Canola is included in Wagabawering Spring’s cropping mix. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts Narrogin

THIS week’s properties for sale wrap includes two quality cropping properties in Western Australia that are anticipated to make more than $45 million in total.

Wagabawering Spring, WA

More than $24.4M is anticipated for WA’s Wagabawering Spring which has been listed after four generations and more than 100 years of single-family ownership.

The country was taken up in 1909 by Edmund Jackson after arriving from York in the United Kingdom and since then has been aggregated by family members.

It is now being listed by the Hill family to enable retirement.

Over time, Wagabawering Spring has transformed from a mixed farm focussed on wool production to cropping.

For the past 10 years, it has been continually cropped employing modern practices.

Spanning close to 4000ha, the aggregation comprises four non-contiguous farms close to Yealering in the Wheatbelt region:

• 1216ha Wagabawering Spring, 16km from Yealering, $8.5M+;
• 1164ha Geetabin, 30km from Corrigin, $6.5M+;
• 1118ha Osmaston, 5km south-east of Yealering, $6.5M+; and,
• 425ha Karradene, 9km south-west of Yealering, $2.9M+.;

They are being offered as a whole or individually via an offers-to-purchase campaign closing on October 25.

The aggregation features undulating country with mostly medium soils.

Independent mapping has determined 82 percent of the property, or 3210ha, is suitable for cropping.
The 2023 cropping program includes 949ha of wheat, 881ha of barley, 928ha of canola and 457ha of lupins.

Over the past five seasons, the vendors have averaged 2.75t/ha of barley, 2.64t/ha of wheat, 1.4t/ha of lupins and 1.1t/ha of canola.

Grain is delivered to several CBH facilities including Bulyee, Yealering, Brookton, Wickepin and Corrigin.

Steve Wright from Nutrien Harcourts Narrogin said Wagabawering Spring has a robust fertiliser history.

“Impressive input rates and a regular soil testing program (completed at depth 10, 20 and 30cm) have delivered some healthy PH (ca) results across all properties.”

Scheme water is connected to some of the properties supported by soaks, dams and bores.

The balance of the country has natural timbers, saltbush grazing, shade, fence lines and waterways.

Fencing is in generally good condition with some new fencing to be completed prior to settlement.

Wagabawering Spring is also capable of running sheep.

Improvements including a shearing shed and yards, three homes, 20 sheds and 20 silos.

Amaroo, WA

More than $20.5M is anticipated for a quality turn-key mixed-farming operation in Western Australia that has been listed for the first time in almost 100 years.

The 9910ha Amaroo is situated 25km east of Kulin in WA’s eastern wheatbelt region and 290km from the port of Kwinana.

It was originally settled in 1927 by John Hodgson, who had been farming in the
Yealering district since 1908.

Today, his descendant Geoffrey Hodgson and wife Cathy have decided it is time to retire.

A wheat crop on Kulin, WA, property Amaroo. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts Narrogin

Amaroo, which means “beautiful country”, features undulating country with granite outcrops and medium to heavier loams.

The property has been independently mapped with 69pc, or 6866ha, available for cropping.

The 2023 cropping program includes 2532ha of wheat, 620ha of barley and 180ha of oats.

The balance comprises natural timber areas and salt bush grazing that can run around 6000 sheep.

Over the past 20 years, the Hodgsons have erected around 100km of new fencing, with the property fenced into 88 main paddocks.

Amaroo is watered by 38 dams, and three are equipped with solar pumps.

Scheme water is connected and an additional supply is available from a government catchment.

Improvements include five homes, a shearing shed and several sets of steel yards, numerous sheds and 29 silos.

The sale of Amaroo is being handled by Steve Wright from Nutrien Harcourts, and the offers-to-purchase campaign closes October 18.

Cambridge Downs, Qld

After 13 years, the Tincknell family is selling their cropping and cattle opportunity in Central Queensland.

The 1848ha Cambridge Downs is situated in the tightly held Orion district, 38km from Rolleston and 48km from Springsure.

It comprises 1180ha of self-mulching open downs soils developed to cropping, of which 100ha is irrigated.

Currently, 740ha is sown to chickpeas, and previous yields range from 1.8-3t/ha, 320ha to sorghum, with an estimated 2023 yield of 4-5t/ha, and 120ha to oats.

The balance includes 600ha of grazing country running around 270 head of mixed cattle.

Most fences have been renewed in the past nine years, together with 6km of boundary fencing.

Cambridge Downs is situated in a 660mm average rainfall region that allows for some opportunistic irrigation under a 100ha centre pivot.

There is a large irrigation dam with a 2290ML capacity, as well as four equipped bores.

Improvements include two homes, a new machinery shed, a workshop, silos, a grain shed and steel cattle yards.

Grant Veivers and Ben Forrest from the Resolute Property Group are handling the sale, and said Cambridge Downs is attracting buyers interested in cattle and cropping with a mixed-farming interest.

Cambridge Downs will be auctioned bare on July 25.

Lynnwood, NSW

Tightly held cropping country in the Central West of New South Wales is anticipated to make close to $6M or $6550/ha.

After three years ownership, the Nyngan-based Cleaver family has decided to consolidate its assets after purchasing additional country closer to home.

The 913ha Lynnwood is 32km from Narromine, on the edge of the Backwater region, close to Dubbo livestock markets and Narromine grain receivals.

It is one of the last remaining properties in the district cleared for farming, having been previously operated as a cell grazing, backgrounding and finishing enterprise.

Around 535ha of Lynnwood is arable, with the fertile soft red to heavy chocolate soils currently sown to wheat, which is included in the sale.

The balance is well-grassed grazing country carrying a large body of feed suitable for sheep or cattle.

The sale of Lynnwood is being handled by Ashley McGilchrist at Nutrien Harcourts Warren who said there has been 27mm of beneficial rain over the past five days.

“There has been good inquiry from locals, as well as producers from Victoria and southern and eastern parts of NSW seeking scale and affordable country.”

In the past six months, the vendors have erected around 5km of new fencing.

Lynnwood sits above one of the region’s largest aquifers, meaning it has irrigation potential.

Water is also supplied by a bore, seven tanks and troughs.

The well-established wheat crop at Lynnwood near Narromine, NSW. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts Warren

Lucky Dip, Qld

A desire to acquire renowned grazing and farming land in Central Queensland’s tightly held Moura and Bauhinia districts is driving inquiry for Lucky Dip.

The 2826ha holding is fully developed and situated 54km west of Moura and 211km south-west of Gracemere.

Lucky Dip is a balance of gently undulating land types ranging from brigalow, belah, blackbutt country to areas of softwood scrub and heavier black soil, brigalow country suited backgrounding cattle, cropping or fodder production.

Currently destocked, the property is growing an abundant body of buffel, rhodes and green panic grasses.

Lucky Dip has been held since 1962 by John and Sue Engwight, who drew the block in the Brigalow Development Scheme Ballot, and are now offering it for sale to dissolve a family partnership.

Situated in a 625mm annual rainfall area, the property is watered by five dams, a bore, several small creeks and semi-permanent waterholes.

Since being cleared in the 1960s, all of Lucky Dip has been cultivated at some time.

At present, there is around 450ha of sorghum stubble and more than 100ha of cultivation ready for re-farming or sowing back to pastures.

Improvements include two homes, sheds, cattle yards and 600t of grain storage.

Matthew Noakes from PLPM (Progressive Livestock and Property Marketing) is handling the sale of Lucky Dip which will be auctioned on August 4.