Size: 44,696ha
Location: Yarrah, South Australia
Sale method: Auction
Sale price: $7.4 million
An iconic South Australian pastoral property held in the one family for more than a century has sold at auction after attracting solid buyer interest.
The 44,696ha Wilkatana Station sold for $7.4 million in a swift auction at the Central Oval Complex in Port Augusta, with the bidding livestreamed on social media.
Bidding on the station started at $4 million, with six registered bidders and four actively fighting it out for the property, before the auction paused at $7.3 million for private negotiations with the highest bidder.
With a sale price negotiated, the auction resumed and then the hammer immediately fell at $7.4 million.
Ray White Rural South Australia joint principal and auctioneer, Geoff Schell, said Wilkatana Station was a property with excellent improvements and ongoing potential.
“I reckon Wilkatana is probably one of the very few pastoral properties where the new owner can move in and commence operations with little or no investment,” he said at the auction.
“It’s a credit to the present ownership and management.”
The property, which comprises semi-open myall shrubland and takes in views of the breathtaking Flinders Ranges on its eastern side, had been in Melbourne-based seller Tony Sawer’s family for 123 years.
It has a carrying capacity of around 5,000 ewes and 150 cattle, making it a high-quality sheep and cattle operation.
Mr Schell recalled his first time visiting the property, noting its quality and significant infrastructure.
“As I drove in I thought, ‘Wow, this is conservatively grazed, and not just for one or two or five years, but decades,’” he told the assembled bidders.
“A couple of other things that really got me was that there’s been continual reinvestment in the property for decades.
“The fencing is great and the water system is as good as I’ve seen on a pastoral property, I’ve even been quoted saying, ‘the water is good enough to make a cup of tea’.” (Editor’s note: That was in APlus News – read the report here)
Ray White Rural South Australia agent Sam Krieg revealed after the auction that the buyers were the Doman family, who own Yadlamalka Station next door, to the north of Wilkatana Station.
“Andrew and Tom Doman are two brothers that are based in Europe,” he said.
“They currently run dorpers and cattle, so we believe they’ll be running dorpers and cattle, or if not only dorpers, on the property.”
Mr Krieg also praised Wilkatana Station manager Andrew Smart, who has been at the property 38 years.
“Today’s result is very positive,” he said.
“It’s a big credit to the current manager, Andrew Smart and how he has looked after the place to achieve a result like this.”
Generational icon: Mount Moriac hits the market after 85 years in one family
Size: 485ha
Location: 1200 Princes Hwy, Mount Moriac
Sale method: EOI closing 11am (AEDT) on December 10
Price guide: About $18 million
One of the Geelong region’s most iconic rural properties, held in the one family for 85 years, has hit the market, offering buyers a wealth of mixed farming opportunities.
‘Mount Moriac’ comprises 485ha just 20 minutes from Geelong and is expected to fetch about $18 million, with expressions of interest closing on December 10.
For Helen Fitzpatrick, the sale represents the end of an era for her family, who have owned the property for 85 years.
Dr Michael Minter was the first settler on the property, buying 259ha from the Crown in 1850, before Helen’s grandfather, Percy Champness bought the land, some 728ha, in 1939 and built a homestead, a cottage, dairy, woolshed and worked tirelessly to turn it into a landmark property in the Geelong region.
The farm then passed down to her father, Leonard Champness who was a medical doctor who spent time in New Guinea and London before returning to Australia.
In later years he ran a Murray Grey stud across the property and then transitioned to an Angus beef herd.
In more recent times, ‘Mount Moriac’ has been cropped with predominantly canola and barley.
Ms Fitzpatrick says she has many fond memories of spending time at the farm as a youngster.
“When my grandparents lived there it was great,” she said.
“We’d come down from New Guinea and stay in the holidays and I have memories of one of my uncles milking early in the morning and bringing a bucket of warm frothy milk into the kitchen for breakfast.
“Then there was my grandmother’s extensive chicken coop of about 40 chickens and I, very enthusiastically, would go and collect the eggs every day.
“Later my grandfather handed the farm on to his sons, and so we were, as kids, involved in things like hay cutting.
“I'd be popped on the little old Massey Ferguson, quite young to tootle around while my brothers threw hay bales on the back of the tractor-trailer.”
‘Mount Moriac’ is for sale as a whole or in four parcels comprising ‘Mt Moriac’ at 135.53ha, ‘Mt Moriac East’ at 87.23ha, ‘Mt Moriac North’ at 153.90ha and ‘Mt Moriac West’ at 108.90ha.
As well as farming, Percy Champness loved planting trees and is synonymous in the area for the Monterey pine trees, pinus radiata, he planted in the shape of a cross on the top of the Mount, which is an extinct volcano.
The trees can be seen from the Bellarinine Peninsula, east of Geelong, and is a well known landmark in the aviation world.
HF Richardson Sales Manager Matthew Poustie, said the property included a Circa 1940 homestead and separate manager’s cottage, a 2-stand shearing shed, machinery shed and ancillary shedding.
He said it offered an abundance of fertile land, ideal for a range of farming pursuits including livestock, cropping, hay production and equine pursuits.
“Mount Moriac” is an extraordinary holding so close to Geelong,” Mr Poustie said.
“It’s iconic, distinctive and highly-regarded given its productive soils and panoramic views.
“It is for sale as a whole (circa 1,200 acres) or in four parcels, enabling a prospective purchaser to keep the aggregation together or purchase separate parcels for lifestyle endeavours.
“The parcels can each be built on and, with the views on offer, we have had strong interest from lifestyle buyers looking for 200-400 acre properties.
“This is clearly one of the most heralded properties in the district and is a generational opportunity to acquire a vast land holding on the fringe of Geelong.”
Ms Fitzpatrick said while she hoped the property would be sold as a whole, she recognised the potential of selling it in four parcels.
“The four titles are still quite big and there’s still a lot of lovely activities you could do,” she said.
“Agriculturally it’s quite rich, the soil is volcanic, and it’s very pretty with all of the Barrabool Hills.”
Size: 147,410ha
Location: 9520 Victoria Hwy, Delamere, NT
Sale method: Private sale
Price guide: N/A
‘Aroona Station’, a highly regarded cattle property in the Northern Territory, is now for sale via private treaty, following an expression of interest campaign earlier this year.
Dubbed a “jewel in the crown” of the Upper Victoria River District, the station boasts exceptional productivity, strategic location, and substantial infrastructure improvements.
Spanning 147,510ha, ‘Aroona Station’ is located just 90km south-west of Katherine on the Victoria Highway and benefits from proximity to key live export infrastructure.
Colliers National Director Transaction Services/Agribusiness, Jesse Manuel, said the property has a carrying capacity of about 15,000 adult equivalents (AE) and features abundant water resources supported by reliable rainfall.
“‘Aroona Station’ enjoys proximity to key infrastructure assets within the live export supply chain and has its main loading yards and homestead situated only 7km off the Victoria Highway,” he said.
The current owners have made significant investments over the past five to seven years, upgrading fencing, yards, buildings, and water systems.
Recent additions include solar-powered bore pumps, new tanks, and a telemetry system to monitor water levels.
“Aroona Station is a tremendous breeding and backgrounding property and would also fit neatly into a larger supply chain operation as a value-add depot asset for young cattle,” Mr Manuel said.
Adding to its appeal, ‘Aroona Station’ has a recently approved clearing permit for nearly 4,000ha enhancing its development potential.
Offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis, the sale includes over 15,000 head of Grey Brahman cattle and an extensive inventory of equipment.
Size: 1204ha
Location: 325 Grange Rd, Cranbrook, Tasmania
Sale method: EOI closing 12pm (AEDT) December 5
Price guide: N/A
A rare chance to secure a premium viticulture property in Tasmania’s renowned Swansea region has emerged with the listing of ‘The Grange’.
This 1,204ha estate, featuring award-winning vineyards, panoramic views, and a luxurious homestead, offers investors significant potential for cool-climate wine production.
Established in 1840 as a Super Fine Merino farm, ‘The Grange’ was transformed into a viticulture property in 2016.
Its 14ha vineyard currently produces award-winning Pinot Noir grapes for Barringwood Wines, with recently planted Pinot Gris and Chardonnay vines further boosting its production profile.
Large portions of the property are suitable for expanding cool-climate grape cultivation.
LAWD Director Elizabeth Doyle described the property as an unparalleled opportunity.
“Along with this stunning property, which has enormous potential for further viticulture development, there is also the opportunity to purchase the award-winning boutique label with national distribution,” Ms Doyle said.
‘The Grange’ features an architecturally designed Queen Anne-style homestead with six bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a modern extension offering expansive views of Freycinet Peninsula, Maria Island, and The Hazards.
Additional accommodation includes a two-bedroom cottage and refurbished shearers’ quarters, ideal for conversion into guest lodging.
Water resources are abundant, with 160ML of Swan Valley entitlement, winter water from the Swan River, and a 426ML storage dam.
Extensive plant and equipment, as well as four modern machinery sheds, are included in the sale.
“We believe ‘The Grange’ will attract a wide array of buyers ranging from family enterprises already in the viticulture market, to corporate buyers looking to expand,” Ms Doyle said.
“The Grange’ is for sale by Expressions of Interest, closing 12pm (AEDT), December 5.