Woods family to sell Lockdale farm at Narromine NSW

A blue-ribbon farm — owned by the same family for 93 years — has been listed for sale and is expected to fetch millions.

For the first time since 1929, a blue-ribbon central NSW farm is on the market and expected to sell for millions.

Lockdale farm located near Narromine, is 40 minutes from Dubbo, and has been held by the Woods family for three generations, spanning 93 years.

The 1236.14ha mixed farming property will go to auction next month with an expected price of around $10m.

A nearby farm of a similar ilk was sold in late 2021, at around $6500 per ha, with this sale forming the price expectations for Lockdale.

Ray White Rural Dubbo principal Brian McAneney said there had been “overwhelming interest” in the property so far.

“We have received lots of interest so far, especially from local people and people from down south in Victoria,” he said.

“The interest has been very strong.

“The property is up for auction so the market will determine what it is worth.

“There used to be an irrigation scheme on parts of the property, but that scheme was disbanded. But now it drains very well on black soil country.”

Lockdale at Narromine has been owned by the Woods family for almost a century.

Lockdale vendors Craig and Kerry Woods normal farm 50 per cent of the arable land and fallow the balance.

Primarily wheat is grown and 150 trade steers are fattened. There are two sets of steel cattle yards on the property.

The farm is set on 84.7 per cent arable tier one farming country with “highly productive” heavy black loamy soils.

Lockdale also includes a three-bedroom, airconditioned homestead set in established lawns and gardens. The home also features an ensuite, study, in-ground pool and double garage.

Lockdale has traditionally fattened about 150 trade steers a year.

Grain storage and water access are also key features of the property that are taking buyers’ interest.

The grain storage incorporates 700 and 300 tonne grain sheds as well as a collection of silos totalling 750 tonnes.

There are also 11 dams on the property in addition to a 4.2 meg high security water scheme that is metered and pumps to a 200,000 litre tank.

The auction will be held at the Victoria Park No. 1 Oval Clubhouse, Darling St, Dubbo on March 15 at 11am.

The major NSW listing comes after the 2448ha Withers Aggregation, near Berrigan in southern NSW, also hit the market.