China’s Qingnan Wen of Tianyu Wool buys historic western Victorian farm

A Wimmera farming family have ended their 145-year tenure of a 1660ha sheep station, selling it to a renowned Chinese wool importer.

A Chinese textile millionaire has expanded the Australian arm of his wool empire, acquiring a historic 170-year-old western Victorian farm from a pioneering farming family.

Australia’s largest importer of wool into China, Qingnan Wen of Tianyu Wool, has purchased the 1664.5ha mixed farm, known as Nerrinyerie, near Harrow in the state’s Wimmera region.

The deal ends the tenure of the Edgar family who had owned part of the property since 1877 and had farmed in the district for more than 170 years.

The Edgars listed the property for sale early this year where it was expected to field offers between $19.5 million and $21 million ($11,718 to $12,620 a hectare).

The value of the sale remains undisclosed however it is understood to be close to the quoted price range.

The major acquisition adds to Mr Wen’s existing rural Victorian property portfolio including three iconic pastoral homes and 6000 hectares of Western Victorian grazing and wool-growing country which can carry more than 60,000 Merino sheep.

President of Tianyu Wool Company Qingnan Wen at Lal Lal Station, a 2000ha property near Ballarat. Picture: Aaron Francis (The Australian)

Mr Wen is the chairman, founder and owner of China’s giant Tianyu Wool Industry, the biggest wool scourer and top-maker in the world.

In March 2020 the wool tycoon emerged as the buyer of the 2349ha heritage-listed Mawallok estate and sheep station near Beaufort, also in western Victoria.

Mr Wen also owns the combined holding of Mokanger and Lewana farms west of the Grampians near Cavendish, and 2000ha Lal Lal Estate near Ballarat.

It is understood Nerrinyerie will be incorporated into Jiangsu-based Tianyu Wool’s fine wool production enterprise which runs across their existing property portfolio.

TDC Livestock and Property selling agents Tom Pearce and Mark DeGaris handled the sale.

Mr Pearce said the property gathered significant buyer interest particularly from established farming families and corporate parties.

Nerrinyerie at Harrow has run 8500 maternal composite ewes and cropping in recent seasons.

“We saw the property receive a high level of local and outside interest, both domestic and internationally,” he said.

“I would say Nerrinyerie had a higher level of interest to that of other properties recently. Properties of this scale and quality are hard to come by, so they will draw a high level of interest when presented to the market.

“The level of interest and expressions also illustrates a good level of confidence in the rural sector.”

In recent seasons Nerrinyerrie was home to 8500 maternal composite ewes, but was initially used for merino and wool production.

Since the 1990s about 404ha (1000 acres) have been cropped to cereals and canola.

Located at 6159 Coleraine Edenhope Rd, Harrow, Nerrinyerrie was initially a part of a property called Longlands, which was purchased by the Edgar family in 1877.