Robertson family sell Wykeham, at Dunkeld, for $22.5m-plus

An Australian farming family has secured a premier livestock farm in Victoria’s west, paying about $22,500 per hectare.

A southern Australian farming family with interests across two states has beaten a mountain of competition to snap up a premier livestock farm in Victoria’s west.

After more than 40 years of farming, John and Sally Robertson have sold their 1013ha Wykeham farm, at Dunkeld, after a suite of domestic buyers tried to secure the farm.

Wykeham was listed for sale in April with price expectations of about $22.5m-24.5m (about $22,500 a hectare), offered as a whole or in three separate lots.

The Weekly Times understands the property was sold as a whole, in a deal worth about the expected price range, to a family with farming interests in NSW and Victoria.

The buyers are planning to expand their cattle interests at Wykeham.

Located at 560 North Boundary Road, Dunkeld, Wykeham’s Grampians views, reliable rainfall and livestock developments attracted a host of domestic and local buyer interest.

HF Richardson Property sales executive Ken MacDonald said Wykeham’s rare size and quality demanded significant interest and offers.

“There were quite a few parties with some interested in parts of the property and others after all of it,” he said.

The 1013ha Wykeham farm, at Dunkeld, has been sold after less than two months on the market.

“It is incredibly attractive country and properties of this size are not overly common so there was a lot of interest.

“Predominantly it was domestic buyers and investors, with a lot of local farming interest, headed by the younger generation who are wanting to come back into agriculture after some strong years and better returns.”

The Robertson family had used Wykeham as a prime lamb breeding and cattle enterprise with a capacity of 17,500 DSE (dry sheep equivalents).

The property also features Wannon River frontage with Grampians views near the base of Mt Abrupt and Mt Sturgeon.

And while it is a headline sale for the district, Mr MacDonald said the western Victorian rural property market had settled in the past few weeks.

“The market is still travelling quite well, in terms of price there has been a plateau, while residential and lifestyle has slowed up,” he said.

“If the price is right the properties are selling, but there is not a frantic buzz like there was last year.”

Earlier this year the Craig family of Adelaide sold the 2500ha Tuloona Pastoral to a local buyer in an eight-figure deal.