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

• Western Qld’s Cawnpore makes $18m
• Blackall powerhouse makes $25.5m
• Sought after CQ bullock country makes $20m
• Liverpool Plains country makes $17m+
• $6m for Western Downs grazing
• $3.6m for Qld block offering water & grass

Western Qld’s Cawnpore makes $18m

Ardie and Kacie Lord and family from Richmond have paid $18 million for western Queensland’s Cawnpore Station.

Lord Pastoral is a family owned and operated beef cattle and hay production business headquartered at the 29,100ha Sutherland, 120km north-west of Richmond.

Other holdings include the 16,000ha Runnymede (85km north-west of Richmond), the 9716ha Camroo (70km south of Tambo) and three Gulf breeder properties – the 43,512ha East Creek (240km north of Richmond), the 154,000ha Woodstock Station (210km north of Richmond) and the adjacent 26,900ha New Water.

The 97,400ha Cawnpore, pictured above when it was last sold in 2019, is located in the tightly held Middleton area, 200km west of Winton.

North Queensland cattle producers Peter and Jane Hughes listed the property after paying what was considered an extraordinary $11 million ($113/ha) in June 2019.

The pressure for grass was understood to have been at the heart of the transaction, with the Hughes family’s Barkly Tablelands holdings Lake Nash, Georgina Downs and Argadargada – suffering from drought at the time.

Cawnpore is a turnkey breeding and/or background depot that can run 7000 adult equivalents.

The country comprises a mix of Mitchell and Flinders grass downs, gidgee ridges and associated herbages.

It is watered by a 300mm annual rainfall, a flowing bore, 12 dams and extensive water infrastructure.

During their ownership, the Hughes made significant capital expenditure on roads, water, yards, fencing and the homestead.

The sale of Cawnpore Station was handled by RPL agent Wally Cooper and Ray White Rural agent Bruce Douglas.

 

Blackall powerhouse makes $25.5m

A Taroom producer has paid $25.5 million for a central western Queensland Certified Organic breeding, backgrounding and finishing enterprise that can run 3000 adult equivalents.

The 18,077ha Gowan Station, 70km south of Blackall, was offloaded by Blue Sky Beef after eight years of ownership.

Agents from Ray White Rural and RPL were unable to disclose the buyer, however the Blackall powerhouse was passed-in at auction and sold afterwards to the highest bidder.

The property once formed part of the CSR Pastoral portfolio (sold-off around 1985) and last changed hands in 2016 when Consolidated Pastoral Co sold it to Blue Sky Beef – newly founded by Stewart and Emma Taylor with three other equal share partners.

In 2018, the company purchased the 21,650ha Norwood west of Blackall and in 2020 secured the 10,562ha Tarves, 25km north of Blackall.

Since 2016, a partner has been bought out and three major shareholders remain.

On the back of an excellent wet season, the vendors told Beef Central it was a good time for the company to sell Gowan and purchase backgrounding country further east to allow finishing feeder cattle closer to feedlot markets and for internal succession.

Gowan carries a mix of developed gidgee country growing prolific stands of buffel grass, lightly shaded Mitchell grass and coolibah creek systems and offers scope for further development with pasture and water improvements.

The property is watered by 12 dams and a capped artesian bore with a reticulation system to tanks and troughs, in a 526mm annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, steel cattle yards, numerous sheds and a six-stand shearing shed and quarters.

 

Sought after CQ bullock country makes $20m

An Emerald producer seeking a bullock block has paid around $20 million for Central Queensland’s Mayfield.

The 4242ha holding is located 30km from Dingo and 150km from Rockhampton, with good access to saleyards at Gracemere and Emerald and abattoirs at Mackay, Rockhampton, and Biloela.

@AG agent Damien Freney was unable to disclose the buyer or the price but was happy with the result in the current conservative market.

“Mayfield received good inquiry from locals and producers, from as far north as Hughenden and as far south as Kingaroy, resulting in three solid offers,” he said.

The backgrounding, breeding and finishing country runs around 1400AE or $16,000 per beast area, with the vendor running breeders through to bullocks on a balance of scrub soils that are well grassed.

Since 2017, Mayfield has been extensively developed, with 2592ha of the country certified organic, EU and grasslands accredited – the balance will be certified organic from 2025.

Mayfield is well watered by 13 dams and three equipped bores supported by 617mm of rain a year.

Improvements include a five-bedroom Queenslander, a renovated cottage, numerous sheds, cattle yards and steel weaner yards.

 

Liverpool Plains country makes $17m+

Tamalie Farms has paid $17.3 million to expand its farming operations on the south-western edge of the renowned Liverpool Plains of northern New South Wales.

It has secured the adjoining 2287ha Tuwinga, a cattle and cropping enterprise near Bundella, halfway between Quirindi and Gunnedah.

During its six year ownership, a Chinese family trading as Mooney Pastoral has run Tuwinga as a cattle breeding and trading enterprise together with a summer and winter-crop operation.

The family is retaining its other Bundella cattle property Telargra, spanning 3830ha and running more than 7000 head of cattle.

While the new owner will convert much of the grazing country to cropping, it is understood Tamalie Farms will continue to run some trade cattle and breeders on sheltered, heavy chocolate basalt grazing slopes.

The country on Tuwinga features alluvial creek flats to contoured farming slopes, rising to undulating hills and steeper range country associated with Moores Mountain.

Tuwinga is watered by an 8.2km Tamalie Creek frontage, four equipped bores, several unequipped bores/wells, supplemented by dams and spring-fed gullies.

Infrastructure includes two four-bedroom homes, a worker’s cottage, numerous sheds, a five-stand shearing shed, steel cattle and sheep yards.

The sale was handled by Elders agents Ben Green and Chris Malone.

 

$6m for Western Downs grazing

Alister and Jo Persse’s Western Downs grazing enterprise with mixed farming capabilities has made more than $6 million after selling to the Frith family from St George for expansion.

The 2289ha Burumbah is 40km north-east of Toobeah and 53km from Goondiwindi, in south-west Queensland’s Goodar district.

Burumbah is suited to a sheep grazing, lamb fattening or cattle trading operation, with the ability to grow both winter and summer forage and cash crops as security.

It was offered to the market as a thoughtfully developed property with sound improvements and excellent sheep handling facilities, backed up by a secure stock watering network that consists of piped water servicing all paddocks.

During the sale campaign, the fully exclusion fenced property was carrying a big body of feed supporting around 4000 ewes and lambs.

The productive soil types, mostly heavier grey belah and brigalow, are conducive to growing winter or summer cash and forage crops.

Burumbah is watered by 15 dams. Improvements include a four-bedroom home, workers accommodation, sheds, a five-stand shearing shed and sheep and timber yards.

Nutrien Harcourts agent Andrew Jakins handled the sale.

 

$3.6m for Qld block offering water & grass

Stuart and Mandy Henning have paid $3.6 million to expand with the neighbouring well-grassed and well-watered property in Queensland’s Western Downs and Maranoa regions.

The 931ha Woodlawn, located 25km south of Glenmorgan, was sold under the hammer at auction ending 98 years of ownership by the Walton and Wakefield families.

Nutrien Harcourts agent John Malone described the result as strong for the district.

Woodlawn can run around 160 breeders but has been lightly stocked for several years.

The country is mostly cleared brigalow and belah carrying a good body of buffel and strong stands of blue grass, kangaroo grass and other natives.

Watered by eleven dams, the infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, cattle yards, a two-stand shearing shed and quarters.