Dooley family to sell Brolga at Warncoort, Willaura aggregation for sale

Two first class farms in Victoria’s west have hit the market, where they are set to command offers of about $18 million each.

Separated by about 170km, two highly-regarded farms in Victoria’s Western District have hit the market, where they could field offers more than $18 million.

In the northern reaches of the Western District, a 793ha aggregation, 10km north of Willaura at Sandhills Rd is for sale.

Offers of about $23,468 a hectare ($9500 an acre) for a total of about $18.6 million are expected.

The cropping gem is held in three lots; 311ha (northern portion), 256ha (central portion) and 226ha (southern portion) and is for sale in one line or as three separate assets.

This season the property is entirely planted to wheat, but is suitable for grazing and other cropping pursuits like oilseeds (canola) and legumes (faba beans).

LAWD selling agents Danny Thomas and Elizabeth Doyle are handling the sale and expect a mix of different buyers to be interested in the Western District aggregation.

“With the size and scale of the Willaura aggregation we are expecting locals in the area to be interest along with some corporate interest,” Ms Doyle said.

The Willaura aggregation could make about $23,468 a hectare ($9500 an acre) for a total of about $18.6 million.

“The beauty of it is the aggregation can be split and that could give those in neighbouring properties the chance to expand.”

Across the three semi-contiguous blocks, 95 per cent (754ha) is arable with the aggregation having undergone significant development.

The Grampians National Park is also within view from the farms.

Commodity processing facilities, including grain receivals at Willaura, Lake Bolac and Lakaput, livestock saleyards at Hamilton and Ballarat, an abattoir at Ararat and port facilities in Portland and Geelong are also located nearby.

Expressions of interest for the Willaura aggregation close November 24 at 4pm.

In the southern expanses of the Western District, a prime lamb, beef, cropping, fodder and dairy agistment operation has been listed for sale at Warncoort, 15 minutes from Colac and 40 minutes from Geelong.

Named for the birds that regularly nest there, Brolga offers 17 titles, three residences, a droughtproof water supply and extensive working infrastructure.

Peter and Regina Dooley bought the property in 1996.

“Regina and I have focused on continual improvement of the farm since we arrived, particularly in regard to pasture renovation, water management, fencing and stock handling in conjunction with lifting our Primeline flock through Lambpro genetics,” Peter said.

“We currently run a rotational grazing system using paddocks of 7-10ha in size with around 2600 adult composite ewes and 800 ewe weaners, serviced by 9.7km of all-weather laneways.”

Peter and Regina Dooley purchased Brolga more than 25 years ago.

BROLGA, WARNCOORT

Property: mixed farming
Size: 818ha
Sale: expressions of interest close November 21
Price: more than $18 million
Agent: Charles Stewart & Co, Colac
Contact: Michael Stewart, 0418 520 467, Anthony McDonald, 0418 593 597, or Daryl Oborne, 0419 388 341

Enjoying loam to heavier clay soils and some warm stone outcrops, Brolga is sown to perennial pastures of rye, clover and phalaris alongside 110ha of cropped land under canola, faba beans and wheat.

The Dooleys’ adult ewes are scanning 160-185 per cent in-lamb and ewe weaners 130-145 per cent, while their cattle numbers have ranged from 160 to 280 (not including calves).

Water is assured with Otway mains supply, a 150ML licensed irrigation dam, other catchment dams and pressurised dam and/or town water to all 80 paddocks.

Surrounded by gardens showcasing exotic and native trees, the main homestead has been renovated to provide four bedrooms, open-plan kitchen and dining area with Falcon stove, two ovens and Caesarstone benchtops, formal lounge and entertaining room, sitting room, office, two bathrooms, shower room, enclosed back porch and carport.

It also features polished floor boards, wood and electric heating, airconditioning and an adjacent tennis court.

The second residence is a five-bedroom brick-veneer, also renovated, with both homes enjoying striking views to Mt Gellibrand and the Otways foothills.

Other working infrastructure includes a two-bedroom workers’ cottage and cattle yard complex holding 500 weaner cattle with part-concrete flooring, B-double access, crush, separate weight box, manual three-way draft, bugle race, raised walkway, separate personnel working area, three personnel gates, loading race and seven holding yards.

There are two residences at Brolga including the renovated four-bedroom main homestead.

Elsewhere, there’s a three-stand shearing shed with undercover holding capacity of 300 head, sheep yards, machinery, workshop and storage shedding, staffroom, five-pen lamb feedlot and six silos.

A lease agreement is also in place with Acciona, covering five turbines. This began in 2016 for a period of 25 years, with an option of a further 25 years.

Earlier this month two premier dairy farms, a sprawling mixed farming aggregation and a first-class orchard worth more than $80 million combined stormed Victoria’s rural property market.