Tuncooey and Bonnie Down jointly cover 1710ha north-east of Moree. Photo: LAWD

LATEST listings in New South Wales include Tuncooey, Bonnie Doon and Billandrie West in the Moree district, while Kilnyana at Savernake in the state’s far south is back on the market.

Tuncooey and Bonnie Doon

After 70 years of ownership, the Tattam family has listed its highly productive dryland cropping enterprise in the renowned Golden Triangle region of northern New South Wales.

The 1710ha Tuncooey and Bonnie Doon Aggregation is located 42km north-east of Moree and 70km south-west of Goondiwindi.

It comprises two non-contiguous holdings – 1105ha Tuncooey and 605ha Bonnie Doon – operating within a 2km radius of one another.

Tuncooey and Bonnie Doon run a diversified cropping program producing wheat, barley and chickpeas through winter, complemented by sorghum during the summer.

Across the aggregation’s level to gently undulating topography, 1539ha, or 90 percent of its area, has have been developed to dryland cultivation.

This is underpinned by productive deep black, brown and red self-mulching clay soils transitioning to red earths, which are highly regarded throughout the Golden Triangle for their fertility, moisture-holding capacity and versatility.

The Tattam family’s connection to the district reaches back to the 1890s, when John Tattam first secured the historic Rosscommon, 16km from Mungindi.

Over the decades, the family expanded across the Moree district, securing some of the region’s finest grazing and farming country.

They cemented this legacy in 1957 with the purchase of Tuncooey by Charles “Charlie” and Terence “Terry” Tattam.

In 1987, the neighbouring property Bonnie Doon became part of the story when it was subdivided and added to the family holdings.

Terry’s sons, Charles and Paul Tattam, through succession, continue running Tuncooey and Bonnie Doon.

Vendor Paul Tattam said it is extraordinarily rare for land of this calibre to enter the market after 70 years of unbroken family ownership.

“Tuncooey and Boonie Doon represent a premier opportunity with deep, fertile soils, reliable rainfall, and well-maintained infrastructure,” Mr Tattam said.

“We look forward to passing the torch to new owners who recognise the incredible potential of this land.”

Mr Tattam said as a fourth-generation farming family, it is an emotional milestone to hand over the reins.

“We hope the new owners experience the same pride and fulfillment that the Tattam family has enjoyed over the last 70 years on Tuncooey, Bonnie Doon and across the entire district.”

LAWD director Simon Cudmore said the Golden Triangle is one of the most desirable agricultural investment locations in Australia.

“Combined with the aggregation's scale, productive soil profile and established cropping history, strong inquiry is anticipated from corporate operators, agricultural investment groups and family farming businesses looking to expand within a tightly held region.”

Water is sourced from an artesian bore, nine dams and a shared entitlement in the Nee Nee Bore Scheme, in a reliable average annual rainfall region of 578mm.

In addition, Bonnie Doon features more than 1.5km of dual frontage to Mount Pleasant Creek and almost 2km of frontage to Gil Gil Creek.

The property is boundary fenced and divided into 22 paddocks, with no internal fencing, designed for efficient cropping operations and unrestricted machinery movement.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, sheds, a shearing shed, cattle yards and eight silos with a combined storage capacity of 640 tonnes.

Tuncooey and Bonnie Doon is being offered for sale by expressions of interest, either in one line or as separate assets, closing on September 3.

Along with Mr Cudmore, LAWD’s Alex Horan is handling the sale.

What’s in a name?

According to locals, the name Tuncooey dates to the late 19th century, when labourers clearing native scrub spent a night searching for a missing companion named Tun.

The repeated calls of “We Tun cooey” during the search are understood to have influenced the naming of the locality and, ultimately, the Parish of Tuncooey.

Kilnyana

The Hermiston family’s picturesque Southern Riverina grazing and farming asset, Kilnyana, has returned to the market with a reduced price guide of $38 million, equating to $8780/ha.

The 4328ha property is located near Savernake, 25km south-east of Berrigan, 30km north of Mulwala and 45km east of Tocumwal, placing it close to grain-receival sites, abattoirs and saleyards.

It is only the second time in 150 years that Kilnyana has been offered for sale.

Hermiston AG Enterprises, established in 1986, is a family-owned business that farms a further 9500ha across four properties, including Lake Piccaninny and Quiamong near Conargo and Lyndhurst near Brocklesby.

Vendor Jim Hermiston expressed pride in his family’s achievements at Kilnyana since acquiring the historic property in its first ever sale in 2008.

“Kilnyana was well improved when we bought it, so it’s been nice to continue that legacy, and it’s a very well-balanced property,” Mr Hermiston said.

“The diversity of soil types, annual rainfall and improvements are suited to stock or cropping, with the scale to leverage into one large farming enterprise or diversify.”

Kilnyana covers 4328ha in the southern Riverina’s Savernake district, and is set up for productive mixed farming. Photo: LAWD

LAWD agents Col Medway and Patrick Kerr have been appointed to manage the latest sales campaign.

They said Kilnyana is already drawing good interest from local and corporate buyers.

“Buyers who appreciate the ability to pivot between sheep, cattle and cropping systems to capture market changes will be drawn to Kilnyana which has a long history of true mixed-farming capability.”

Kilnyana is regarded as a premier mixed-farming enterprise, supporting dryland cropping, prime lamb, wool and beef production.

Around 2800ha of mostly red and grey clay loam soils has been developed for dryland cropping.

The 2026 program comprises 1124ha of canola, 1095ha of barley, 521ha of wheat and 60ha of vetch.

The balance includes 1004ha of native pastures, which are arable and could be developed for cropping, along with 352ha of improved pastures (lucerne) and 172ha of timbered grazing country.

Historically, the breeding and finishing enterprise has run 2000-2500 ewes for meat and wool production, alongside opportunistic lamb trading and beef agistment.

Located in a 470mm average annual rainfall region, Kilnyana is supplied by the Mulwala Canal via the MIL pipeline system, as well as 27 dams.

Infrastructure includes a historic circa-1926 eight-bedroom homestead, two staff residences, shearers’ quarters, an eight-stand shearing shed, two sheep yards, cattle yards, numerous sheds and 675t of grain storage.

Billandrie West

Strong local interest is anticipated for Billandrie West, a mostly arable cropping property in north-western NSW.

The 393ha holding, located 10km east of Pallamallawa, 35km west of Warialda and 45km east of Moree, is being sold by local farmer Bec Diprose of Araluen, who is downsizing.

Moree Real Estate agent Sandy Bailey expects inquiry from local producers seeking useful additional cropping country.

Around 386ha of the red and brown loam soils is arable and suited to dryland cultivation.

Currently, the block is leased and sown to barley.

The 393ha Billandrie West, east of Pallamallawa, is expected to sell locally. Photo: Moree Real Estate

The country is largely gently sloping to level and originally timbered with belah, kurrajong, wilga, box, ironbark and some pine.

Billandrie West is contoured where required, with farm-over style banks feeding into a central waterway.

Water is supplied by an equipped bore.

Billandrie West is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing September 3.

Grain Central: Get our free news straight to your inbox – Click here