SHOOTERS Hill is on the market to offer cropping scale in the Great Southern, while the Pearce family’s Wheatbelt holdings have sold locally.

Shooters Hill Aggregation

John and Kerry Stone’s productive dryland cropping opportunity in the tightly held Great Southern region of Western Australia has been listed for sale with $33 million to $36 million expectations.

The 4387ha Shooters Hill Aggregation is 5km from Borden, 30km from Gnowangerup and 80km from Katanning and Mount Barker, and close to CBH sites at Borden and Cranbrook, as well as CBH’s Albany
terminal.

Comprising four semi-contiguous holdings – 2210ha Madgedup, 1163ha, Shooters Hill, 527ha Tin Hut and 486ha Block – it has been aggregated by the family over the past 110 years.

Benefitting from a Mediterranean climate, around 3265ha is considered arable and has been established to dryland cropping of cereals, oilseeds and pulses.

At present, Shooters Hill is growing wheat, barley, oats, canola, faba beans, lupins and field peas.

LAWD agent Simon Wilkinson said during 2021 and 2022, strong yields were recorded across the board.

“There was an average of 3.83t/ha of wheat, 3.56t/ha of barley, 3.11t/ha of oats, 1.75t/ha of canola, 2.05t/ha of faba beans and 1.64t/ha of lupins.”

Mr Wilkinson said Shooters Hill Aggregation was underpinned by an extensive history of land improvement.

“Soil-enhancement projects have been undertaken, as well as an annual fertiliser program to maintain and enhance the long-term productivity and sustainability of the land.”

Approximate pH levels range from 4.9-6.5 at depths of 0-15 centimetres.

Water is supplied by dams and strategically located spray tanks, in a 398mm average annual rainfall region.

Improvements include a home, workers’ accommodation, various sheds, a shearing shed and more than 1000 tonnes of grain storage.

Shooters Hill Aggregation is being offered for sale in one line or as separate assets by expressions of interest closing on November 10.

Numeralla, Mannabanks and Mannabanks North

In Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, three generations of Pearce family ownership have ended with the sale of Numeralla, Mannabanks and Mannabanks North for around $10.5M.

Nutrien Harcourts agent Steve Wright was unable to disclose the price paid, but said he was happy with the sale which achieved slightly above the vendor’s expectations.

It was the first time the 3383ha mixed farming and grazing aggregation was offered to the market since the original holding Numerella was taken up by brothers Thomas and William Pearce in 1910.

Mannabanks was purchased in 1938 and the adjoining Mannabanks North was added shortly after and expanded in 1994 with neighbouring country.

All three properties were carefully selected by the early pioneers for their abundance of fertile soils, with 2932ha, or 87 percent, deemed arable.

The 1936ha Numeralla near Moulyinn, 18km west of Kukerin and 30km east of Dumbleyung, was split up and sold to two locals for around $6.8M.

The 1535ha Numeralla home block was sold to a neighbour, with a near neighbour securing the 401ha Billy Goats on the eastern side of the property.

The gently undulating country comprises 85pc medium loams with some gravels, 10pc heavier types and 5pc lighter soils which have been planted to pine and tagasaste.

The 2023 cropping program on Numeralla includes 800ha of barley and 100ha of oats, while the Tarin Rock properties are growing 230ha of wheat, 700ha of barley and 305ha of canola.

The balance of the holding is grazing, natural timbers, revegetation, fire breaks, drains and catchments, dams, waterways and a laneway.

Water is supplied by a scheme and 27 dams, most with catchments.

Improvements on Numeralla included a four-bedroom home, a workers’ cottage, a four-stand shearing shed, steel sheep yards, numerous sheds, eight silos and water and fuel tanks.

Around 45km away, a neighbour purchased the adjoining 847ha Mannabanks and the 599ha Mannabanks North, situated north of Tarin Rock, for around $3.7M.

Both properties have 75-80pc medium loams and 20pc heavier clays.

Original timbers include some of the best examples of White Gum, York Gum, Jam and Mallee trees.
There are 10 dams on Mannabanks and seven on Mannabanks North, most of which have catchments.

Mannabanks has a four-stand shearing shed, steel sheep yards, a shed, four silos and fuel and water tanks.

There are no fixed improvements on Mannabanks North.

 

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