Historic NSW Riverina station back on the market
One of Australia’s best-known Merino properties, spanning 4499ha, has been listed for sale by three brothers. See the details.
A trio of farming brothers in the NSW Riverina are preparing to offload their historic 4499ha station following more than two decades at the helm.
The Star family - brothers Michael, David and Gregory, trading as Star Bros. Pty Ltd - is selling Wonga Station, a mixed farming holding with irrigated and dryland cropping and established grazing operations.
Owned by the brothers since 2004, Wonga Station, which was once home to the famed Wonga Merino stud, has run alongside the brothers’ other agricultural pursuits throughout the NSW Riverina.
The Star brothers have listed the station to dissolve the family partnership, previously offering the property for sale in 2020.
Offers worth about $14m or better are expected for the station, inclusive of water entitlements.
Wonga Station is neighboured by three historic sheep stations, bordered by Macquarie Agriculture’s 89,040ha Cooninbil and 19,656ha Pooginook Stations, via Paraway Pastoral and the Rollison family’s 21,541ha Goolgumbla.
MABINS WELL, NSW
WONGA STATION
Property: mixed farming
Size: 4499ha
Sale: expressions of interest closing May 23 at
Price: about $14m or better (inclusive of water entitlements)
Agent: Nutrien Harcourts Deniliquin
Contact: James Sides, 0427 236 791 and Jake Freshwater, 0418 586 417
The Wonga stud was one of Australia’s most significant parent Merino flocks, founded in 1937 through the division of the Yoorooga Merino flock.
The stud was run by the Culley family until 1989 when it sold to the neighbouring Taylor family of Pooginook Merino stud. The stud flock was dispersed in 1996.
In recent seasons Wonga Station has carried 3500 ewes and lambs, plus 1050ha of cropping, with 285ha developed to irrigation.
There is also an additional 850ha designed for multipurpose irrigation, with 600ha highly suited to horticultural pursuits on rising red loam soils.
Nutrien Harcourts Deniliquin agents James Sides and Jake Freshwater are handling the sale via expressions of interest closing May 23.
“Wonga Station is a uniquely diverse holding of highly fertile, alluvial and rising red loam soils that represents an outstanding opportunity in a league of its own,” Mr Sides said.
“Wonga Station eagerly awaits a transformation into a highly productive investment for world’s best practice in innovative irrigation, cropping, livestock and fibre. Vegetables and horticulture sectors are also exciting avenues for maximising profitability.”
Two quality irrigation bores together with conductivity to the Murrumbidgee River System, via the Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative provides a combined daily extraction of 100ML, ensuring ample water supply.
Wonga Station has access to a variety of water entitlements including surface and bore water allocation via the Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative, plus high security licence allocation and deep bore licenses via the Lower Murrumbidgee Deep Bore Zone.
Existing infrastructure includes modern irrigation creek pumps and bores, machinery and hay shedding, grain storage, and ample diesel storage.
The livestock working improvements include sheep facilities providing year-round working shelter at the six-stand woolshed, with two sets of steel sheep yards plus steel cattle yards.
There is also the six-bedroom Wonga homestead, built in 1911 and set in established gardens.
There are also two three-bedroom workers’ or manager’s cottages at the station.
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