Lockerbie’s crops primarily support the property’s DSE of 13,000-14,000 Photo: Meares & Associates
THIS week’s listings including the Gaden family’s Dunedoo holding Lockerbie cover three states and offer a range of farming opportunities.
Lockerbie, NSW
One of the longest-held and largest holdings in the renowned Dunedoo district of central western New South Wales is being offered to the market by the Gaden family after 97 years ownership.
The 3338ha Lockerbie is a renowned livestock, sheep breeding, wool-growing and fattening property estimated to carry approximately 13,000-14,000 DSE and complemented by cash or fodder cropping.
Meares & Associates principal Chris Meares said Lockerbie is one of the leading properties in the region.
“In an average season, it carries up to 3200 breeding ewes, 1500 wool-cutting wethers and up to 350 cows; however, in optimum seasons, numbers have reached as high as 18,000DSE.”
The original part of Lockerbie was acquired by the Gaden family in 1926 and added to in 1964 and 1991 to create the current contiguous holding, with much of the livestock operation managed by cell-grazing techniques.
Lockerbie includes a sheep feedlot. Photo: Meares & Associates
The rich basalt and loam soils are highly arable, particularly on the Merrygoen Creek flats, with around 550ha growing cash or fodder crops as well as high-performance pastures.
Lockerbie is watered by a 9.5km mostly double frontage to the permanent Merrygoen Creek supported by six bores, 19 dams and numerous permanent and semi-permanent creeks.
Mr Meares said Lockerbie has potential to generate biodiversity offsets.
“An initial non-binding exploratory review, undertaken in July, can be made available to interested parties outlining the opportunity, high level business case and subsequent actions under the NSW Government Biodiversity Offsets Scheme.”
Oats are grown on Lockerbie to support the grazing-focused operation. Meares & Associates
The turnkey opportunity offers the incoming purchaser with a fully automated state-of-the-art lamb and sheep feedlot capable of turning off up to 16,000 lambs a year.
Other infrastructure includes two homes, a five-stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yards, numerous sheds and 765 tonnes of grain storage.
Lockerbie will be auctioned online by Meares & Associates on December 6.
Tyrone, NSW
The Tyms family’s mixed-farming opportunity, also in the Central West of NSW, has returned to the market with a $6.5-million price tag.
Held for 118 years, the 1497ha Tyrone is situated in an area well-regarded for dryland cropping and grazing 25km north of Coonamble with Castlereagh Highway frontage.
Tyrone is close to grain receival sites at Coonamble, Walgett, Combara and Nyngan, livestock markets at Coonamble, Walgett and Warren, and can supply abattoirs at Dubbo and Tamworth.
Located in a 450mm region, the soils range from heavy black clay to red loams growing 374ha of wheat and 378ha of barley.
The grazing country on Tyrone is timbered with redgum, coolabah, box, wilga and myall and currently running around 200 cows.
The property is watered by 10km of Castlereagh River frontage, supported by a bore and most of the fencing is in new or excellent condition.
Improvements include a six-bedroom home, a 500-head containment feeding facility, new undercover cattle yards, a machinery shed and 200 tonnes of grain storage.
The sale is being handled by Halcroft & Bennett agent David Thompson.
Merghiny, SA
An aggregation of adjoining blocks in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is attracting enquiry from Western Australian farmers seeking more affordable cropping country.
The 1471ha Merghiny Aggregation is being sold by investor Peter Harris after six years of ownership.
The Merghiny Aggregation is located on South Australia’s western Eyre Peninsula. Photo: Ray White Streaky Bay
Situated on the Flinders Highway, 10km south-east of Ceduna, the country is currently leased and running around 550 sheep, and cropping wheat, barley and oats on more than 1000ha of the 1400ha of arable country.
Ray White Streaky Bay agent Chad Kirby said there has been interest from locals and away.
“The aggregation presents producers with an opportunity to expand their existing land holdings, or as an investment in a tightly held area,” Mr Kirby said.
“Two WA farmers are keen to get their foot in the door and possibly expand at a later date.”
The relatively flat to gently undulating farming country has calcareous sandy-loam soil types with water supplied by a SA mains water connection in a 400mm annual average rainfall region.
Infrastructure includes two sheds.
The Merghiny Aggregation is being offered by expressions of interest closing November 17.
Hidden Valley, Qld
A southern Queensland block suitable for irrigation, lucerne hay production or cattle backgrounding is attracting producers seeking water security.
Hidden Valley includes an irrigation allocation from the Burnett River. Photo: Danielle Meyer Rural
Held by the Sporne family for around six years, the 409ha Hidden Valley is 10km from Mundubbera and 30km from Eidsvold.
Danielle Meyer from Danielle Meyer Rural said Hidden Valley offers diversity.
“As a backgrounding operation, it can run upwards of 500 head but conversely, all of the country can be irrigated,” Ms Meyer said.
“The property is currently planted with 173ha of irrigated leucaena and 10ha of lucerne, with an additional 73ha to a multi-species lucerne-based cattle feed.”
Hidden Valley has an abundance of water including a 100ML Burnett River water allocation, two dams, a turkey nest, and five bores including one with a 90ha licence.
Improvements include two homes, steel cattle yards, sheds and good-quality fencing.
Hidden Valley is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing November 17.
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