In this week's rural property update: Tightly held Kilnyana offered for sale with $38 million price tag, La Caisse commits $300 million to Australian horticulture partnership with GO.FARM, Century-held Wampra and Wirranya Aggregation heads to AuctionsPlus auction, North Queensland's Inkerman Station changes hands in $34 million-plus sale and Riverina's Gillenbah Aggregation listed with irrigation expansion potential.
Tightly held Kilnyana offered for sale with $38 million price tag
Size: 4,328ha
Location: Savernake, NSW
Sale method: Private treaty
Price guide: $38 million
One of the Southern Riverina's most tightly held mixed farming properties is being offered to the market for the first time in almost two decades, with the historic Kilnyana listed for $38 million.
The 4,328ha holding near Savernake has had just two owners in the past 150 years and is being offered for sale by private treaty through LAWD.
If the property sells for its asking price it will equate to $8,780 per hectare or $3,555 per acre.
Owned by the Hermiston family since 2008, Kilnyana is a diversified enterprise combining dryland cropping with prime lamb, wool and beef production, while also featuring significant biodiversity conservation assets.
Vendor Jim Hermiston said the family was proud of the improvements made since purchasing the property, which marked the first sale in its history.
"Kilnyana was well improved when we bought it, so it’s been nice to continue that legacy, and it’s a very well-balanced property," Mr Hermiston said.
"The diversity of soil types, annual rainfall and improvements are suited to stock or cropping, with the scale to leverage into one large farming enterprise or diversify."
The property's cropping program includes canola, wheat, barley and fodder crops such as lucerne and vetch, while the livestock operation runs between 2,000 and 2,500 Riverina-bred Merino ewes joined to Poll Dorset rams from the Wunnamurra and Hovell studs.
Kilnyana also regularly provides cattle agistment and features four containment pens to improve seasonal and market flexibility.
A long-term soil improvement program has seen more than 5,400 tonnes of lime and 833 tonnes of gypsum applied over the past decade, while water security is underpinned by natural catchments, dams, tanks, reticulated pipelines and access to the Kilnyana Stock and Domestic Water Association scheme supplied from the Mulwala Canal.
The property also includes approximately 113.7ha protected under a Biodiversity Conservation Trust In-Perpetuity Agreement, preserving native habitat alongside established vegetation corridors throughout the holding.
Infrastructure includes an eight-stand shearing shed, sheep and cattle yards, extensive machinery and hay sheds, workshops, silo storage and three residences, including the historic eight-bedroom homestead built in 1926.
LAWD National Director Col Medway said Kilnyana's ability to support multiple agricultural enterprises was expected to attract broad buyer interest.
"The Southern Riverina has long been renowned for its climate that is highly suited to both reliable dryland crop production in combination with livestock enterprises," Mr Medway said.
"Buyers who appreciate the ability to pivot between sheep, cattle and cropping systems to capture market changes will be drawn to Kilnyana which has a long history of true mixed farming capability."
Kilnyana is located 25km south-east of Berrigan, 30km north of Mulwala and 45km east of Tocumwal, with access to livestock selling centres, grain handling facilities and regional agricultural services.
The property is being offered for sale by private treaty with a guide price of $38 million ($8,780 per hectare or $3,555 per acre).
Canadian investment giant La Caisse is expanding its exposure to Australian agriculture through a new partnership with agricultural investment manager GO.FARM, committing $300 million to develop a portfolio of permanent horticulture assets across the country.
The investment, which is being made through a platform managed by GO.FARM, will be complemented by a further $30 million from its partner, taking the initial equity commitment to $330 million.
As part of the deal, La Caisse will also acquire a minority shareholding in GO.FARM.
The partnership will focus on acquiring, developing and operating irrigated permanent crop assets, with the two organisations seeking to capitalise on growing global demand for food production and Australia's long-term agricultural potential.
Founded by Liam Lenaghan in 2013, GO.FARM manages about $1.6 billion in agricultural assets.
The business specialises in converting underutilised land and water resources into large-scale, investment-grade farming operations, with an emphasis on permanent horticulture, water efficiency, climate-smart production systems and agricultural infrastructure.
La Caisse said it selected GO.FARM because of its operational expertise, responsible investment approach and proven ability to source, develop and manage agricultural assets.
Executive Vice-President and Head of Infrastructure and Sustainability Emmanuel Jaclot said Australia's combination of natural resources and export capability made it an attractive market for long-term agricultural investment.
"Australia combines world-class agricultural resources, strong export markets and significant land transformation opportunities,” he said.
“Through this partnership with GO.FARM, we are backing a proven operator with deep local expertise and a strong commitment to responsible agriculture.
“Together, we aim to build a diversified platform positioned to capture attractive opportunities across a sector that is becoming increasingly important to global food production."
GO.FARM founder and managing director Liam Lenaghan said the partnership reflected increasing institutional interest in Australian agriculture.
"Our focus has always been on finding the opportunity, solving the challenges and executing the fundamentals well by building great teams and capability, backed by data-driven insights and good science,” he said.
“This partnership is built on alignment, not just capital.
“As global institutions seek exposure to agriculture, access to investment-grade assets remains constrained.
“This mandate reflects the growing maturity of Australian agriculture as an institutional asset class, and marks a positive moment for both GO.FARM and the sector."
The deal also strengthens La Caisse's growing presence in Australia's sustainable land management sector, while building on GO.FARM's existing institutional investor base, which includes Australian Retirement Trust as well as Australian family offices and high-net-worth investors.
It comes as global investors continue to increase their allocation to agricultural assets, driven by demand for investments tied to food production, natural capital and climate resilience.
Size: 34,921ha
Location: Fords Bridge, NSW
Sale method: AuctionsPlus online auction at 2pm (AEST) on Friday, August 14
Price guide: N/A
The 34,921ha Wampra and Wirranya Aggregation in north-west NSW is set to go under the hammer on AuctionsPlus on August 14, offering buyers the chance to secure a large-scale grazing enterprise that has remained in the one family for more than a century.
Located about 140km west-north-west of Bourke, at Fords Bridge, the aggregation spans about 86,289 acres of red loam and black and grey flood-out country suited to cattle and sheep production, with a balance of productive grazing country and valuable drought resilience.
Schute Bell Whitbread & Co selling agent Shane Russell said recent seasonal conditions had the property presenting at its best.
“We’ve had good rain and they’ve got plenty of feed there,” he said.
“They’ve also got good bores on and a good well, so it’s well-serviced with water.”
The aggregation is currently running agistment cattle and sheep and features an established six-stand woolshed, two sets of cattle yards, sheep handling facilities and 12 main paddocks.
Mr Russell said the combination of abundant feed and reliable water made it an attractive offering.
“It’s a prime time to be selling with the feed, good dams and a good catchment, everything’s full at the moment,” he said.
The holding also offers flexibility during tougher seasons.
"It's got some flood-out country that's really good at the moment for fattening stock, and it doesn't look any better than it does now,” he said.
“Then, when things get a bit tougher and drier, it's got a section of mulga that you can access and cut for stock, or pull over.
“It's a bit of a drought-proofing block because, instead of buying feed, you can pull a bit of scrub and feed your stock."
Wampra includes a five-bedroom homestead, while the Wirranya residence requires renovation.
Mr Russell said inspections had been encouraging, with buyers finding the home in better condition than expected.
Interest has come from both local buyers and interstate producers, particularly from Victoria, ahead of the AuctionsPlus online auction at 2pm (AEST) on Friday, August 14.
North Queensland's Inkerman Station has changed hands for an undisclosed sum above $34 million after being passed in at auction, with the 16,622ha grazing and farming enterprise purchased by a southern Queensland operator.
The auction was held at The Ville in Townsville, attracting around 40 attendees following strong interest throughout the marketing campaign.
Located about 110km south-east of Townsville and 15km south of Home Hill in the Burdekin Basin, Inkerman Station was offered by Tim and Megan Atkinson on a walk-in, walk-out, going-concern basis.
Bidding reached $34 million before the property was passed in.
A subsequent negotiation resulted in a sale at a higher, undisclosed figure.
The sale was handled by Nutrien Harcourts agent David Woodhouse.
The EU-accredited holding was offered with an extensive plant inventory and about 2,000 EU-accredited breeders, predominantly Brangus bloodlines, together with No. 6 followers and 55 Wagyu bulls.
Formerly owned by the North Australian Pastoral Company, Inkerman has operated as a breeding and backgrounding enterprise during the Atkinsons' ownership, carrying between 3,500 and 4,000 head, with further scope to increase capacity through additional pasture or cropping development.
The vendors also expanded the property's farming operation, developing around 600ha of the station's fertile alluvial soils for sorghum production.
Situated in a region receiving about 900mm of annual rainfall, the property is supported by extensive water infrastructure including 15 bores, 11 dams and a network of permanent and seasonal lagoons, springs and waterholes.
Infrastructure across the station includes two homes, a self-contained cottage, numerous machinery sheds, two cattle yards and new fencing.
The purchase is expected to see the property continue as a large-scale agricultural enterprise, with the new owner reportedly intending to further develop its mixed grazing and cropping potential within the highly productive Burdekin Basin.
Size: 2,806ha
Location: Narrandera, NSW
Sale method: EOI closing at 12pm (AEST) on September 10
Price guide: N/A
A large-scale Riverina farming enterprise with extensive irrigation infrastructure, substantial water entitlements and future development potential has been listed for sale, with the Gillenbah Aggregation expected to attract interest from institutional and private investors alike.
The 2,806ha holding, comprising the historic Gillenbah Station and neighbouring Eurolibah Station, occupies a prime position on the Murrumbidgee River about 11km west of Narrandera.
Currently operated as an irrigated and dryland cropping enterprise producing cotton, cereals and oilseeds, the aggregation has 81 per cent of its land considered arable, including 656 hectares of laser-levelled flood irrigation.
The property is supported by 4,387.5ML of water entitlements, comprising 1,944ML of Murrumbidgee River General Security water, 408.5 megalitres of supplementary water, 2,017ML of Lower Murrumbidgee Deep Groundwater and 18ML of stock and domestic water.
There is also scope to expand the irrigated footprint, with a further 1,087 hectares identified as suitable for irrigation development, including permanent horticulture.
LAWD National Director Col Medway said the combination of reliable water, productive soils and development opportunities made the property a standout offering.
“The enviable mix of access to both ground and river water, combined with favourable topography and soil types across the Gillenbah Aggregation, makes it a prime opportunity for further development, with the potential to expand the irrigated row cropping or convert to permanent plantings such as edible nuts, citrus or olives,” Mr Medway said.
“The wonderful Gillenbah Homestead is set in a prime position overlooking the Murrumbidgee River, providing the buyer with a combination of outstanding agricultural productivity and a sublime lifestyle.”
The aggregation features an established irrigation network that distributes both river and groundwater through an open earthen reticulated channel system. It also benefits from four kilometres of Murrumbidgee River frontage, eight kilometres of Yanco Creek frontage and a long-term average annual rainfall of 443mm.
Infrastructure includes pump stations on both the Murrumbidgee River and Yanco Creek, two groundwater bores, machinery and hay sheds, workshops, grain storage, livestock handling facilities and multiple accommodation options, including the historic Gillenbah homestead and a two-bedroom residence at Eurolibah.
The Gillenbah Aggregation is being offered for sale by expression of interest, either as a whole or as individual assets, with submissions closing at 12pm (AEST) on September 10.
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.