Iconic Kimberley cattle station offered for sale after six decades

Iconic Kimberley cattle station offered for sale after six decades

Size: 262,000ha

Location: Kimberley region, WA

Sale method: Private treaty

Price guide: N/A

A tightly held Kimberley cattle station is set to hit the market for the first time in more than 60 years, with Dampier Downs Station expected to draw strong interest from across the beef industry.

Located in Western Australia’s renowned Kimberley region, the 262,000ha holding is currently running between 12,000 and 15,000 head of mixed-age Brahman and cross-bred cattle, managed with a focus on fertility, adaptability and temperament.

The property will be offered on a walk-in, walk-out basis, with final stock numbers dependent on timing, through Colliers agents Jesse Manuel and Rawdon Briggs.

With a carrying capacity rated at 12,105 adult equivalents, Dampier Downs has been conservatively operated to prioritise long-term sustainability.

The station is underpinned by extensive infrastructure and reliable water security, positioning it as a significant pastoral asset in one of Australia’s most recognised cattle production regions.

Its proximity to Broome adds further appeal, offering access to key services and the Kimberley’s busiest live export port, while also supporting staff attraction and retention in a remote location.

The property has benefited from substantial investment in infrastructure, including more than 40 solar-equipped, Farmbot-monitored bores, supported by pipelines and seasonal dams that enable flexible grazing and spelling.

More than 50 paddocks and laneways enhance operational efficiency, while trapping presents an opportunity to further reduce costs.

Dampier Downs also features three primary trucking yards capable of accommodating triple road trains, along with 14 additional yards positioned to streamline mustering operations.

The western-most yard sits 120km from Broome port, while northern yards are about 100km from the region’s only abattoir.

“Dampier Downs Station enjoys proximity to key infrastructure assets within the live export supply chain, including Roebuck Export Depot and Broome’s newly completed floating wharf,” Colliers’ National Director Jesse Manuel said.

“In addition, the purchase and significant investment in upgrades into the Kimberley Meat Company abattoir by Yougawalla Pastoral Company, and its planned re-opening, will be a welcomed development in industry, expanding livestock marketing options.”

Colliers Head of Agribusiness, Transaction Services Rawdon Briggs said the property also offered scope to lift productivity and returns over time.

“Cotton was successfully grown during trials in 1990’s, and with areas of soft country with natural, shallow flood out areas and abundant underground water resources, opportunities for greater diversification are well worth investigating,” Mr Briggs said.

He added that improving market conditions were likely to support further transaction activity.

“The market is likely to see a greater level of station sales activity throughout 2026 now that there is up-to-date market evidence of property transactions, not to mention the strong livestock sale results we’re seeing across a range of markets such as Grey Brahman weaner steers selling for $5/kg on property in North Queensland,” Mr Briggs said.

Following a strong wet season, Dampier Downs is being presented as a rare large-scale offering, suited to buyers seeking either a standalone northern operation or a strategic supply-chain asset.

Clearview changes hands after 50 years in the one family

Size: 1,664.98ha

Location: Savernake, NSW

Sale price: About $13 million

A tightly held Riverina farming asset has changed hands after a renewed campaign, with ‘Clearview’ snapped up by a local family for roughly $13 million.

The 1,664.98ha Savernake holding, first brought to market in October 2023, was sold by Elders Yarrawonga agent Xavier Leslie, who said the result marked the close of a significant chapter for the vendors.

Mr Leslie said the property had been in the same family for more than 50 years and this was the second campaign for its sale, after originally listing in late 2023.

He said the sale carried a strong emotional element, with the vendors balancing sentiment with satisfaction at the outcome.

“It’s that sort of bittersweet moment for them,” he said.

“It’s the closing of one chapter and the start of another.

“The vendors are quite happy with the result and that it is a local farming family that has acquired the property as a whole.”

Located just 20km from Mulwala and 26km from Barooga, the property has multiple road frontages along Clearview, Sloanes, Frasers and Kilnyaya roads.

Known for its consistent cereal production and potential for livestock breeding and fattening, Clearview has productive red and grey loam soils.

The property is comprehensively improved for large-scale operations, featuring a four-bedroom homestead with multiple living areas, extensive grain storage including 10 silos, multiple machinery and hay sheds, a cyclone shearing shed, workshops and hangars, and more than 300,000 litres of water storage supported by the Kilnyana Stock and Domestic Scheme.

“Offering an acquisition of that sort of size isn’t something that you see all the time in our market,” Mr Leslie said.

“It’s really clean, logistically it’s easy, and it does have some decent infrastructure on it too.”

Mr Leslie said he could not disclose the sale price, but when the property was most recently listed the Elders listing description with a price guide of $3,200 to $3,700 per acre.

He said the new buyers would continue to use the property for cropping.

“It’s a nice chunk of land that’s ready for them to go in and continue their operations on,” Mr Leslie said.

Second time lucky: SLM Pastoral Portfolio returns to market

Size: 205,000ha

Location: Southwest QLD and Northwest NSW

Sale method: EOI closing May 7 at 12pm

Price guide: About $100 million

A vast outback aggregation spanning more than 205,000ha across the NSW–Queensland border has returned to the market, with expectations it could attract $100 million.

Global asset manager and regenerative agriculture investor SLM Partners is seeking buyers for its SLM Pastoral Portfolio, a four-property holding assembled and developed over more than a decade.

The offering includes Willacora (47,901ha), Amenda (43,712ha), Padua Park (43,135ha) and Eureka (70,877ha), all located within a 100km radius of the Cunnamulla and Bourke regions.

The relisting follows an earlier campaign launched in February last year, when the portfolio comprised five properties totalling almost 285,000ha.

At the time it was expected the portfolio could sell for about $120 million.

SLM’s 79,298ha Garrawin is no longer part of the aggregation, with negotiations for its separate sale ongoing.

Developed within SLM’s Livestock Fund, the portfolio has been operated as a grass-fed beef breeding and growing enterprise, underpinned by a strong focus on regenerative grazing practices.

“Cell grazing has allowed us to ride out dry spells and make the best use of rain when it arrives,” SLM Partners’ General Manager in Australia, Graham Finlayson, said when the property first hit the market in early 2025.

“The land is in terrific condition now and we see plenty of room for further improvement.

“SLM has had a strong focus on increasing the perennial grass base across the aggregation over the past 12 years, which has improved the drought resiliency of the production system immensely.

“The commercial breeding program, high standards of animal welfare and stock-handling, policies, procedures and efforts in regenerating the land-base are second to none in the industry. And in a world where these things are often talked about but rarely done properly, we have been leaders in these fields for over 12 years.”

The portfolio includes two carbon projects, with the Eureka holding expected to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units between 2026 and 2031 under the Avoided Deforestation protocol, and broader projects forecast to run until at least 2039.

“We are proud to have helped scale up regenerative grazing and carbon storage in this unique Australian landscape,” SLM Partners Global Managing Partner, Paul McMahon, said during the first sales campaign.

The aggregation has an average historical carrying capacity of about 15,000 adult equivalents, with roughly 13,000 cattle included in the sale.

LAWD Agribusiness and Nutrien Harcourts Bourke are managing the expressions of interest campaign, which closes on May 7 at 12pm, with buyers able to purchase the portfolio in one line or as individual assets.

Rare Merriwa acreage with views, water and scale hits market

Size: 95.53ha

Location: Merriwa, NSW

Sale method: AuctionsPlus online auction on April 30 at 11am

Price guide: N/A

A highly productive rural holding just minutes from the Upper Hunter township of Merriwa is set to go under the online auctioneer’s hammer, with strong interest expected for the tightly held property.

‘Windermere’, located 5km west of Merriwa along the Golden Highway, spans 95.53ha (236 acres) and offers a mix of quality grazing country, water security and a well-appointed family home.

The property features softly undulating to gently sloping land, underpinned by fertile volcanic red and black basalt soils known for their productivity.

Positioned on an elevated site, it captures sweeping views across the Merriwa Valley.

Water security is a key feature, with a fully equipped bore supplying approximately 300 gallons per hour to a large storage tank, alongside multiple rainwater tanks and gravity-fed troughs servicing the property.

The land is subdivided into two main paddocks and is suited to a conservative carrying capacity of about 50 cows and calves or up to 80 steers.

Infrastructure includes steel cattle and sheep yards, storage shed and two machinery sheds.

“Properties of this calibre and proximity to Merriwa seldom come to market,” Nutrien Harcourts Scone and Merriwa agent Gavin Beard said.

At the centre of the holding is a spacious brick veneer homestead, built in 1983, offering four bedrooms, two bathrooms and multiple living zones.

The home includes a large open-plan living area, formal dining room, office, walk-in pantry and ducted air conditioning, along with a wood fire for added comfort.

Outdoor entertaining areas and established gardens complement the home.

“The offering of ‘Windermere’ is a rare opportunity to acquire approximately 236 acres only minutes from town, featuring a quality-built four-bedroom home, established gardens, highly productive soils, secure water supply, and outstanding valley views,” Mr Beard said.

The property will be auctioned online via AuctionsPlus on April 30 at 11am.

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.