Central Victorian farm snapped up in eight-figure deal

A Victorian family has sold their striking 820ha rural estate to a Melbourne trampoline park entrepreneur. See all the details.

The Brougham family have sold their 824ha Barfold farms, Crofton Park and Crofton Park West.

An 820ha central Victorian rural estate has changed hands with a Melbourne-based trampoline park entrepreneur swooping in to secure the property.

Director of private investment firm Ceres Capital, Sam Brougham and wife Tania have sold their pair of Crofton Park properties in an eight-figure transaction struck earlier this year.

Located at Heathcote-Kyneton Rd, Barfold, 16km north of Kyneton, the Crofton Park properties comprise a 517ha main block as well as neighbouring 307ha holding, Crofton Park West.

Victorian property records show Bounce Middle East founder and director Ross Milton and wife Yasmin, purchased the Crofton Park properties for $15.3 million earlier this year, via holding company Ramy Australia Pty Ltd.

Melbourne-based entrepreneur Ross Milton owns the company Bounce Middle East, launched in 2014 with co-founder Doran Davies, which runs venues in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Regarded as the biggest trampoline and entertainment park in the Middle East, Mr Milton’s company has sites in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Doha, Jeddah and Riyadh.

In 2013 Mr Milton acquired the Middle East rights to Bounce, expanding on the company’s now 21 sites in Australia.

Crofton Park has run a sheep flock in recent seasons.

Four years later Mr Milton, the former global chief financial officer of Mars Food Group, was crowned Arabian Business StartUp Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mr and Mrs Brougham had owned Crofton Park for more than 20 years, constructing a striking homestead designed by Melbourne architect Russell Barrett and completed in 2004, combined with 824ha of grazing country, to form the estate.

During their tenure the property was run as a working farm, carrying a sheep flock, while also developing Crofton Park as a rural “spiritual home” for their family.

Completed in 2004, the Crofton Park home was designed by Melbourne architect Russell Barrett.

“Sam has a farming background. He grew up in South Australia on a property in the Adelaide Hills, and so we were looking for a rural property, but I was not expecting a working farm,” Tania said when the properties were listed for sale last year.

“We absolutely have loved it. My husband loves sheep and farming and looking at ways to be innovative and improve soils.

“It has also been a great place for our family.”

CBRE Agribusiness agents Matt Childs and Shane McIntyre handled the sale but declined to comment on the transaction.

About 86 per cent (708ha) of Crofton Park is considered arable and grazing farmland or suitable irrigated cropping terrain, including the installation of a centre pivot irrigation project that has an area of 62ha able to be cropped with a supply of recycled water from the Coliban Region Water Corporation.

Alongside dual Campaspe River frontage, the southern boundary of the property has access to Turpin Waterfalls, while there are also 30 dams and eight working bores.