THIS week’s Sheep Central property review includes a wrap-up of interesting recent listings across the country.

 Renowned Dunedoo holding listed after 97 years

 Neighbouring New England properties span 4000ha

 Littles list exclusion fenced Moonby in NQ

 WA’s Panizza family heads for retirement

 

Renowned Dunedoo holding lists after 97 years

One of the longest held and largest holdings in the renowned Dunedoo district of central western New South Wales is being offered to the market by the Gaden family after 97 years ownership.

The 33389ha Lockerbie is a renowned livestock, sheep breeding, wool growing and fattening property estimated to carry about 13,000-14,000DSE, complemented by cash or fodder cropping.

Meares & Associates principal Chris Meares said Lockerbie is one of the leading properties in the region.

“In an average season, it carries up to 3200 breeding ewes, 1500 wool cutting wethers and up to 350 cows; however, in optimum seasons, numbers have reached as high as 18,000DSE.”

The original part of Lockerbie was acquired by the Gaden family in 1926 and added to in 1964 and 1991 to create the current contiguous holding, with much of the livestock operation managed by cell grazing techniques.

The rich basalt and loam soils are highly arable, particularly on the Merrygoen Creek flats, with around 550ha growing cash or fodder crops as well as high-performance pastures.

Lockerbie is watered by a 9.5km mostly double frontage to the permanent Merrygoen Creek supported by six bores, 19 dams and numerous permanent and semi-permanent creeks.

Mr Meares said Lockerbie has potential to generate biodiversity offsets.

“An initial (non-binding) exploratory review, undertaken in July, can be made available to interested parties outlining the opportunity, high level business case and subsequent actions under the NSW Government Biodiversity Offsets Scheme.”

The turnkey opportunity offers the incoming purchaser with a fully automated state of the art lamb and sheep feedlot capable of turning off up to 16,000 lambs a year.

Other infrastructure includes two homes, a five-stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yards, numerous sheds and 765 tonnes of grain storage.

Lockerbie will be auctioned online by Meares & Associates on December 6.

Neighbouring New England properties span 4000ha

Nearly 4000ha of breeding and backgrounding country in the New England region of New South Wales is being offered to market by different branches of the Cameron family.

The historic 2390ha Fassifern and the adjoining 1573ha Inverinate have been listed for separate sale by MacDougall Rural Property agent Graham MacDougall via expressions of interest.

Both properties are situated in the Chandler River Valley on the eastern fall, north of Wollomombi and 50km east of Armidale.

Fassifern has produce wool for six generations

Fassifern was originally purchased by Donald Cameron in 1869 and has been producing wool for six generations of the Cameron family ever since.

Today, the property spans 2390ha, with open to sheltered valleys with fine granite soils and improved pastures running 7.4DSE per hectare.

The vendors have been breeding the current Merino bloodlines since the 1980s and producing 18 micron wool, as well as running a Hereford and Angus cross operation.

The Camerons introduced rotational grazing in 2008 and according to the vendor, this practice has increased ground cover and pasture quality.

Fassifern is located near the headwaters of the Macleay River Catchment Area and is abundantly watered. There are 7.8km of Chandler River frontage (mostly double frontage), 4km of Maiden Creek frontage (1.8km double frontage) and 8km of Wollomombi River frontage.

Water is also supplied by Bindleys Creek, six spring-fed dams and four spring-fed gullies and creeks.

Infrastructure includes two homes, three cattle yards, three sheep yards, a four-stand shearing shed, numerous sheds, a shearer’s quarters and two silos with 50 tonnes of grain capacity.

Adjoining Inverinate has abundant natural water

The 1537ha property, that once formed part of the neighbouring Fassifern, has been holistically owned and managed by Angus and Sue Cameron since 1986.

Until recently, Inverinate has operated a self-replacing Merino flock, an Angus and Angus cross breeding herd, as well as opportunistic trading.

Valley floors and country east of the Chandler River rise to sheltered fine granite high country in the east and a basalt ridge in the west that can conservatively run 500 cows and 6000 sheep.

Like the adjoining Fassifern, Inverinate has abundant natural water. There are 5.5kms of double frontage and 600m of single frontage to the Chandler River, supported by water from the Maiden Creek and spring-fed and catchment dams.

The infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, two cattle yards, sheep yards, a four-stand shearing shed and numerous sheds. Both Fassifern and Inverinate are being offered for separate sale by expressions of interest closing on November 16.

Littles list exclusion fenced Moonby in NQ

QUEENSLAND graziers Bob and Margie Little have listed their Moonby Station in the state’s north-west after more than 80 years of family ownership.

The 10,312ha property situated 37km south-west of Hughenden is exclusion fenced. It is set up for sheep and cattle, and the Littles have been conservatively running sheep (1200 adult equivalents) and agisting cattle.

After a good season, Moonby is boasting abundant Mitchell and Flinders grass with some buffel and herbages.

John Wharton from Wharton & Co said good interest is coming from cattle producers in Clermont, Bundaberg, Cloncurry and north of Charters Towers seeking finishing and backgrounding country.

Noted for its heavy carrying capacity, the undulating tight gidyea pebble country has soft self-cracking soils in a 457mm average annual rainfall region.

Moonby is located on the Flinders River watershed and watered by the Wariana and Little Wariana Creeks, supported by other channels and three bores (two equipped).

The infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, a self-contained cottage, three sheds, a five-stand shearing shed, shearers quarters, sheep yards and portable panel cattle yards.

Expressions of interest for Moonby Station close on November 23.

WA’s Panizza family heads for retirement

Offers above $2 million are being sought for the Panizza family’s remaining dryland cropping and livestock breeding, fattening and finishing opportunity in estern Australia’s Yilgarn shire.

The 1902ha Mary’s Block (named after relative Mary Panizza) is located 11km south-east of Moorine Rock and 23km south-west of Southern Cross.

The land has been owned by the famil;y since 1976 and leased for the last five years. It is being sold to wind up the family’s farming assets. Another branch of the Panizza family is continuing to farm around Marvel Loch and Southern Cross.

LAWD agent William Morris said the property is being offered as a vacant possession; however, the current tenant is happy to extend the lease if purchased by an investor.

The property features 1815ha of arable land, with 700ha currently planted to canola and the balance to pasture and grazing Merino sheep. In the past, Mary’s Block has also grown wheat and barley.

The undulating country features red and brown loams, deep and gravelly yellow sands and granite and gravelly earths in a 303mm average annual rainfall region. Water is sourced from seven dams.

Mr Morris said Mary’s Block could have carbon play or mining offset benefits in the future.

“Situated between two bushland reserves (Frog Rock Nature Reserve to east and an unnamed reserve to west), enquiry could come from local mining companies seeking freehold country for fauna and flora corridors.”