Crichton-Brown family to sell 50,000ha Coolong Pastoral Portfolio

A whopping 50,000ha Riverina portfolio, owned by a late Australian agricultural investor, has hit the market.

A whopping 50,000 hectares of pastoral land has hit the market in the western Riverina region of NSW with an asking price of $45 million.

The properties are being offered by the family of the late Australian-born, UK-based Anthony (Ant) Crichton-Brown, who died in London last year aged 77.

The Coolong Pastoral Portfolio, which spans 51,280ha at Hay and Booligal, has been listed for sale with price expectations understood to be in excess of $45m.

While totalling more than 50,000ha, the farms could be sold in one line, or as individual lots to seperate buyers.

The son of former Rothwells International chairman and Liberal Party of Australia treasurer Sir Robert Crichton-Brown, Mr Crichton-Brown was the executive chairman of Lumley Insurance Group from 1965 to 2003.

A long-time investor in Australian farmland, Mr Crichton-Brown acquired the Toronga Station near Hay in 2010 and Natue Station in 2016, forming the Coolong Pastoral Portfolio.

He also owned the showpiece 2722ha Deltroit Station near Adelong for more than 20 years before selling it to the Australian Pastoral Group in 2013 for about $15m and formerly owned the 878ha Humula Station, east of Wagga Wagga.

The 28,079ha Toronga farm forms part of the Coolong Pastoral Portfolio.

COOLONG PASTORAL PORTFOLIO

The largest holding in the mammoth pastoral portfolio is the 28,079ha Toronga farm, located at Thelangerin Rd, Hay.

With a carrying capacity of 5500 ewes plus followers and 450 Angus cows plus followers, Toronga is suited for sheep and cattle grazing, recently run via a time-grazing rotational program.

About 100km north of Hay is the Natue Station and Merrimajeel farms, which total 18,062ha.

The pastoral holdings are adjoining and have a carrying capacity of 12,000 to 14,000 DSE or cattle equivalents.

Natue Station and Merrimajeel also has 2km of Lachlan River frontage and is a mixture of open grass country and flood plains set on red soils to heavier clays.

Toronga has a carrying capacity of 5500 ewes plus followers and 450 Angus cows plus followers.

The five-bedroom Natue Homestead, Merrimajeel residence and guest quarters are also part of the existing infrastructure.

30km from the Natue Station is Fairleigh which is a 5139ha pastoral holding with a carrying capacity of about 2500-2700 DSE.

Inglis Rural Property and Elders are marketing the portfolio via a two-stage expressions of interest process with stage one closing on Thursday July 21 at 4pm.

Earlier this month a renowned southern Riverina pastoral holding near Deniliquin hit the market, with offers tipped to reach more than $17 million.