Cope family sell Fish Creek dairy, Tallagandra, in eight-figure deal

A first-class 408ha South Gippsland dairy farm has been snapped up, with a major family farming operation securing the property.

A showpiece South Gippsland property has been snapped up by a major family farming operation in an eight-figure deal.

Lifelong dairy farmer Graeme Cope, wife Jenny and family have sold their 408ha Tallagandra dairy farm, located 15 minutes from Fish Creek, to a prominent Gippsland dairy farming family.

Tallagandra was listed for sale in June with offers tipped to reach more than $15 million.

The price of the sale remains undisclosed with the farm understood to have sold about its expected value.

It is understood the purchasing family owns and operates several dairy farms in the South Gippsland and broader Gippsland region.

The purchasers are planning to continue running the property as a dairy farm as the Cope family have for more than a decade, after acquiring Tallagandra’s land, some cattle and some machinery.

A farming family who owns several dairy farms in Gippsland has purchased Tallagandra at Fish Creek.

Nutrien Harcourts Leongatha and Alex Scott and Staff Leongatha completed the sale.

Nutrien Harcourts Leongatha agent Barry Redmond said because of the dairy farm’s premium status there was selective interest before a buyer was secured.

Tallagandra was home to Graeme, Jenny, their son Shaun, daughter-in-law Sharna and their three young boys after the family moved to property from their 100ha farm at Middle Tarwin 14 years ago.

During that time the Copes developed a showpiece dairying property from scratch, building all shedding from the ground up and working to improve soil biology in their 60

paddocks.

This year several blue-chip Gippsland dairy farms have changed hands as the value of Victorian dairy and livestock land soared by 42 per cent to median price a hectare of $16,200, a new report said.

Earlier this year, Ace Dairies sold their seven-farm $70 million Gippsland dairy portfolio to a mix of local and international buyers, while the Pine Hill dairy at Labertouche was sold for more than $12 million to an Australian investor.

The Cope family purchased their Fish Creek dairy farm 14 years ago after moving from Middle Tarwin.

During the Copes tenure they ran 800 cows, mostly Friesians with smaller proportions of

Jerseys and crossbreds, producing 6.5 million litres and 480,000kg milk solids annually.

Under their management they calved twice a year, March 1 and August 1, for roughly 400 calves each time, rearing for replacements and export heifers grazed on turnout blocks.

Existing dairy infrastructure at Tallagandra includes a 50-stand rotary dairy, 800-cow yard, and 30,000-litre vat.

The Copes also have installed a new feedpad, capable of feeding 800 cows.

There are also two homes at Tallagandra, one fully renovated with three bedrooms and the other, with four bedrooms and less than five years old.