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Size: 5,548ha
Location: Near Tocumwal, NSW
Sale method: WIWO by EOI closing September 4 at 4pm (AEST)
Price Guide: About $65 million
For many, Tuppal Station is known as the setting for Slim Dusty’s song Twisted Tuppal Gums, but for the Bozzo family the Southern Riverina property means so much more.
When they purchased the 5,548ha (13,709 acre) property near Tocumwal from the Vodusek family in 2012, it was the realisation of family patriarch Mario Bozzo’s lifelong dream of owning a large Riverina farm.
That dream is now ready for the next generation, with Tuppal Station on the market with Colliers via a WIWO Expression of Interest campaign, closing on September 4 at 4pm (AEST).
Speaking exclusively to AuctionsPlus as a tribute to her late father, who passed away four years ago, Teresa Bozzo said Tuppal Station was a dream come true.
“When our father came to this country, he came with little, but he had the drive and really excelled,” she said.
“On his journey he always wanted a big farm in the Riverina and one day, at 77 years of age, he asked the three of us - my brother Peter, my younger sister Claudia and myself - ‘What are you doing tomorrow’?
“We knew he had an agenda and I said, ‘Dad, what would you like us to do?’ And he said, ‘I found a farm. I’d like to go and see it’.”
That aggregation spans 7,210ha of prime cropping and grazing land. Pic: Supplied
So the Bozzo family set off the very next day to peruse Tuppal Station.
“But we got to the farm, did our rounds and Dad asked what we thought of it. Then he goes, ‘I like the farm. I want the farm and I’m going to buy it. You just sort out the finance.’ And that was it. At 77 he bought a 14,000 acre, that was in drought.”
Ms Bozzo said they set out to capitalise and improve the farm.
“The acreage that was sewn then, I think it was only 2000 acres, and we’ve capitalised and maximised as much as we could with broadacre cropping,” she said.
The Colliers property listing lauds Tuppal Station as “an iconic landmark holding a highly productive irrigated and dryland mixed cropping and grazing operation…”
It has “unparalleled” structural improvements and infrastructure, including a historical homestead, three other homes, five new 2,000 tonne silos, two near-new machinery sheds, a six-stand shearing shed, undercover sheep yards, cattle yards and other storage and complementary shedding.
Tuppal Station's home complex. Pic: Supplied
The property includes about 831ha of lateral and border check irrigation, 3,417ha of dryland cropping, and 1,300ha of grazing, remnant vegetation and support land, with significant scope for further development.
It also boasts excellent water connectivity, with direct access to Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL), 1,122ML of Lower Murray Groundwater, 640ML of general security MIL, and extensive Tuppal Creek frontage.
“It’s just such a beautiful farm,” Ms Bozzo said.
“I think it’s the history of the farm that makes it very special. And the fact that it’s been referenced by a very famous singer shows you the impact the farm has had.”
According to Berrigan Shire Council, Tuppal Station was originally part of a larger parcel of land called the Deniliquin Run, selected by Benjamin Boyd in 1843, and spanning some 70,000 acres.
Tuppal Station was sectioned off and had several owners before being purchased in 1891 by F.S. Falkiner and Sons, for £392,000.
In 1910, the NSW Lands Department resumed 22,200ha surrounding Finley and created 117 farms, and a further 9,300ha was taken for the Blighty Soldier Settlement Scheme after World War 1.
This includes the farm now known as North Tuppal Station.
Coincidentally, should the purchaser of Tuppal Station be looking to expand the holding again, the neighbouring ‘Oomabah Aggregation’, which is owned by natural capital investment manager Kilter Rural, is also on the market.
That aggregation spans 7,210ha of prime cropping and grazing land and has price expectations of about $60 million.
Industry sources have suggested that Tuppal Station could fetch more than that, at about $65 million.
Ms Bozzo said while the family were sad to say goodbye to Tuppal Station, it was the right time to find the next caretakers.
“We hope that the next purchaser does it justice and takes it to the next level,” she said.
“We’d like someone to continue the legacy and keep growing the farm.”
Size: 11,354ha
Location: Between Cloncurry and Julia Creek
Price: $14.8 million
One of northwest Queensland’s best-regarded cattle properties has changed hands for $14.8 million, following a competitive online and in-room auction hosted at The Precinct in Cloncurry.
Spanning 11,354ha, Ernestina Plains was purchased by southern Queensland operators Doug and Jacque Hemming of Hemming Farms, ending the 45-year ownership of vendors Gillian and Mark Bryant.
Auction bidding opened at $10 million, with three of the eight registered bidders placing offers. The final price, equivalent to $1,304 per hectare, reflects the property's strong productivity, strategic location, and extensive improvements.
Offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis, Ernestina Plains sits between Cloncurry and Julia Creek in the tightly held Oorindi district. The property is well positioned for breeding, backgrounding or fattening, with excellent access to live export, meatworks, feedlots, and store markets via Cloncurry or Townsville.
“The vendors have presented an outstanding freehold property that has a very good mix of country,” said Brodie Agencies Director Jim Brodie, who handled the sale. “The sweet pebbly open downs are balanced by high-density grass channels, giving both quality and quantity of pasture.”
A highlight of the property is its exceptional water security, with four flowing bores, multiple turkey nests, and seasonal creeks. Infrastructure includes extensive cattle yards, a fully air-conditioned homestead, 9-bedroom quarters, machinery sheds, and a complete working plant.
“There’s incredible water security, excellent boundary and internal fencing, and not a trace of Prickly Acacia. All the hard work has been done—there’s no immediate capital expenditure required,” Mr Brodie said. “The improvements and infrastructure make Ernestina Plains a very attractive blue-ribbon property.”
With a carrying capacity of up to 900 breeders plus progeny, the sale also included over 960 head of well-handled Caiwarra-blood Brahman cattle, along with a full suite of plant and equipment.
Size: 234.7ha and 74.25ha
Location: Drumborg, Victoria
Sale method: AuctionsPlus auction on Friday, August 8 at 1pm (AEST).
Price Guide: N/A
Two highly productive farming properties in Drumborg are set to go under the hammer next month, presenting a rare opportunity for buyers to secure blue-chip rural holdings in a tightly held area.
Both properties will be auctioned online via AuctionsPlus on Friday, August 8 at 1pm (AEST).
Situated just 2km apart and available separately or as a package, the properties are part of a deceased estate and are generating strong buyer interest.
The larger holding, 753 Sinclair Settlement Rd, spans about 234.7ha (580 acres) and is a well-established fattening and cropping operation.
It features 14 paddocks with troughs, nine reliable dams, a robust track system, and extensive infrastructure including a two-stand shearing shed (with room for a third), sheep and cattle yards, multiple machinery sheds, and a large undercover sheep shelter added in 2022.
“These are heavy carrying capacity properties – light country, fattening country, or breeding country – and they’re in a reliable rainfall zone of about 800mls, making them pretty much drought-proof,” A1 Real Estate Solutions Director Michael Goldby said.
Nearby, 35 Sinclair Siding Rd covers about 74.25ha (183.5 acres) across two titles and includes a comfortable three-bedroom plus study brick veneer home.
The home is fitted with custom blackwood cabinetry crafted from timber grown on the property and includes wood heating, electric cooking, and an attached double garage.
The farm is divided into 10 main paddocks and features excellent fencing, five dams, a reliable bore, and a range of shedding for stock and machinery.
“They’re owned by the one vendor and now offered for sale after a couple of other holdings from the estate were sold. There’s some interest in both, but definitely interest in either or,” Mr Goldby said.
Kylie Dulhunty is a journalist with more than 20 years experience covering everything from court to health. Today, Kylie loves nothing more than turning market trends, industry insights and epic property sales - residential, rural and commercial into captivating stories.