The billionaire hedge fund manager Sir Michael Hintze has again expanded his NSW farming properties.

The 2,250 hectare farm in Boggabri recently cost Hintze $7,935,000, which took his spend mostly in rural NSW to over $80 million over the past decade or so.

His prior acquisition was Deltroit, the Gundagai district 2573 hectare Mundarlo property.

Sir Michael, with a fortune estimated at $1.3 billion, is the founder of London-headquartered $12 billion global fund manager CQS.

His MH Premium Farms owns 20 rural properties in Australia spanning more than 70,000 hectares across Australia from North Queensland sugar farms to Victoria.

He started near Goulburn in 2007 with a $12.5 million purchase of the 3,300 hectare grazing property Little Wollogorang.

The expatriate veteran hedge fund trader - who grew up in Sydney - doesn't have a home in the NSW capital.

He deemed his farming portfolio as an investment not just looking for capital gain from the properties but also seeking solid returns on production.

Hintze recently spent more than $10 million on the historic Cheviot Hills, his first Victorian farming property.

He's not the only London based expat buying up the bush.

Ivan Ritossa and wife Marina have spent $5.4 million on Bogolara, nearly 1,700 hectares an hour north of Canberra.

They've bought with Cootamundra born David Carr, the former Yellow Brick Road owner. 

Ivan was one of the most influential figures in foreign exchange over the past few decades.

In 2008 Ivan and Marina paid $45 million for Coolong, the 4,100 sqm Vaucluse waterfront trophy of the late Allco founder David Coe.

This article first appeared in the Daily Telegraph.

Contents arising from the lengthy Ashton family ownership of historic Markdale, the NSW country farm at Binda, are to be auctioned.

The recently sold property has been with the family for three generations.

The 2250 hectare farm was sold by company director Geoff Ashton and his wife Mary.

On May 12, 13 and 14 the contents of Markdale will be for viewing. The auctual auction of the 350 plus lots will be at the RSL in Crookwell starting at 12noon on Sunday.

But not all is going up for sale with exclusions including the polo-player weathervane that tops the 1920s home to symbolise the family's long association with the sport.

The seven bedroom homestead came with extensions by the acclaimed Professor Leslie Wilkinson and is set in an Edna Walling-designed garden.

The garden is acknowledged as one of the great country gardens of Australia.

The Southern Tablelands property derives wool production and guesthouse income from its two original stone cottages and the shearers quarters.

Richard Royle of Colliers International Rural & Agribusiness sold the estate for an undisclosed price to a family with four boys from Sydney.

James Ashton, who was a copy boy on the Hay newspaper and went on to become chairman of MLC and the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, pioneered the farm.

James had four sons Jim, Robert, Geoff and Phil, who began playing polo against his wishes.

In the 1930’s, the brothers shipped their horses to England, the United States and India to compete against top international teams, winning numerous tournaments, including England’s Hurlingham Championship and the Indian Empire Shield, and an invincible team in Australia retiring unbeaten in 1938.

The guestbook shows just how generously the Ashtons have entertained their family and friends at the home since 1921.

Marshall Baxter has listed Goulburn’s grand Bishopthorpe Manor for sale, after a decade at the 21-hectare estate.

32 Bishopthorpe Lane is a landmark rural property of historical significance, having been carved from bluestone in 1870 as the residence for the first Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Goulburn. It retains a chapel housed in the original stables, as well as monks quarters.

The home has previously enjoyed extensive renovations to be transformed into a boutique guesthouse in both 2003 and in 1999, and provides a minimum of 7 bedrooms – 5 of which come complete with gas fireplaces and each with a full bathroom ensuite and spa bath.

It is has also been reincarnated over the years as a girls’ school, the home of Yarralumla Station owner Frederick Campbell in 1913, a conference centre, boutique guest house, and as the host of the 2005 Celebrity Overhaul reality television show.

First National Real Estate Goulburn agent Barry McEntee is marketing the listing as luxurious and full of character, with its multitude of living areas including a grand foyer, formal dining room, billiard room, casual living rooms, library and study.

Located 2 hours' drive from Sydney and an hour to Canberra, other benefits of the Manor are district views, climate control, and a manager's residence comprising a fully self-contained 2 bedroom apartment.

Baxter, an executive running the Baxter’s Boots business his great-grandfather acquired in 1885, originally bought Bishopthorpe in 2007 from liquidators for $2.3 million.

From learning a wide range of agri-sector business practices to practical experience on-farm, a previous recipient of the Agribusiness Australia Tertiary Education Scholarship is amazed at the opportunities that it has provided.

Molly Ashby, who is in half way through her Degree in Veterinary Science at Charles Sturt University, is grateful to Agribusiness Australia for assisting her financially over the last three years.

She said it has allowed her to focus on her studies and to maximise other opportunities, like travelling further abroad to learn about the sector that she is so passionate about.

“I have been able to get a fantastic insight into the agri-sector from a range of perspectives. I’ve spent a total of 12 weeks working in different businesses (beef, chicken, pig, sheep and dairy) - learning management practices and marketing as well as practical experience on-farm.

“It’s great to first learn the theory in class and then get out to really experience and appreciate it,” Molly said.

Outside of her Uni studies, Molly is also maximising her opportunities at University like working with a like-minded team, setting up a mental health based program for Veterinary students.

Not one to stand still, Molly is also on the organising committee for the 2018 Australian Veterinary Association student conference.

Each year Agribusiness Australia encourages final year high school students, like Molly to undertake studies in agriculture to ensure that the sector, worth more than $500 billion to the Australian economy, continues to prosper.

Agribusiness Australia, Chief Executive Officer, Tim Burrow, said with Agribusiness being such a critical pillar of the national’s economy it was a privilege as an association to support a student into the exciting sector.

Each year a recipient is selected from a different State or Territory, with the successful recipient receiving $1000 per year for three consecutive years of study, with continuous enrolment in a university related degree.

This year, the scholarship which opens in May, will be available to eligible students based in Western Australia.

Further information will be posted on Agribusiness Australia’s website. 

Advertising industry veteran Harold Mitchell has sold his cattle station empire in Australia's Kimberley region in Western Australia for more than $70 million, at a time when pastoral property values have been rising sharply. 

The sale of Yougawalla Pastoral Company includes APN Outdoor chairman Doug Flynn's stake as well. A Chinese businessman is understood to have bought the cattle stations, the Australian Financial Review reported.

Yougawalla Pastoral Company includes three main cattle stations spanning more than 850,000 hectares with about 45,000 head of cattle.

Mitchell declined to comment on the deal to the AFR, but the paper said he has already received approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board. 

The Pastoral Lands Board of Western Australia is still to approve the transaction.

KPMG and ANZ had been appointed in 2015 by Mitchell to sell the pastoral station.

It was reported earlier that Mitchell intended to sell up to 49 percent of his cattle station empire in Western Australia.

Yougawalla Pastoral also leases the 161,000-hectare Louisa Downs, the 141,000 ha Bohemia Downs, the 80,000 ha Carranya Station and the 182,000 ha Lamboo Station, but none of these properties are part of the deal. 

The timing to sell couldn’t be better with pastoral property values rising sharply in the last few years. 

The latest index shows values have risen 9.3 per cent in the last year. Major cattle station operator Australian Agricultural Company reported a 7 per cent rise in the value of its vast rural property portfolio in full-year results released on Wednesday.

Mitchell started buying during the financial crisis, picking up the main Yougawalla station for about $10 million. In 2011, he snapped up the 274,000 ha Bulka Station adjoining Yougawalla for about $9 million.

Then in 2013 when the live export cattle trade had been smashed and the drought and prices were squeezing the cattle industry, Mitchell shelled out $4.3 mil­­lion for another massive cattle station – the 177,100ha Mar­garet River Station with 6,000 head of cattle.

Mitchell, who played a vital role in negotiations with Indonesia on the live export trade, decided to sell after splitting with his wife of 50 years.

An architecturally designed pastoral homestead owned by BRW rich-lister Michael Gordon in the Cunnamulla region of Queensland has been listed for sale.

The grazing property known as Noorama Station encompasses 105,000-hectares.

It is primarily used for sheep and wool production along with cattle breeding. 

It is an aggregation of five properties which Gordon began accumulating in 2005.

Cunnamulla is a small town that lies in South West Queensland, just north of the NSW border and 750 kilometres west of Brisbane.

It comes with highlights such as a modern four bedroom manager’s residence, staff accommodation, office, school room, laundry, garage, recreational and covered entertaining area are

Four hectares of landscaped lawns, with an inground swimming pool and tennis court are also included.

The homestead is prepared with farming architecture totalling 68 main paddocks and 16 holding paddocks are paired with shearing sheds, shearers quarters, sheep and cattle yards, machinery shed, aircraft landing strip and hangar, and an internal road system.

Three creek systems traverse the property with a number of permanent and semi-permanent water holes.

The property is for sale by expressions of interest through Elders Real Estate agents Richard Gemmell and Dick Allpass.

Activity in the rural scene over the past month in Mildura has finally seen the wine grape and table grape harvest in full swing after an abnormally late start to the picking season, according to Herron Todd White’s latest report.

The property data firm says that this will result in both harvests extending well into April.

The weather throughout recent weeks has been excellent for the grape harvest with warm conditions and no rain or storms.

“Reports filtering in advise that quality is high and above average yields are apparent for wine grapes, which on the back of slightly better prices this year is some welcome news for growers.

Growers are also reporting another good year in the table grape sector with prices remaining firm particularly for the better market preferred varieties,” the report stated.

The Bureau of Meteorology continue to forecast warm and dry conditions to remain throughout Autumn in the region.

“This is not overly good news for dryland cropping farmers who are looking to the skies for an early autumn break.

"The forecast late break will result in a larger area of land being dry sown throughout April and early May, with reports that some farmers have already commenced this practice,” the report warned.

HTW says that investment in rural regions are outstripping supply.

“Following on from previous editions, the ongoing interest and demand in the agricultural sector from international and domestic corporate entities investing in the Sunraysia region appears to be resulting in current demand outstripping supply.

"Prices being paid for good quality properties continue to firm with reports of a number of significant transactions in recent weeks of table grape, citrus and also an aggregation of dryland cropping land being negotiated, all at strong levels,” the report stated.

A horticultural wine grape rural property at 490 Lowan Avenue, Red Cliffs (above) has been listed for between $310,000 to $350,000.

Similarly 23 acres of agricultural land at 637 Wentworth Road, Yelta (below) has been listed for $220,000.

Activity in the rural scene over the past month in Mildura has finally seen the wine grape and table grape harvest in full swing after an abnormally late start to the picking season, according to Herron Todd White’s latest report.

The property data firm says that this will result in both harvests extending well into April.

The weather throughout recent weeks has been excellent for the grape harvest with warm conditions and no rain or storms.

“Reports filtering in advise that quality is high and above average yields are apparent for wine grapes, which on the back of slightly better prices this year is some welcome news for growers.

Growers are also reporting another good year in the table grape sector with prices remaining firm particularly for the better market preferred varieties,” the report stated.

The Bureau of Meteorology continue to forecast warm and dry conditions to remain throughout Autumn in the region.

“This is not overly good news for dryland cropping farmers who are looking to the skies for an early autumn break.

"The forecast late break will result in a larger area of land being dry sown throughout April and early May, with reports that some farmers have already commenced this practice,” the report warned.

HTW says that investment in rural regions are outstripping supply.

“Following on from previous editions, the ongoing interest and demand in the agricultural sector from international and domestic corporate entities investing in the Sunraysia region appears to be resulting in current demand outstripping supply.

"Prices being paid for good quality properties continue to firm with reports of a number of significant transactions in recent weeks of table grape, citrus and also an aggregation of dryland cropping land being negotiated, all at strong levels,” the report stated.

A horticultural wine grape rural property at 490 Lowan Avenue, Red Cliffs (above) has been listed for between $310,000 to $350,000.

Similarly 23 acres of agricultural land at 637 Wentworth Road, Yelta (below) has been listed for $220,000.

Holten at Kilmore has been listed for auction by Ruralco Property’s local office who expect it to attract local, interstate and even international buyer interest.

The land area of 130 hectares is of productive soils.

It has enabled the vendors to run an average of 40 cows and their calves plus additional replacement heifers over the last seven years.

The 480 O’Grady’s Road property comes with a five-bedroom plus study architect designed.

Then grandly proportioned homestead comes with rendered brick veneer in a Tuscan style.

There is also the inherent future development potential as possible five acre or similar sized small holding and lifestyle subdivisions with quality homes that are already against the southern boundary of this holding.

The vendor says he bought the property with his wife in 2008 to pursue a farming interest as it was within a thirty-minute commute to Melbourne’s northern suburbs down the multi lane Hume Freeway.

But he says that reaching retirement age, having sold his professional practice, and seeing evidence that his physical energy resources are fading, the time has come to downsize.

“Owning and developing Holten, named in honour of my father, has been a great experience but we both feel that downsizing will be right course for the future.

“The next owner should be in a prime position to capitalise on the prospect to subdivide and develop this holding into smaller lifestyle lots which has been happening around us for some years.

He adds “one of the keys here is the location midway between the Kilmore East and Wandong railway stations which are already used by a growing number of city commuters each day, together with the Hume Freeway access to the northern suburbs”.

Adjoining the house is a tiled in ground solar heated swimming pool together with a Plexipave full sized tennis court.

There are seven catchment dams, Broadhurst Creek adjacent to the southern boundary and two annual creeks traversing the Holten property in a 650 mm plus annual rainfall average.

Ruralco Property Kilmore’s selling agent Jeanette Laffan says the expected price estimate for Holten is $2.75 million to $3 million.

In the past 12 months, $61 million worth of commercial scale Northern Territory freehold has sold - a strong increase on 2015, according to a recent Herron Todd White (HTW) report.

The property valuation firm says that despite the uptick in sales, water allocation and soils rights in the area are very tight.

“We are aware that Indian Sandalwood growers Quintis (formerly TFS) and also local African mahogany growers are finding it difficult to secure any expansion land that fits the bill,” the report stated.

“This tight supply has potential NT farmers (including foreign buyers) looking at pastoral leasehold land and its potential for landing a diversification permit to develop farm land.

“With improving profits from record live cattle export prices, local cattlemen have also been more active in acquiring smaller freehold (depot type) blocks.”

Sales included Early Storms (above) a well established, 629 hectare melon farm in the Douglas Daly (200 kilometres by road south of Darwin).

It made $9,765 per irrigated hectare over 279 hectares with 7.7 megalitres per hectare per annum ground water allocation.

Phoenix Park (below), on the outskirts of Katherine, was a strategic acquisition by a subsidiary of Hancock as a cattle spelling, feeding and processing facility for the company’s expanding herd in the NT.

This property last sold in 2008 for $5.8 million with relatively little improvement in between. It comprises a mix of irrigation land (plus land for irrigation expansion), dry land cropping and a spelling yard registered for 20,000 head of 350 kilogram cattle.

Two Rivers, a 14,120 hectare freehold with Stuart Highway frontage, was sold for $2.4 million to a southern family to develop as a live cattle export depot.

HTW said that in the past 12 months, there has more mango plantations sales throughout the Top End than in the past five combined.

Five commercial scale mango farms sold to locals or Australian based companies with long term experience in the NT.

Value rates are steady, generally between $20,000 to $30,000 per planted hectare for mature, old variety trees, with a premium for Calypso at around $40,000 plus per planted hectare.

The Oolloo Farms aggregation of four farms in Darwin, Katherine and Mataranka, sold for around $18 million.

However, HTW noted that the sale included an onerous lease in place to the sitting tenant for a net return of about 8%.

Northern Territory rural purchasers were concerned with long-term goals, according to Herron Todd White’s December 2016 report.

It noted the first Month in Review for 2016 stated that the year was shaping up to be another active year on the pastoral sales front in the Northern Territory and Kimberley.

"It’s fair to say that the year has not disappointed,” the HTW report stated.

"A lot of the interest has come from the big end of town, both overseas and Australian purchasers.

"Many of these purchasers appear to be more concerned with positioning themselves in terms of long term food security than short term price movements.

"However, they are also no doubt benefiting from buoyant live export prices at present.

"Despite the volume of sales this year, there are still parts of the Territory which have not been sold."

Of special interest is Kalala, 3,760 square kilometres at Daly Waters and Mount McMinn, 809 square kilometres, both being actively marketed at present.

At the time of writing these had not sold but we understand that they have both attracted good interest.

The NT government has recently announced a $4.1 million upgrade of the Berrimah Export Yards (the major marshalling point for live cattle exports).

The upgrade will involve construction of two shelters which will accommodate up to 4,000 head of cattle and assist in the year-round processing of cattle.

It has also been an active year for horticultural properties, especially mango plantations. Larger scale plantations such as Pine Creek Mango Plantation and Jabiru Tropical Orchards have sold.

A major Calypso plantation aggregation at Mataranka, Katherine and Berry Springs is also being marketed.

“For our local office, the highlight of the year was definitely the review of the unimproved capital values for the pastoral estate across the Northern Territory, which we carried out on behalf of the Territory Government.

"This project involved re-assessment of the unimproved carrying capacity of every pastoral lease in the Territory on an individual basis, then assessing their unimproved capital values based on this information.

"It was a big undertaking that required us to call in a variety of expert opinions to assist in providing consistency of approach across a variety of country types from Alice Springs to the Top End,” the report stated.

The south east of Queensland has received good but patchy rain with parts having received up to 100 millimetres recently, according to Herron Todd White’s latest report.

The property valuation firm says that the band of rain has extended as far west as St George and Roma however these areas have only seen grass rain and not the high volume harvesting rain that so many had hoped for.

“Most irrigators in the St George region appear to have come up about one watering short, even on reduced plantings.

"It will therefore be interesting to see what effect this will have on yields.

"Picking is now underway, so all have their fingers crossed that it will stay dry for the next couple of weeks or so in order to allow picking to be completed,” the report stated.

It noted recent months have seen some very solid sales particularly within the Condamine region.

"Three that spring to mind that we feel are consistent with the market are the holdings of No. 4 approximately 75 kilometres to the west of Condamine and the aggregation of Woodlands and Karreel, approximately 40 kilometres south west of Condamine.

"Both comprise mixed farming and grazing holdings with the cultivation on each reflecting in the order of $2,200 to $2,250 per hectare.

"We would view this as broadly consistent with the market today; a market that has seen sound to good quality cultivation strengthen by upwards of $500 per hectare over the past 12 to 18 months,” the report commented.

HTW has also noted the mid to late 2016 sale of Cotswold in the same region.

It sold for $14.1 million including approximately $500,000 worth of plant.

It comprises 7,410 hectares of country including some 640 hectares of centre pivot country underpinned by a 1,600 megalitre storage.

Water rights include two unsupplemented entitlements as well as overland flow.

The sale reflected approximately $6,175 per hectare for the irrigation country and around $1,750 per hectare for the dryland cultivation.

This sale is also viewed to be broadly consistent with the market,” the report stated.

In very recent times, market activity appears to have come right off HTW says.

“We anticipate that this is not because the market is lacking confidence, rather it is more to do with a poor start to the season broadly felt by everyone.

"We feel that many potential vendors are holding off until more favourable weather conditions arrive.

"The cattle market is still strong and it will only take a couple of good falls within the farming belt in the next month or two in order for things to turn around,” the report commented.

A historic four bedroom homestead in Bungendore, New South Wales, has been listed for sale for the first time nearly 15 years.

The property known as Mingarry sits on a 16 hectare land parcel at 307 Tarago Road, with the original cottage dating back to 1880. It currently operates as a fully functional beef cattle stud.

Bungendore is a picturesque village with a mix of farmers and residents. It is located in the Queanbeyan countryside, just over half an hour from Canberra and around three hours from Sydney. Median price for properties in the area is $600,000. 

The home was purchased by its current owners in 2003, who have since conducted extensive renovations and restorations within its colonial style, including a new wing and updates to the kitchen, bedrooms and two bathrooms.

It comes with an open plan kitchen, dining and formal lounge area, entry hall, master bedroom with ensuite, fitted laundry, mud room and a walk in pantry with wine storage.

The gardens frame an entertaining terrace which has been positioned to view Lake George.

Farm infrastructure such as electric fencing, two fenced dams, a licenced bore, paddocks, cattle yards, concrete water tank for domestic use, two smaller water tanks, cattle grids, and a 2-bay farm shed have all been included.

Ray White Bungendore agents Ellie Merriman and Doug Merriman are currently accepting expressions of interest.

Abingdon Station, a beef cattle holding at Gundagai, has been listed for sale.

Located at 1609 Nangus Road, the 2,918 hectare property is a large scale signature agricultural holding.

It is centrally located to take advantage of livestock markets, agricultural and business services.

Wagga Wagga is 45 minutes away while Canberra is 2 hours and Sydney 3.5 hours.

Gary Williamson has managed Abingdon Station for the past 16 years.

The Robinson Family owned it before being sold at auction to the McKinney family in 1927.

Then in 2001, Paul Ferry and his great friend in America, Jake Wood purchased Abingdon from Joe McKinney.

In August 2002 Abingdon West was purchased and in September 2004 Abingdon East was acquired.

Under the stewardship of Paul Ferry and the management of Gary Williamson, Abingdon Station has emerged as a highly regarded and well renowned livestock operation which is equally suited to both cattle or sheep.

Featuring 5.5 kilometre of frontage to the Murrumbidgee River, it has a 711 ml irrigation licences with a Centre Pivot Irrigator, creeks, bores and 48 dams.

A six bedroom 1890 double brick homestead has been extensively renovated.

There is also a five bedroom managers residence.

The property is offered through Jim Saunderson Elders agent Abb McAlister,Webster Nolan Real Estate agent David Nolan and DibbsBarker agent David Sharpe.

Poor rainfall in far western Queensland is an issue for many graziers with many predicting if decent falls are not received in May, then it is possible many may need to reduce stock numbers by selling or alternatively looking for off-farm agistment according to Herron Todd White.

In HTW's latest rural report, the analyst firm state producers in western Queensland have not been able to catch a break this year post that exceptional 2016 wet winter season.

HTW said the expectation of receiving some rainfall on the back of cyclone Debbie for landholders west of Roma has ended up being a non-event.

"This has been disappointing given the falls of between 50 and 140 millimetres recorded between Roma and the Great Dividing Range," HTW said. 

"Very little follow up summer rainfall was received and any benefit of the winter season was short lived with the prolonged hot summer days burning off the herbage. The reality now is that if decent falls are not received in May, then it’s likely graziers may need to reduce stock numbers by selling or alternatively looking for off-farm agistment.

"Many in cattle jobs are predicting yard numbers will increase in May which may result in a short term softening in the return per head.

The Bureau of Metrology’s climate outlook statement issued on 30 March 2017 largely indicates that the chance of above median rainfall for April to June 2017 for Western Queensland is only 30 percent to 35 percent.

With the season not necessarily showing too many positives, it is considered that the market for western Queensland has not recovered to the same extent as that of country further east. We are seeing the same holdings now marketed for extended periods.

"Some larger holdings such as Noorama Station, a 104,937 hectare holding 110 kilometres south-east of Cunnamulla in the salad bowl region has only just been put to the market under an offers to purchase campaign by Elders.

"Properties such as this will provide a good gauge of the corporate appetite for larger scale grazing country which to date has been mostly scrub type country.

"Any evidence that we are seeing stronger values are generally for better quality country or very well developed holdings. Marginal type country is still finding it difficult to achieve interest to get over the line and achieve a sale.

"The comparison to country further to the east has broadly reflected an increase in the median value of between 10 percent and 30 percent over the past 12 to 18 months."

Rockybah, a 3400 acre grazing property at Nimmitabel in the Monaro district of southern New South Wales, has sold.

It was passed in at online auction on Wednesday afternoon at $2.45 million, then sold shortly afterwards to a local grazier for an undisclosed price.

Previously known as Brechnoch, Rockybah is located 13 kilometres south-west of the tourist village of Nimmitabel, and 50 kilometres south of the regional township of Cooma and its airport.

Rockybah has conducted a number of successful enterprises over the years, carrying up to approximately 6,000 DSE's of sheep and/or cattle, including the Kydrabah Murry Grey Stud, depending on the season.

The property is well equipped with farm improvements, including three stand woolshed, two sets of sheep yards, cattle yards, silo, workshop and machinery sheds and two wind turbines which are part of the Boco Rock Wind Farm Project.

There is also a three bedroom 1950s home on the property.

Chris Meares, from marketing agents Meares & Associates, said the sale of Rockybah is a sign of the strong market conditions and high demand for quality grazing properties.

"There was genuine interest from overseas, city and local investors, the sale has also shown that the Monaro operates in its own ‘micro climate’ where the locals seem to remain dominant,” Meares said.

Shannon Ferguson from Fergusson Real Estate said Rockybah generated a lot of local interest.

"It seemed that locals were keen on adding to their existing operations,” Ferguson said.

Central Queensland rural property sales in the first quarter of 2017 have continued on from the strong final quarter of 2016 across all asset classes, according to Herron Todd White (HTW).

In their latest rural report, HTW said two recent sales in the Central Highlands of mixed farming and grazing blocks are proof positive in the strength of the local market - Rickyl (1,511 hectares, 18 kilometres east of Capella, predominantly grazing); and Park View (2,075 hectares, 15 kilometres west of Springsure, mixed farming and grazing).

"Rickyl sold at auction for $3.1 million, equating to $2,052 per hectare, which indicates a similar dollar per hectare rate as the dryland farming property Matilda Downs, which sold in January at a rate of $2,054 per hectare," HTW said.

"Park View sold at auction for $4.5 million equating to $2,169 per hectare.

"Both of these sales indicate a strengthening of values from sales of similar properties that occurred 12 to 24 months ago.

"It appears that values for grazing and farming land (with similar land types) are level pegging.

"The upcoming sales of two genuine breeder blocks, Galloway Plains (13,076 hectares, via Calliope, south of Rockhampton) and Develin Station (via Marlborough, north of Rockhampton) will be a good test of the demand for larger scale Central Queensland breeder country which is a thinly traded market, primarily due to lack supply rather than lack of demand.

"It will be interesting to see if the record weaner prices of late will have an influence on the value the market determines for these properties."

On average, more than one quarter of Queensland’s beef herd is located within the Central Queensland grazing district, according to the report.

The property valuation firm says that it is no surprise to see this market has shown the highest rural land growth rates over the past three to five years correlating with accelerated increases in beef prices.

Property resales provide the best evidence of the true change in market value and in recent months a number of properties have transacted with total capital uplift generally in the order of 25% to 35% over the past five years.

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While the resale market has demonstrated solid land growth changes, these rates are generally limited to genuine fattening properties in Central Queensland (which are highly sought after and as such transact with greater frequency), with the second and third tier properties experiencing a more moderate level of growth.

Recent evidence of the demand in Central Queensland for high end properties includes the Hughes family purchase of Tumbar ($67.5 million) and the competitive auction results of Northampton and Inverness (above) at Blackall ($13.59 million and $13.925 million respectively) and Arcoona and Old Delargim near Moura ($12.85 million and $9.4 million respectively).

As a result of the limited supply, there has been a smaller volume of sales which has been concentrated on larger, higher valued properties which has greatly increased the overall annual transactional value of the Queensland rural market.

Click to enlarge

The size of the 2016 rural transaction market was over $3.1 billion compared to $1.48 billion in 2015 and $1.9 billion in the 2007 previous market peak.

An 86 hectare dress circle, irrigated cane farming aggregation in the locality of Alexandra changed hands in January at a strong price of over $20,000 per hectare for measured freehold cane land and demonstrates continued condence in the local sugar industry despite last season’s milling problems.

In December, the further west you go, the greener it got, the HTW report noted.

The record breaking unseasonal rainfall throughout the winter months had (for the most part) put an end to what was widely considered the worst drought in the past century.

“As we tracked westwards, the view from about 8,500 feet turned from a greyish brown colour around Rockhampton (somewhat typical for this time of year, in anticipation of the coming wet) continuing out to the Dawson Valley," the report stated.

"The abundance of feed on the ground is extraordinary, making it difficult to imagine that only 12 months prior some of these areas were struggling to keep even the most resilient native animals alive, let alone carry livestock.

"Most of these areas are now severely under stocked relative to the amount of highly nutritious feed available.

"Stock on the ground are now spread far and wide living in mobs of three or four head in their own little patch of paradise, picking through the smorgasbord of herbage and grasses on offer.

"Given these sights it is not surprising that the more southerly located Nappa Merrie Station recently sold prior to auction," the report noted, adding the biggest problem faced by stakeholders in this region is finding and affording stock to take advantage of these phenomenal circumstances.

"Many of the holdings are currently stocked at well below half of their long term average and probably closer to 25% of their current capacity.

"At least these low numbers will give the land and pastures a well earned rest and a chance to regenerate."

Piper View, a quality lifestyle or permanent residence property is for sale through the Kilmore office of Ruralco Property.

It is so named as it has an outstanding outlook to the east that takes in uninterrupted views to the distant extinct volcano landmark of Mount Piper.

Located at 4 Kurkurac Court at High Camp the property is in a rural environment only twelve kilometres to the north of Kilmore township, with access by the Northern Highway and Moranding Road.

Piper View offers a land area of 24.9 hectares, or 61.5 acres, and has undergone substantial and professional development by the vendors since the property was first purchased by them as a bare block, one of three of roughly similar size served by a no through private estate type road.

Listed for sale with offers sought in the $880,000 to $920,000 range the vendors says they have enjoyed the property immensely but after some health issues have intervened recently they have reluctantly decided to sell to return to City living.

A key feature of Piper View is the large brick homestead comprising four bedrooms, two bathrooms (one being an ensuite, the second a large family bathroom) which they had built in 2004 by one of Australia’s leading residential builders.

With an area under roof of thirty one squares, the home includes a large formal lounge, a well serviced all electric kitchen with a combined dining and family living area.

There is a two-car garage under the roof line while double glazing has been used throughout increasing the energy efficiency of the home whose services include an open fire, wall heaters and reverse cycle air-conditioning systems that services two bedrooms

Other physical features include two water tanks each of 25,000 litres capacity to harvest rainwater plus another of identical size adjacent to a nine by five metre steel framed and concrete floored workshop or machinery shed with two roller doors for access.

Both structures are set in established gardens inclusive of plantings of eighteen olive trees, eighteen citrus and nineteen other fruit trees, ten muscatel grape vines, another twenty ornamental trees, plus 100 rose bushes with another 500 native trees dispersed around the holding.

There is also a large seasonal vegetable garden ideal for home-grown produce.

With one paddock dam and a tank fed trough, the vendors have run up to 25 cattle and 50 sheep.

The property has a long exposure of over four hundred and fifty metres to Kurkurac Creek along its southern boundary.

Ruralco Property’s selling agent Kilmore office based Jeanette Laffan says that “the vendors have invested untold time and a passion for gardening to advance the property to a very high standard, with the home being a particular delight”.

A historically significant sandstone cottage dating back to 1827 has been listed for sale in Sutton Forest.

John Ross and Drew Lindsay of Drew Lindsay Real Estate in Bowral have given a price guide of $3.45 million. 

The Swanton cottage comes with an adjacent house, which is positioned upon 90 acres of spectacular rural views.

Founded upon land grant from Governor Macquarie, it was once part of the James Atkinson's Oldbury estate, which was home to the first Australian born female artist, Louisa Atkinson.

The restored and renovated stone cottage boasts two substantial rooms, cathedral ceilings, open fireplace and a large veranda overlooking farmland.

The adjacent three bedroom home has been fitted with a spacious kitchen featuring European appliances, two bathrooms and a variety of spacious living rooms opening onto an outdoor entertaining area.

The property sits on prime cattle country, and offers extensive rural infrastructure including fencing, yards, crush, 6 spring-filled dams and riparian rights to Whytes Creek, and large sheds, as well as a historic dairy building.

Properties in Sutton Forest claim a median house price $1.2 million.