THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across the country, and a separate article of recently completed sales of note.

• Filipino Romeo Roxas lists NT cattle station
• Longreach’s Darriveen lists for first time in 70 years
• Chinese to offload Qld aggregation
• $45m+ for diverse Liverpool Plains country
• NQ savannah grazing country lists

Murray Downs Station is located in the lower Barkly Downs region of the Northern Territory, 200km south of Tennant Creek and 400km north of Alice Springs.

Filipino Romeo Roxas lists NT cattle station

At the age of 85, Filipino lawyer, businessman and property developer Romeo Roxas has decided to offload the last of his rural holdings in Australia.

After nine years of ownership, Mr Roxas has listed the 559,500ha Murray Downs Station located in the lower Barkly Downs region of the Northern Territory, 200km south of Tennant Creek and 400km north of Alice Springs.

The soft mulga and buffel breeding country, pictured above, is able to run between 10,000 and 12,000 breeders, with the Davenport Ranges to the north providing excellent flood out.

Murray Downs is watered by 34 bores (including 30 solar powered) and benefits from the Amelia, Skinner and Murray Creek systems, as well as seasonal waterholes.

David Russell from Nutrien Russell Property and Livestock has already booked four inspections for Murray Downs, with most of the inquiry coming from locals and Queensland producers seeking breeder country.

Potential buyers could include the Pickersgill family (trading as the Bunderra Cattle Company) who purchased the neighbouring 460,900ha Neutral Junction Station two years ago.

Prominent Queensland Santa Gertrudis breeders David and Suzanne Bassingthwaighte are another possibility. Five years ago, they secured the Roxas-owned 265,600ha lower Barkly Downs cattle station Epenarra, which is 100km north of Murray Downs.

Purchased by Mr Roxas’ Australian Green Properties in 2015, Murray Downs Station has undergone extensive water, fencing and structural improvements.

Infrastructure includes numerous renovated residences, including a four-bedroom home, a variety of sheds and 12 cattle yards.

Mr Russell said Murray Downs offers the incoming purchaser further development opportunities.

“Mr Roxas has spent millions of dollars upgrading the stations he has purchased and is still undertaking works on Murray Downs, including a new set of cattle yards,” he said.

“Additionally, there is a mountain of poly pipe, tanks and troughs yet to be installed. It is a ‘work in progress’ and if not completed by settlement, will be handed on to the new owner,” Mr Russell said.

Murray Downs is being offered for sale on a walk-in, walk-out basis, including 10,000 quality Santa cows, heifers and followers, via expressions of interest closing on September 6.

Romeo Roxas’ property acquisition history

November 2015 – Mr Roxas paid more than $20m, including 18,000 head of cattle, for the 560,000ha Murray Downs and 265,000ha Epenarra Stations.

June 2019 – the 265,600ha lower Barkly Downs Epenarra Station, 550km north of Alice Springs, was sold to Mungallala’s David and Suzanne Bassingthwaighte (together with their five children) from Muldoon Station, for $14m (WIWO including 8000 Droughtmaster cattle).

Mr Roxas’ four years of ownership and improvements had resulted in an excellent water supply, well-appointed buildings and accommodation, quality handling yards, paddocks, laneways and 100km of new fencing.

In 2022 – Australian Green Properties (owned by Mr Roxas) offloaded two western New South Wales holdings to further develop the Central Australian cattle station, Murray Downs.

• The 8788ha Kopyje Station in New South Wales’ north-west made $5.2 million ($586/ha) when it was sold at auction. Situated 35km north of Nymagee and 115km south-west of Nyngan, it was running 322 cows and followers, 10 bulls and 300 Dorper ewes, as well as harvesting around 1200 nomadic rangeland goats a year.
• The 1187ha Scrubby on Yanda, located 12km east of Cobar, sold at auction for $495,000. At the time it was carrying around 300 Dorpers and nannies.

Other western NSW properties held by Romeo Roxas include:

• 61,918ha Paddington Staton, 120km north of Ivanhoe and 120km south-west of Cobar, sold in November 2015 for $2.5m.
• 55,066ha Keewong Station, 130km south-west of Cobar and 130km north of Ivanhoe, sold in December 2015 for $2.5m.
• 18,225ha Coronga Downs, 41km north of Cobar, sold in October 2019 for $1.6m.

Longreach’s Darriveen lists for first time in 70 years

Around 70 years of Hetherington and Cameron family ownership will end with the sale of Darriveen in western Queensland.

Located 75km north of Longreach and 80km south of Muttaburra, the 9569ha fully exclusion fenced property was purchased in the 1950s, with Tony and his wife Jan taking the reins in 1963 and their daughter Edwina and husband Ray Cameron running it for the past 20 years.

The productive breeding and finishing property boasts heavy carrying, open Mitchell grass downs country capable of running both cattle and sheep.

Resolute Property Group agent Ben Forrest said the high calibre grazing asset is easy to manage.

“It would suit entry level buyers, existing producers seeking expansion or those from the north wanting a block to background weaners,” he said.

Situated in a 425mm average annual rainfall region, the property is watered by a solar equipped artesian bore, two dams and numerous waterholes.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom Queenslander homestead, a two-bedroom cottage, steel cattle yards, two sheep yards, sheds, a six-stand shearing shed and a shearers’ quarters.

Darriveen will be auctioned on August 2.

Chinese to offload Qld aggregation

The Sydney-based, Chinese-owned Hailiang Australian Land Investment Co is offloading two adjoining cattle and cropping assets in southern Queensland.

The 61,007ha Hollymount and Mt Driven are located 50km south-east of St George and 160km north-west of Goondiwindi.

Purchased in February 2014, the Hailiang Australian Land Investment Co paid $31.5m for Hollymount and $10m for Mt Driven and is selling after a ten-year investment term.

The properties are being offered for sale on a bare basis as a whole or as separate holdings, plus a package of three unsupplemented water allocations totalling 3980ML.

Ray White Rural agent Richard Brosnan was unable to give a price guide for the diverse portfolio of properties, saying an expressions of interest process will realise its market value. EOIs for Hollymount and Mt Driven close on August 22.

“The scale of Hollymount and Mt Driven is likely to attract corporate and institutional investors, as well as cattle producers chasing large tracts of land to balance their portfolio.”

Hollymount

The 34,046ha Hollymount comprises four adjoining properties – Hollymount, Iandra, Beltana and West Harran – ideal for cropping and grazing.

There are 3500ha of dryland cultivation currently sown to oats and wheat, 3500ha of previous cultivation converted to buffel, 11,960ha of improved pastures and 11,895ha of grazing country, with the remainder older regrowth timber and remnant vegetation.

Hollymount is watered by two bores and 30 dams.

The infrastructure includes two homes, a donga, two steel cattle yards, numerous sheds, five silos, a shearing shed and quarters.

Mt Driven

The neighbouring 26,960ha Mt Driven (comprising Westernbrook and Mt Driven) is 36km east of St George.

It consists of 18,760ha of established improved pastures, 1800ha of cleared cultivation and 700ha of cultivation land, with 5700ha of remnant vegetation.

It is watered by the Moonie River, two bores (one is shared between three neighbouring properties), supported by 24 dams.

Infrastructure includes two homes, two steel cattle yards and a shearing shed.

$45m+ for diverse Liverpool Plains country

More than $45 million is anticipated for an important dryland cropping and grazing opportunity at the coveted southern end of the renowned Liverpool Plains of northern New South Wales.

After two generations, the Norman family is selling the 3088ha Staplegrove Aggregation near Blackville, 48km from Willow Tree and 65km from Quirindi.

It comprises three non-contiguous properties -1714ha Staplegrove, 1021ha Brenand and 353ha Glendower.

LAWD agent George Barton is anticipating strong interest from institutional buyers and well-geared local farming families, describing the high rainfall country as ‘exceptional’ and the scale as a ‘rare commodity’ for the region.

The near-level Staplegrove Aggregation features deep black self-mulching clay soils rising to pockets of chocolate basalt soils.

Around 2200ha are planted to winter and summer crops including wheat, barley, chickpeas, faba beans, canola, sorghum and cotton, with the 888ha balance is used for grazing.

Watered by creek frontages, seasonal waterways and bores, the infrastructure includes a home, two cottages, cattle yards, numerous sheds, a grain dryer and 3800 tonnes of grain storage.

Staplegrove Aggregation is being offered for sale in one-line or as separate assets, with expressions of interest closing on August 15.

After two generations, the Norman family is selling the 3088ha Staplegrove Aggregation near Blackville, 48km from Willow Tree and 65km from Quirindi.

NQ savannah grazing country lists

Savannah cattle breeding and finishing country is being offered for private sale including 1500 young Brahman breeders plus calves at foot.

Located on the outskirts of Mount Surprise, 220km from southwest of Atherton, the 3561ha Savannah once formed part of the 17,650ha Rocky Springs Station, purchased in 2019 by Bruce Angel and Gary Hill.

The pair subdivided the holding into three freehold blocks, with the North Queensland buyers adding Savannah to their existing holdings in November 2020.

The property neighbours Springfield Station to the north, Byrimine to the east and Rocky Springs to the south, as well as the Mount Surprise township.

The picturesque, lightly timbered and gently sloping savannah grazing country boasts fertile heavy carrying red and black basalt soils with scattered rocky outcrops currently carrying a good body of grass.

Stockplace Marketing agent Ashley Naclerio said Savannah offers year-round access to the Savannah Way highway.

“There has been significant interest from locals, as well as producers on the Atherton Tablelands district seeking fattening country to the west,” he said.

“Savannah is a perfect addition to an existing grazing operation or as a starter block with significant scale,” Mr Naclerio said.

The Elizabeth Creek runs through the Savannah’s western boundary (against the Mount Surprise township) and offers sweet frontage grazing.

Situated in a 760mm average rainfall region, Savannah is watered by five equipped bores, supported by two dams and a small seasonal creek.

Infrastructure includes two dongas and centrally located cattle yards (to be installed prior to hand over).

The WIWO sale includes 1500 good quality Brahman cross cows, heifers and calves, as well as plant and equipment.