Dunstan family to sell Naranghi at Telangatuk East, Hemphill family to end Wimmera farming legacy

A third-generation farmer has listed his 789ha property for sale, where it is expected to command offers worth nearly $25,000 a hectare.

Third-generation farmer Tom Dunstan and wife Amity have listed their 789ha Wimmera farm for sale.

An eye to future expansion has prompted the upcoming sale of the 789ha Naranghi, a highly productive cropping property at Telangatuk East, 57km from Horsham.

Owned by the Dunstan family since 1957, Naranghi is now in the hands of third-generation farmer Tom Dunstan and wife Amity.

“My grandparents came from Werrimull, west of Mildura, to run sheep and cattle and grow crops, gradually improving the property as they went along,” Tom said.

“We’ve been 100 per cent cropping since 2003, growing predominantly wheat, barley, canola and faba beans, with summer crops planted over the years including sunflowers, corn, millet, chickpeas and oaten or clover hay.

“We operate a zero-till controlled traffic farming system, retaining stubbles and using a disc seeder, with a variable rate fertiliser program including phosphorus, lime and gypsum plus potassium when needed.

“Each year we’d aim for 5.5-6.5 tonnes of wheat (per hectare), 3-3.5 tonnes of canola, 3.5 tonnes for faba beans and 6.5-7 tonnes for barley.

The Dunstan family have farmed at Telangatuk East for three generations.

“We have seven catchment dams on each block, fed by contour drainage, plus permanent high-quality water from two bores equipped with electric submersible pumps powered by a 10kVa diesel generator.”

Naranghi comprises two titles of roughly equal size which can be separated for sale.

As a whole, the property is expected to fetch offers of $19.5 million-plus.

Elders Real Estate Horsham selling agent Mat Taylor is handling the sale.

Meanwhile, the Hemphill family is selling a 104ha cropping block at Minyip, ending a farming legacy which has stretched for about a century-and-a-half.

Former The Weekly Times journalist and current Hobson Bay City councillor Peter Hemphill said the mixed cropping property was for sale for the first time since the 1930s, on behalf of the estate of Russell McNie Hemphill.

The Hemphill family are selling a 104ha cropping block, Kings, located near east of Horsham near Minyip.

“This pending sale will end nearly 150 years of Hemphill farming in the Rupanyup-Minyip area,” he said.

“My great grandfather came from Ireland in 1864 and acquired a settlement block in about 1875.

“He had nine children and all of the sons took up farming in the Rupanyup-Minyip district.

“In the family name I think there was more than 3500 acres (1416ha) of land built up across three generations including my great grandfather, his sons and also my parents.

“But this is the last bit of farming land in the Hemphill name.”

Ray White Rural selling agent Max Brown is handling the sale and expects offers worth about $17,296 a hectare, via an auction scheduled for December 1.