The Bon Eden Aggregation’s improvements includes grain silos which can hold a total of 736t. Photo: Ray White Rural

FAMILIES feature as purchasers of recent listings, including an aggregation on Queensland’s Darling Downs, and three of four farms which make up the Vater Family Aggregation in South Australia.

Bon Eden Aggregation, Qld

A Central Queensland farming and grazing family has outbid locals, paying around $20 million to expand with a premium irrigated farming portfolio on the Darling Downs.

The 854ha Bon Eden Aggregation is located 16km from Brookstead, 37km from Pittsworth and 70km from Toowoomba. It comprises four holdings: the 258ha Bon Eden, 238ha Westmeadows, 233ha The Bills and the 124ha Keeleys Block.

When the property was brought to market in April, agents believed it could achieve a price comparable to the nearby Balmoral property, which sold for $25m in July last year.

Spanning 854ha, Balmoral was regarded as one of the leading irrigation properties on the Darling Downs and purchased by neighbours Russell Keeley and Clemens Waetjen.

The Bon Eden Aggregation features highly developed irrigation country, including some of the region’s best black Darling Downs Anchorfield soils, along with deep black to brown self-mulching soil types suited to winter cropping.

Of the 729ha under cultivation, 292ha is flood irrigated, 244ha is under lateral irrigation and 192ha is farmed as dryland cropping.

Water infrastructure includes 2240ML of on farm water storage, two bores located on the Bon Eden block and a 395ML Condamine Alluvium groundwater licence.

Improvements on the Bon Eden block include a three-bedroom home, multiple sheds and six grain silos with total storage capacity of 736 tonnes.

Keeleys Block contains additional irrigation infrastructure, including the lateral irrigator.

Ray White Rural agents James Croft and James Arthur handled the sale but were unable to disclose the buyer or the price paid.

Vater Family Aggregation, SA

Three farming families have paid a combined $17.85 million for three mixed-farming properties from the Vater family’s aggregation in SA’s Mid North.

The 1104ha portfolio comprises four holdings, with two near Saddleworth and two near Manoora.

Both districts are recognised for reliable cereal, oilseed, legume, pulse, hay, prime lamb and wool production, supported by long-term average annual rainfall of 450-500mm.

The Vater family leased all four properties to local farming families during its decade of ownership.

The largest holding, 564ha Greenhills near Saddleworth, sold under the hammer for $12.2m.

During the sales campaign, it was described as one of the district’s most significant holdings to come to market in recent years.

Greenhills includes 396ha of arable land under continuous cropping and 160ha of grazing country currently used for sheep.

Within the grazing area, a further 40ha of arable land is used for pasture production.

Infrastructure includes a stone homestead.

The 143ha Crawfords property near Saddleworth sold for $2.95M, while 157ha Hogbens/Ricks near Manoora fetched $2.7M.

The remaining holding, 239ha Przibillas, is under negotiation after failing to sell at auction.

Ray White Rural agents Daniel Schell and Geoff Schell handled the sale.

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