Hickson family sell Eural Aggregation to Andrew Earle and family

A renowned Australian grain grower has expanded into northwest NSW, securing five tightly held farms spanning almost 6000ha.

The Eural Aggregation has been sold to an award-winning NSW-Queensland farming family.

A renowned Australian grain grower has expanded his family’s farming footprint into northwest NSW, snapping up almost 6000ha of tightly held farmland in a major deal.

NSW-Queensland border cropping and sheep farmer Andrew Earle and his family partnership have purchased the Hickson family’s 5926ha Eural Aggregation, located at Boomi, 85km south of Moree.

The value of the transaction remains undisclosed, however, it is understood the Earle family have paid more than $30 million for the property, or a figure in the vicinity of $6000 a hectare.

Mr Earle is the managing partner of the 20,000ha Bullawarrie property, located at Mungindi-Thallon in the NSW-Queensland Border Rivers region.

He said the acquisition of the Eural Aggregation was an “exciting opportunity” for his family partnership.

“We think the property (Eural) will complement our existing holdings,” he said.

“We are planning to integrate the two properties, Eural is a bit cooler in the summer and will suit the summer crops better. We planted a few thousands acres of summer crop recently too.”

Mr Earle said they had also made the move to purchase Eural with one of his sons and his daughter close to completing their tertiary agriculture studies.

Andrew Earle and family have purchased the Hickson family’s 5926ha Eural Aggregation at Boomi.

Named Queensland Grain Grower of the Year in 2013, Mr Earle owns and manages the Bullawarrie property in an almost three-decade partnership with extended family via J.A. Livingston and Partners.

About 16,000ha at Bullawarrie is used for winter crops with the 5500-head JA Livingston Merino stud run on the remainder of the property.

During his time at Bullawarrie, Mr Earle transformed the property from about 700ha of cropping to its current program.

The Bullawarrie property dates back to 1890 when Duncan Livingston established a 12,000ha leasehold.

Earlier this year Mr Earle stepped down from his decade-long tenure with the Grain Producers Australia Board as deputy chairman and northern region director, becoming a director of Grains Australia.

The Hickson family purchased the first portion of the aggregation in 1929.

The Eural Aggregation was listed for sale earlier this year by the Hickson family, ending 94 years of ownership.

Comprising five adjoining holdings – Eural (1600ha), Naroola (1343ha), Glenmore (1242ha), Boonal West (1064ha) and Broxburn (677ha) – the property was aggregated by three generations of the Hickson family, following purchase of the original Eural block in 1929.

About 2840ha at Eural is considered arable with the Hickson family combining a time control grazing operation and cropping at the aggregation for the past 20 years.

Moree Real Estate and Prosser Hutton, Mungindi, handled the sale of the Eural Aggregation.