Brendon Stoney to sell Gunnedah farm, Sylvania Aggregation

A southern NSW cattle producer has listed his 3480ha farm near Gunnedah, offering it for sale after less than two years of ownership.

Brendon Stoney is selling the Sylvania Aggregation after owning it for less than two years.

A NSW cattle producer is selling his 3480ha northeast NSW mixed farmland property near Gunnedah, that was once owned by an Australian-expat hedge fund billionaire.

Brendon Stoney, who owns farmland near Harden and Tumut in the NSW South West Slopes, has listed the grazing and cropping aggregation Sylvania for sale, ending his two-year tenure.

Located 40km north of Gunnedah, the aggregation is expected to attract offers worth $5930 to $6177 a hectare ($2400 to $2500 an acre) for a total in excess of $20 million.

Mr Stoney purchased the Sylvania Aggregation in December 2021, paying about $13 million to acquire it from UK-based hedge fund manager Sir Michael Hintze via MH Premium Farms.

Mr Stoney is divesting the property to consolidate his existing holdings in southern NSW.

About 88 per cent or 3079ha of Sylvania is arable and growing 1450ha of wheat while carrying close to 800 mixed cattle and 340 breeders.

Inglis Rural Property is handling the sale in conjunction with Elders.

Selling agent Liam Griffiths said the Sylvania Aggregation offered value in comparison to other farmland that has sold near Gunnedah and surrounds recently.

“It is a good dryland cropping and finishing block considered more than 85 per cent arable,” Mr Griffiths said.

“There is a good mix of soils and red loam country. So far we have seen good local interest and corporate interest.”

The estimated carrying capacity of the property is about 22,000 dry sheep equivalent.

Earlier this year the family of late Fairfax chief executive Greg Gardiner sold the 2658ha mixed farming property, Ruvigne in a $40 million deal with the Sydney arm of the Baillieu family.