the farms have been sold since the James family acquired Inverness in the 1990s followed by the adjoining Rhyola in the early 2000s.

Rhyola and Inverness have been purchased by Ian and Camilla Shippen.

Elders Deniliquin completed the auction via agents Matt Horne and Nick Myer with the auction held at the Coach House Hotel in Deniliquin.

Mr Horne said demand for Riverina pastoral country was still strong despite livestock prices easing off a record high.

“We conducted a large number of inspections and received plenty of inquiry and it was a fitting outcome today,” he said.

“The Shippen family will add the pastoral holding to their expansive Riverina aggregation.

“I believe demand for pastoral holdings in the Riverina will remain strong due to good seasonal conditions, favourable lending rates and importantly the low input nature of grazing holdings.”

Earlier this year the Crichton-Brown family listed their 50,000ha Coolong Pastoral Portfolio for sale at Hay and Booligal, with offers worth $45 million for the properties combined.