Scholz family to sell Culcairn farm, Graham family to sell Mt Oberne Aggregation

An award-winning farming family are selling its 1420ha mixed farm near Holbrook where it is expected to field offers worth $18,532-plus a hectare.

A renowned NSW Riverina family has decided to call time on an amazing farming career, offering its sprawling mixed farm for sale.

Murray Scholz, a Nuffield scholar, and his wife Emma are selling their 1420ha Dunoon Aggregation, close to Culcairn and Holbrook and about 65km north of Albury.

Offers of $18,532-plus a hectare are expected for the aggregation, meaning it could be worth than $26.3 million.

The Scholz family are selling their 1420ha Dunoon Aggregation, located near Culcairn.

The Dunoon Aggregation comprises three parcels known as Earlsridge, Dunoon and Killara and is split into 59 paddocks.

The property currently has a crop rotation of wheat and canola with break crops of oats and vetch to accommodate the 2000 breeding ewes and a self-replacing 120 Shorthorn cow-and-calf operation.

If fully sown to permanent pastures the aggregation is estimated to be able to carry more than 1000 cows, but could also be reshaped for greater cropping if desired.

The Scholz family has ties to the Culcairn district dating back to 1919 when Murray’s great-grandfather bought the neighbouring farm.

Murray Scholz at his Culcairn farm in 2007.

The foundations of the Dunoon Aggregation came into Scholz family ownership in 1972 following the purchase of Earlsridge, then Dunoon in 1999, and Killara in 2005.

The Dunoon Aggregation was also originally part of Round Hill Station, a significant name in Australian pastoral history.

Round Hill was once 36,420ha (90,000 acres) in size and owned by the Balfour family from the late 1870s into the middle of the 20th century.

Elders Real Estate Albury selling agent David Gittoes said the Dunoon Aggregation was one of the best farms he has seen for sale during his four-decade rural property career.

“With the land and the outstanding improvements, this property is a true turn-key farming operation,” Mr Gittoes said.

Meanwhile, about 100km north of Culcairn, Paul and Rachel Graham are selling their Mt Oberne Aggregation at Tarcutta.

The Graham family has owned the 2085ha aggregation, located about 47km east of Wagga Wagga, for at least the past 15 years running it alongside their home property Bongongo.

Bongongo spans 1800ha at Adjungbilly, about 45km east of Gundagai, with the family pursuing beef, lamb and wool production across both properties.

Paul and Rachel Graham are selling their Mt Oberne Aggregation after about 15 years of ownership.

At Mt Oberne, 1413ha or 67 per cent of the property is grazed with 672ha, or 23 per cent, considered timber and remnant vegetation.

In recent seasons, the Grahams have run self-replacing Merino and crossbreed ewes alongside cattle breeding and trading.

Between Mt Oberne and Bongongo, the family has integrated operations using Mt Oberne as a finishing property for lambs while sending steers and heifers there too.

The aggregation has an estimated carrying capacity of 20,000 dry sheep equivalents or more than 14 per grazed hectare.

The Mt Oberne Aggregation is expected to receive offers worth more than $20 million including land, improvements and water.

LAWD senior director and selling agent Colin Medway said Mt Oberne has several key assets including seven undercover lamb feeding sheds, cattle feed bunkers and an under-utilised 194-megalitre water entitlement.

“We expect the property will attract the interest of existing landowners looking for geographical diversification,” Mr Medway said.

“Tarcutta is a region that receives high rainfall on the western side of the Snowy Mountains. Mt Oberne is also low enough that it doesn’t affect the winter pasture growth rates.”