Six farms hit the market for almost $200 million combined
The autumn selling season is underway after six separate premier farms across Qld and NSW were listed for sale. See all the details.
Six major rural properties, spread from North Queensland down to the Southern Tablelands of NSW, are set to test the market for large-scale grazing and mixed farmland following improved commodity prices and a more favourable seasonal outlook for this year.
TALBALBA AGGREGATION, CUNNAMULLA QLD
80,887 HECTARES
Price: $40 million via private treaty
Seller: Will and Hollie Grimwade
An aggregation of three properties in the southern Queensland outback have been listed for sale by an arm of a renowned sheep grazing family.
Will and Hollie Grimwade, via their Noorama Grazing Co, are selling the 80,887ha Talbalba aggregation, located about 200km southeast of Cunnamulla, on the Qld-NSW border.
Comprising four contiguous holdings carrying 38,000 dry sheep equivalent, the Grimwades have run a mixed dorper flock and rangeland goat harvesting venture.
Priced at $494 a hectare, the property offers existing infrastructure including boundary exclusion fencing, 8.90.30 hinged joint subdivision fencing, 11 capped and piped bores supplying 56 tanks and 71 troughs, as well as new sheep and goat yards.
LAWD is handling the sale via a private treaty.
Will Grimwade, the son of renowned graziers Jane and Martin Grimwade, exited a partnership with Michael Gordon and brother George Grimwade in December 2021, running Noorama Grazing Co with wife Hollie since.
HIGH COUNTRY PASTORAL PORTFOLIO, ATHERTON QLD
1695 HECTARES
Price: $35-$40 million bare
Seller: Burtenshaw family
In the Tablelands region of North Queensland, the Burtenshaw family has listed its High Country Pastoral Portfolio for sale, offering it to market with an “unbelievable” amount of feed.
Conservatively stocked in recent seasons, the aggregation of four contiguous holdings has been running 2000 steers alongside 750 cows and calves for breeding and fattening.
Held by the Burtenshaw family for more than a decade, the aggregation offers 235ha developed for irrigation while 842ha is used for grazing and 200ha is considered timbered grazing with the balance comprising supporting land and vegetation.
LAWD is handling the sale via expressions of interest closing April 18 (12pm AEST).
WIDGEWA, BILLA BILLA QLD
4922 HECTARES
Price: N/A
Seller: Michael and Danielle Butler
Michael and Danielle Butler are selling their 4922ha irrigated mixed-farming property, Widgewa, offering it to the market after three years of ownership.
The Butlers are consolidating their existing operations, looking to offload their Darling Downs property near Goondiwindi, after extensively developing the land to increase the cattle carrying capacity to approximately 1700 adult equivalents and adding new irrigation equipment, feedyards and silage pits.
No price guide has been offered for Widgewa, but the nearby 2140ha Bullamakinka property at Tarawera was sold earlier this month for $5187 a hectare through auction.
About 708ha are mostly used for advanced forage sorghum with another 961ha of cultivation presently used for grazing.
Two 44ha centre pivots are planted to forage sorghum. LAWD and Nutrien Harcourts Queensland are handling the sale via expressions of interest closing April 11 (12pm AEST).
LAKESIDE, WALCHA NSW
1504 HECTARES
Price: $30-$35 million
Seller: Jackson Agriculture
Jackson Agriculture, a northern NSW beef producer founded by John Jackson, has listed the premier 1504ha Lakeside property for sale, located south of Walcha.
Lakeside is rated to carry 30,000 to 35,000 dry sheep equivalent and estimated to carry 1500 to 1750 cows, or fatten 3000 steers a year, or background 4500 steers a year.
Lakeside agronomist representative Matt Foster from Grazag said the property was “top shelf”.
“Of all the properties in the (Jackson Agriculture) portfolio I personally view Lakeside as the cream of the crop,” he said.
“I get asked often by prospective buyers looking at the New England region, which is the best country, and the answer is always the same: southeast of Walcha.”
Meares and Associates is handling the sale via a two-day online auction starting on Tuesday, April 23 and closing Wednesday, April 24.
A number of cattle could be purchased by the successful buyer of the property together with the inventory of plant and equipment.
GIRRAKOOL AND NORTH POMEROY MELBEE, GOULBURN NSW
2393 HECTARES
Price: $28-$30 million
Seller: Rob Rich
Two years after it was first listed for sale, Sydney businessman Robert Rich has relisted the sprawling Girrakool and North Pomeroy aggregation for sale.
Located west of Goulburn in the NSW Southern Tablelands, Girrakool has been held by Robert Rich and RTR Holdings Pty Ltd since 1999, and in 2006 he also added North Pomeroy to his portfolio.
In recent seasons the property has carried 1300-1400 cows and selling the calves at about 500kg.
However, farm managers Mitch and Meg O’Brien estimated the property could carry 1800- 2000 cows and calves, selling the calves as weaners.
Mr O’Brien also said a mixed livestock herd could comprise 1000 cows and calves and about 6000 Merino ewes, while a sheep breeder could carry 13,000-15,000 merino ewes and lambs.
The property is scheduled for auction on Tuesday, April 23 via Webster Nolan Real Estate.
RUNNYMEDE AGGREGATION, ARMIDALE NSW
4468 HECTARES
Price: more than $20 million
Seller: John Kennedy
Renowned northern NSW landholder John Kennedy has listed his Runnymede aggregation to the market after more than two decades of ownership.
Located at Yarrowyck, west of Armidale, the aggregation consists of Runnymede, Eureka South, Trida, Stonebrook and Sand Creek properties, running a cattle and sheep trading enterprise via a carrying capacity of 20,000 dry sheep equivalent.
The aggregation is also expected to attract interest from a diverse buyer pool as it is located in the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and is set to host nine wind turbines as part of the proposed Yarrowyck Wind Farm.
An adjacent 1335ha property is also for sale separately, which is also set to host nine wind turbines of its own.
LAWD is handling the sale via expressions of interest closing Tuesday, April 23 (12pm AEST).
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