Hemphill family estates sell two Wimmera farms

A family with 150 years of Wimmera farming history has sold their final pair of farms in separate multimillion dollar deals.

The Hemphill family, via the Estate of Russell McNie Hemphill, has sold the 108ha farm Kings, near Minyip.

A century-and-a-half of family farming history in Victoria’s Wimmera region has come to a close with more than 430ha of prime cropping land changing hands.

The Hemphill family has sold two farms, located south of Minyip, in separate deals to two farming families in deals worth more than $8.225 million combined.

Carters, a 330ha cropping holding at Stawell-Warracknabeal Rd, Rupanyup, was sold in an off-market deal to a local farming family who were sharefarming at the property.

Offered on behalf of the estate of V J Hemphill, the property was in a deal understood to be worth more than $6.5 million, or more than $19,700 a hectare.

The Hemphill family, via the Estate of Russell McNie Hemphill, has also parted with the 108ha farm Kings, selling it through auction earlier this month for $1.725 million, or $15,972 a hectare.

Two bidders were active during the online auction, with a Wimmera family securing the property.

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

“This pending sale will end nearly 150 years of Hemphill farming in the Rupanyup-Minyip area,” Mr Hemphill said when Kings was listed for sale.

“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.

“Our records show my uncle Frank purchased the property in 1934 and was then bequeathed to my father.”

Carters is across four titles and has grown mainly wheat and canola for decades, while Kings has grown lentils, canola, wheat, barley, vetch and legume crops.

Ray White Rural Victoria selling agent Max Brown and Jason Hellyer handled the sale of the two farms, with Mr Brown describing the demand for Wimmera cropping country as “stable”.

“There is still demand for quality cropping land close to Horsham, in that Minyip and Murtoa region,” Mr Brown said.