Lupins are one of the crops grown on the 4377ha Arrowsmith Aggregation. Photo: Elders

CORPORATE investors are circling two nearby cropping enterprises in Western Australia’s Geraldton Port Zone, spanning almost 16,000ha and expected to realise more than $100 million combined.

Elders this week listed the 4377ha Arrowsmith Aggregation, made up of three contiguous holdings: the 1819ha Patmores, 1242ha South Park and 1316ha Wildwood.

Together, the properties offer 3253ha of arable country, representing 74 percent of the total area.

The campaign follows LAWD’s July offering of the nearby 11,288ha Arrowsmith Portfolio, another three-property aggregation comprising Arrowsmith, Eraramba and Rainey Plains, with 9522ha of arable land.

The institutional-scale asset, offered on behalf of Perth-based agricultural investment and asset manager PenAgri, carries price expectations above $76M, or around $8000 per arable hectare.

Also on the market in WA’s Wheatbelt are two adjoining Ballidu properties, while Gunapin Ridge at York has been relaunched with a price guide of $25M plus.

Arrowsmith Aggregation

The 4377ha Arrowsmith Aggregation is 19km north of Eneabba and 47km south of Dongara.

Straddling the Arrowsmith River, the property sits within the shires of Three Springs and Irwin and has frontage to the Brand Highway.

Elders agent Courtney Keeffe is managing the offers-to-purchase campaign, with the aggregation available as a whole or as separate parcels.

He declined to identify the family-owned vendor or provide a price guide.

Mr Keeffe said the operation has the scale to support a manager and operations team, positioning it as a stand-alone production enterprise.

“Arrowsmith has plenty of upside in production potential but is also located in a region which has had significant interest shown by renewable energy companies and more recently those looking to establish data centres,” Mr Keeffe said.

Soil profiles include clays, sand over clay and gravels, as well as yellow and lighter sands suited to cereal, lupin and canola production in a 450mm of annual rainfall region.

Large, open paddocks provide operational efficiency and long run lines for modern machinery.

The undulating country falls from the north and east towards the valley floor, where established clover and serradella-based pastures support sheep production and rotational cropping opportunities.

The listing comprises:

• Patmores: 1819ha previously run as an intensive livestock property, and now being converted to a cropping-based enterprise, with about 1273ha arable and 320ha subject to extensive soil amelioration, lime sand application and deep spading. Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, five-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, numerous sheds and a gravel pit with extraction licences.
• South Park: 1242ha with 1180ha arable hectares and is established as a grain-growing property. Improvements include a three-bedroom home, sheds, fertiliser storage and grain storage. The Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline runs adjacent to the holding’s north-eastern corner.
• Wildwood: 1316ha supports mixed farming, with 800ha arable. Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom transportable home, four-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, numerous sheds, and four silos.

Arrowsmith Portfolio

The 11,288ha Arrowsmith Portfolio is located near Mingenew, about 55km south-east of Dongara.

The turnkey enterprise includes 9522ha of gently undulating arable land, with soils dominated by sandy gravels and pale and yellow deep sands.

Across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons, more than half of the arable area has undergone comprehensive soil testing and amelioration, including deep ripping, spading, delving and lime sand applications.

Over the past four years, yields have averaged 2.7t/ha for wheat, 1.32t/ha for canola and 1.44t/ha for lupins.

LAWD director Simon Wilkinson said PenAgri had converted the holding from a mixed-farming enterprise into a specialised grain-production operation during its four-year ownership.

“A substantial investment has transformed the portfolio into a high-performing hub for grain production, with large, streamlined paddocks supported by an extensive road network to maximise operating efficiency.”

Mr Wilkinson described the Arrowsmith Portfolio as a “bullseye” for strategic cropping investors.

“It presents a compelling opportunity for buyers seeking scale and productivity.

“The modern, large-scale grain operation is being offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis, including a comprehensive plant list and the existing management team.”

“The enterprise is underpinned by high-quality farm management technology, including advanced John Deere precision farming systems that enhance efficiency, productivity and operational oversight.”

The  11,288ha Arrowsmith Portfolio is being offered for sale by PenAgri. Photo: LAWD

The portfolio benefits from a mild climate, reliable winter rainfall, low frost-risk winters and warm, dry summers that support strong crop performance.

Water security is provided by bores, wells and dams, while average annual rainfall is around 400mm.

The listing comprises:

• Arrowsmith: 3302ha, including 2530ha arable. Improvements include two homes, numerous sheds, a shearing shed, sheep yards and 352t of grain silo storage.
• Eraramba: 3677ha, including 3217ha arable. Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a second four-bedroom dwelling, numerous sheds, a shearing shed, sheep yards and grain silos with 1357t of storage capacity.
• Rainey Plains: 4309ha, including 3775ha arable. Improvements include a three-bedroom home, a two-bedroom dwelling, numerous sheds, a shearing shed, sheep yards, steel cattle yards and 476t of grain silo capacity.

The Arrowsmith Portfolio is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing September 17.

Mailey’s and Brophy’s

Prime farming country in WA’s Wheatbelt is being offered for sale by Gary and Narelle McGill and their son Mark.

Acquired in 2013, the adjoining 1595ha Mailey’s and Brophy’s are located 4km west of Ballidu and 28km north of Wongan Hills.

They are being offered with a price guide of $7413-$8648/ha arable.

The country features quality red loams through to duplex sand over clay yellow loams, with 1391 arable hectares and suited to a rotation of wheat, barley, canola, and lupins.

Most of the internal fencing has been removed to create a straightforward cropping operation, while paddock runs have been extended wherever possible to improve efficiency.

Mailey’s and Brophy’s in WA’s Ballidu district are being offered for sale by the McGill family. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

Nutrien Harcourts agent Terry Norrish said the contiguous holdings are attracting strong interest because of their scale, soil types and location.

“Farming opportunities west of Ballidu do not come around often, let alone a property of this quality where every effort has been made to create a simple and efficient cropping regime,” Mr Norrish said.

“The vendors selected the holdings for their quality soil types, and the incoming purchaser will benefit from their hard work and planning.”

Mr Norrish said Mailey’s and Brophy’s offer enough scale for local expansion or remote operation.

“Most inquiry has been local, from within a 20km to 30km radius, with settlement expected post-harvest early next year.”

The properties sit in a 319mm average annual rainfall region and are watered by two government scheme points at the northern and southern ends of the aggregation.

Infrastructure is limited to an old fertiliser bunker and a dilapidated shed.

The offers-to-purchase campaign for Mailey’s and Brophy’s closes October 7.

Gunapin Ridge

A drought-proof land holding in WA’s Wheatbelt, offering abundant water and diverse income streams, has been relaunched with a price guide of $25M-30M.

Listed by the Rasheed family after 19 years of ownership, the 3050ha Gunapin Ridge is located on the Perth side of York and Beverley (35km), 64km from Perth and surrounded by the Wandoo State Forest.

It has 1150ha of cropping land and 1080ha of grazing country capable of running up to 10,000 head of sheep or 1000 head of cattle.

Mark Hay Realty Group principal Mark Hay believes the property’s best and highest use is grazing but is also suited to several biodiversity practices, with further upside available from irrigating.

“This is one of the most unique farms to hit the market for many decades,” Mr Hay said.

“It screams opportunity for many different entrepreneurial ventures and farmers who will capitalise on the unbelievable water supply, location, scale and unique private farming location.”

Gunapin Ridge is watered by 26 dams, a soak and a bore, with access to an enormous and largely untapped underground aquifer which runs for 4km across the property.

It has been flow tested at around two million litres a day.

Mr Hay said the landholding falls outside the prescribed water licence area and beckons future development.

“Sinking further bores to harness the immense water assets offers huge potential for horticulture, lot-feeding, strip grazing, irrigated lucerne, hay and clover farming and even aquaculture.”

Infrastructure includes a six-bedroom home, a three-bedroom cottage, a four-stand shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards, silos, and numerous sheds.

The entire 26km boundary has been refenced with a high quality 1.85m high vermin-proof fence costing around $1M.

Gunapin Ridge offers potential for biodiversity pursuits or environmental offsets.

It is being offered by expressions of interest closing September 23.

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