Ruvigne, Black Range, Oak Plain: Three NSW farms for sale

Three major NSW farms, worth about $67 million combined, have hit the market including a blue-ribbon Liverpool Plains property.

The five-seven bedroom restored homestead at Ruvigne was originally built in 1908.

Three top-notch NSW farms have hit the market, tipped to sell for about $67 million combined, as the autumn selling season shifts into gear.

The Gardiner family are selling the 2658ha Ruvigne farm near Gunnedah.

RUVIGNE, GUNNEDAH NSW

2658ha mixed farming
Price: More than $40 million

The family of late Fairfax chief executive Greg Gardiner are preparing to offload their mixed farming powerhouse at Gunnedah in northeast NSW.

About 20 years ago the Gardiner family purchased Ruvigne from the Victorian-based Cochrane family, expanding the farm to its current 2658ha by also purchasing neighbouring properties.

Ruvigne is expected to attract offers in excess of $40 million due the dark river-flat soils, water access and the restored seven-bedroom Federation Homestead built by Thomas Goodwin in 1908.

Inglis Rural Property’s Sam Triggs, Liam Griffiths and Jamie Inglis are handling the sale with Mr Triggs describing the property as “magnificent”.

“Significant carry-over groundwater entitlements set the platform for profitable cropping seasons for the next three to four seasons,” Mr Triggs said.

“Alongside the beautiful homestead there is a serious farm attached.”

Ruvigne has major cropping capabilities.

Ruvigne’s farmland includes 854ha of irrigation development, 4090ML of storage dams and natural storages, 933ML Mooki River general security entitlements, 1130ML groundwater with full carry-over entitlements and a 2759ML flood plain harvesting licence (Department of Planning Industry and Environment – Water Draft Entitlement Notification).

In recent seasons Ruvigne has produced 4000-5000 cotton bales a year, with wheat, barley, sorghum, soybeans, mung beans, sunflowers and canola crops while also carrying cattle.

Black Range Station is located at Eremerang, via Condobolin, NSW

BLACK RANGE STATION, EREMERANG, NSW

15,264ha, mixed farming
Price: $15-$17 million in total ($982-$1113 a hectare)

Two Forbes businessmen via their enterprise Black Range Grazing and Farming are selling the 15,264ha Black Range Station located at Eremerang via Condobolin in central west NSW.

The expansive property has a 4238ha cultivation consent licence and two separate property vegetation plans covering 2796ha.

Last year’s cropping program consisted of 1900ha of wheat under a sharefarming agreement with plans to plant a similar area down this year.

The property has run a combination of broadacre cropping, sheep, cattle and rangeland goat production in recent seasons.

Johnston Rural Group selling agent Gary Johnston said Black Range Station was a

“powerhouse property”.

“This part of NSW is in the crosshairs for many buyers and under the microscope for both private, corporate and institutional parties due to the advancements in modern farming and grazing techniques and improved on-farm technology and machinery,” he said.

Oak Plain has been cropped by a two-family partnership for the past 25 years.

OAK PLAIN, BOOMANOOMANA, NSW

851ha, cropping
Price: an average of $14,829-plus a hectare ($6000-plus an acre) in total

For a quarter of a century, a farming partnership comprising two families has methodically cropped their 851ha holding, Oak Plain, located in the southern NSW Riverina.

Northern Victorian farmers Malcolm and Ellen Bruce joined forces 25 years ago with Doug and Helen White to own and operate the sprawling cropping farm.

“Oak Plain was the first property purchased by the partnership that later formed Oak Plain Pastoral Pty Ltd,” Malcolm said.

“The business has expanded over the past 25 years, owning a number of properties south of Yarrawonga.

“There’s about 750 arable hectares across the property and we have cropped as much as we can, mostly growing wheat, canola and barley,” Malcolm said.

Oak Plain is for sale as a whole or in three separate parcels including the Oak Plain Main

Block (444.45ha), Oak Plain Back Block (147.7ha) and Hicks’ (259ha).

The property is for sale via expressions of interest with a price guide of an average of $14,829-plus a hectare ($6000-plus an acre) in total.

Meanwhile, Dutch investors Optifarm listed their renowned NSW farm Jemalong Station for sale last month, expecting offers of about $85 million-plus