Gadara Farm is located 45km south of Geraldton. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

IN PROPERTY news this week, two Western Australian mixed-farming properties have come to market, and three very different New South Wales holdings have sold locally.

Chelsea, NSW

A Garah farming family is expanding its existing holdings in north-western New South Wales with the purchase of Chelsea.

Moree Real Estate agent Terry Adams was unable to disclose the name of the buyer or the price; however, expectations were around $6000-$7400/ha when Chelsea listed late last year.

This means the property was likely to have achieved between $9.5 million and $11.4M

The 1532ha holding is located 1km north of Garah and 52km north of Moree, close to commodity depots in both towns.

Around 1429ha, or 93 percent, is arable, and features mostly level heavy black and grey soils growing summer and winter crops.

Described as an easy-to-manage block, Chelsea has a well-developed layout with efficient long runs divided into four fields.

Situated in a 556mm rainfall area, Chelsea fronts the Gil Gil Creek on both its southern and western boundaries, with additional water supplied by a capped and piped bore scheme.

Improvements include 10 silos with a total capacity of 516 tonnes, a grain shed, a woolshed, and steel sheep yards.

Wirchilleba, NSW

A prominent cattle, dorper and farming family headquartered south of Cobar is expanding its operations with Wirchilleba in central NSW.

The family is believed to have paid close to $5.5M for the 8419ha mixed organic grazing and dryland farming enterprise 53km north of Mount Hope and 111km south of Cobar.

The country on Wirchilleba is described as highly regarded soft grazing with the fertile soils growing a variety of natives including copper burr, barley grass, cotton bush and clovers.

The property is carrying a good body of dry summer grass, with winter herbage in abundance and supporting 850 cows and followers.

The well-developed, open cropping country is flat to slightly undulating with heavy red clay to sandy loams.

Phillip and Vanessa Bell of Cooplacurripa Station have recently sold Wirchelleba in the Mount Hope district. Photo: Nutrien Russell Property & Livestock, Cobar

Wirchilleba includes 2633ha of mixed organic dryland farming with 1200ha sown to lucerne.

Watered by eight dams, two bores and 9ML of water entitlements, Wirchilleba benefits from a 6km flow from the Burthong Creek.

David Russell from Nutrien Russell Property & Livestock handled the sale on behalf of vendors Phillip and Vanessa Bell, who own the large-scale cattle breeding property Cooplacurripa Station near Nowendoc in north-eastern NSW.

Greenlanes, NSW

ASX-LISTED agricultural land investment firm Duxton Farms has paid $3.47M to expand with the neighbouring 523ha Greenlanes near Wirrinya, in Central West NSW.

Greenlanes is bordered by Duxton’s Kentucky property on three sides.

The company said it plans to remove the fencing between the holdings and operate them as a single contiguous dryland cropping aggregation.

The purchase will increase the land area of Kentucky by nine percent to 6438ha, improving operational efficiencies.

Lynthorpe

A long-time Ongerup family trading as Radcliffe Nominees is hoping to achieve around $8M for its mixed-farming operation in WA’s Great Southern region.

The 1303ha Lynthorpe, situated 10km from Ongerup and 165km from Albany, is the family’s final asset to be offloaded after selling down a number of properties over recent years.

Lynthorpe Great Southern. Photo: Elders

Lynthorpe’s soils range from productive grey loam clays to York gum loams with the country fenced into 13 paddocks.

Considered mostly arable, the family has been conservatively operating Lynthorpe in a cropping rotation incorporating wheat, barley and canola with sheep.

Water is secured by 13 dams with well-maintained catchments and numerous rainwater tanks.

Infrastructure includes two homes, several sheds, a six-stand shearing shed, near-new steel sheep yards and stand-alone power.

The expressions-of-interest campaign for Lynthorpe is being handled by Elders agent David Treeby.

Gadara Farm

Expressions of interest are being sought for a picturesque mixed farm on WA’s sought-after Coral Coast.

The 1429ha Gadara Farm is located near Bookara, 14km north of Dongara and 45km from Geraldton, where Nutrien Harcourts agent Brad King said properties of this type and size rarely come to market.

“The property can grow wheat and oats and would also suit a stud stock enterprise, but is currently running sheep (up to 10,000DSE in a good season) and producing hay.”

One of district’s largest landholdings, Gadara Farm enjoys ocean views and offers future subdivision potential with the Melaleuca Heights Estate (comprising 17ha lots) on the southern boundary.

The vendors are lifelong farmers Gary and Jose Norrish, originally from WA’s Wheatbelt, who moved to Dongara more than 20 years ago and are now ready to retire.

Infrastructure on Gadara Farm includes silos and fertiliser storage. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

Mr King said the easy to manage property will give an incoming purchaser an opportunity to fish and catch crayfish in their spare time.

“Enquiry is mostly coming from farmers wanting a base closer to town and cattle producers seeking a block for finishing and hay production.

Situated in a 450mm annual rainfall region, Gadara Farm is watered by four bores, 16 tanks and 31 troughs.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, numerous sheds, a five-stand shearing shed, two sheep yards, cattle yards, 120 tonnes of fertiliser storage and four silos.