A grain crop on Illawarra, part of the Shannon family’s Koonunga Hill holding. Photo: Elders

A GENERATIONAL farming asset in South Australia’s Mid North is being offered to the market by the Shannon family after 150 years of ownership.

The 2635ha Illawarra and Koonunga Hill Aggregation is a well-established sheep and cropping enterprise situated 95km from Adelaide.

Located within the highly productive Kapunda-Eudunda corridor, the aggregation is regarded as reliable grain and grazing country, with the capacity to support flexible farming systems that can respond to seasonal and commodity conditions.

Elders Real Estate chief executive officer Tom Russo and state manager Adam Chilcott have been appointed to manage the expressions of interest process, which will be launched this spring.

Mr Russo said the offering represents one of the most significant and tightly held family-owned holdings to come to the SA market in recent history.

“The Shannon family has held and developed this aggregation for 150 years, which is an extraordinary period of stewardship,” Mr Russo said.

“That long-term custodianship has allowed the family to take a considered approach to decision-making, with a clear focus on maintaining and improving the productive capacity of the land over time.”

Over successive generations, the Shannon family has progressively consolidated and refined the aggregation into a highly efficient and well-balanced mixed-farming enterprise capable of supporting up to 5000 ewes.

Mr Chilcott said opportunities of this nature are rare.

“It is not often a property of this quality, with this depth of history and family continuity, is brought to market,” Mr Chilcott said.

For many buyers, that provenance will be just as compelling as the underlying production capability.”

Mr Chilcott said the Shannon family has created something of enduring value, and the opportunity now exists for a new owner to continue that story into its next chapter.

“The sale is expected to attract interest from neighbours, established family farming businesses and larger-scale investors seeking exposure to high-quality Australian agricultural land with a proven history of performance and long-term custodianship.”

Sitting in a highly productive cropping region with average annual rainfall of more than 450mm, the aggregation has a mains water connection and River Light frontage, providing year-round water security.

Infrastructure includes a renovated circa-1850s homestead, extensive livestock-handling facilities, and significant grain and fertiliser storage capacity.

The Shannon family has long been associated with SA’s Mid North region.

In 1839, at the age of 19, Abraham “Big Abe” Shannon emigrated from Derry in Northern Ireland and settled in Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills.

After his brother David arrived in Australia, the pair began clearing land and building the family’s first farm in Australia.

In 1844, they purchased a 500ha property named Yatara in the Kapunda district.

The adjoining property, Illawarra, was added in 1878 by David’s eldest son, William.

Since then, the family has since expanded their agricultural interests and have decided to divest the Illawarra and Koonunga Hill Aggregation to focus on, and consolidate, their asset base in Tasmania.