THE listing of Chinese-owned renowned Wimmera property Llanthro heads a wrap-up of interesting recent listings across Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

 Chinese offload Wimmera’s Llanthro

 WA’s Shiloh Farms offers scale and versatility

 $10m+ for SA’s Martins Well Station

 Overwhelming inquiry for SA’s Wilkatana Station

Chinese offload Wimmera’s Llanthro

A Shanghai-based wool and textile manufacturer is selling its renowned grazing and farming property in Victoria’s Wimmera region with hopes of raising between $20 million and $22 million.

The 2143ha Llanthro located 5km north of Apsley was purchased in 2015 and its scale positions it as one of the more significant properties in the region.

CBRE Agribusiness agents Shane McIntyre said the property has appreciated in line with the general trend of the rural property market and the vendor has decided to realise the asset.

“The vendor has been focused on fine wool, but Llanthro’s versatility will appeal to a wide platform of buyers. It is also able to produce prime lambs and beef, trade cattle with some potential for winter row cropping.”

Mr McIntryre said properties of this scale with well-established infrastructure are keenly examined by the market and that is what is currently being experienced.

The property is offered with a 20,000 DSE carrying capacity in winter, rising to 30,000 DSE in spring.  Llanthro has undergone extensive pasture renovation and soil fertility improvements to ensure high-performance and productive grazing and land use into the future.

The property is reliably watered by three bores and the infrastructure includes numerous sheds and undercover sheep yards.

Llanthro is for sale by expressions of interest closing on November 13.

WA’s Shiloh Farms offers scale and versatility

David and Sally Cox and family have relisted their substantial sheep, cattle and cropping opportunity on Western Australia’s south coast.

The 5005ha Shiloh Farms was aggregated over 30 years and comprises six contiguous holdings near Neridup and 40km north-east of Esperance.

The property was originally purchased to backgrounding cattle for the family’s Busselton-based dairy. It grows 3000ha of crops and runs 1400 head of trade cattle.

AWN Real Estate agent Rowan Spittle describes the paddocks as large and easy working with sandy duplex soils.

“Soils are typically 30cm to 50cm of sand over gravel and clay, with areas of deeper sands planted to 240ha of tagasaste and perennial grasses for cattle fodder.”

“This system provides a very useful supply of feed during the autumn gap and enables high stocking rates during the spring flush,” Mr Spittle said.

Mr Spittle said rarely does a property of this scale, in such a tightly held, high rainfall region, come to the market.

“The stand-alone aggregation would suit a larger farming operator with the southern properties running 3000 trade cattle, as well as growing out young heifers for a local dairy business.

“The northern holdings currently produce 3500ha to 4000ha of crops (canola/wheat rotation and barley), with some areas of deeper sands planted to cattle fodder,” he said.

Biodiversity on the asset has been maintained on Shiloh Farms, with about five percent of the land set aside with plantations, tree lines and fenced remnant native vegetation and waterways.

Shiloh Farms is considered drought proof in its 450mm to 500mm rainfall zone, and is also well-watered by four bores and three equipped dams.

There is extensive infrastructure for both sheep and cattle, as well as numerous sheds and silos, a home, a worker's cottage and a modern workers quarters.

Offers to purchase Shiloh Farms close on November 15.

$10m+ for SA’s Martins Well Station

A European family headquartered in Hong Kong is selling its well-improved South Australian cattle and sheep station on the edge of the Flinders Ranges, offered with significant tourism and conservation opportunities.

The MF Jebsen Group purchased the 105,000ha Martins Well Station in June 2017 on a walk-in walk-out basis for $5.975 million with the inclusion of 6000 sheep and 500 head of cattle.

The group’s current business portfolio and investment includes agriculture, eco land banks and forestry, as well as automotive sales and services, shipping and travel services.

Martins Well Station is located 90km north-east of Hawker and a six-hour drive from Adelaide. It features mostly open, undulating plains interspersed with ranges and creek systems, all hosting a vast array of grasses and bush feed.

Colliers agents Jesse Manuel, Tim Altschwager and Will Sumner have been appointed to handle the WIWO sale which will include several hundred head of mixed cattle.

While the agents were unable to provide a price guide, industry sources suggest, recent sales have achieved above $800/DSE. Given the current maximum stocking rate of 12,900 sheep, Martin Wells Station could raise well in excess of $10m.

Colliers national director Jesse Manuel said Martin Wells has had good rain and is conservatively stocked.

“The station has recently received 15mm of rain and would suit those looking to expand their breeder base in either sheep or cattle, with the vendors presently running mostly cattle.”

Mr Manuel said Martin Wells Station benefits from significant recent investment.

“The property has undergone extensive improvements since it changed hands seven years ago, including extensive renovations to the main five-bedroom homestead and historic outbuildings that now offer multiple, luxurious accommodation options.”

Other infrastructure includes a seven-stand shearing shed, five sheep yards and a set of cattle yards.

The long-term average annual rainfall at Martins Well is around 250mm, and the station is abundantly watered by 17 equipped bores, multiple dams and semi-permanent and permanent waterholes.

Colliers agent Tim Altschwager said the Artipena permanent spring is an extensive watercourse with a chain of large waterholes extending for several kilometres.

Martins Well Station is also known in tourism and conservation circles as the Martins Well Rangeland Reserve.

General manager Wendy O’Neill said combining agriculture, tourism and conservation on such an amazing property has been very rewarding.

“Martins Well operates as a productive livestock enterprise while conserving and celebrating its diverse and significant cultural, ecological and geological features.”

Prospective purchasers are invited to submit best offers by November 28.

Overwhelming inquiry for SA’s Wilkatana Station

There has been overwhelming interest in an historic sheep and cattle station at the foot of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges.

The 44,696ha Wilkatana Station has been owned for 123 years by the Melbourne-based Sawers family. It is located 45km north of Port Augusta and 157km from Jamestown.

The decision to sell has been prompted by the manager’s retirement after 38 years, with the vendor’s main agricultural interests in horticulture and water in central Victoria.

The country on Wilkatana Station is mostly semi open myall shrubland with an understory of bluebush, saltbush, native clovers and grasses and is looking healthy despite the season.

Historically and conservatively, it has run 5000 ewes and 150 cows plus replacements.

Ray White Rural agent Sam Krieg has fielded more than 100 inquiries because the station is better suited to sheep.

“Wilkatana boasts excellent fencing and underground water. It has been conservative managed and the country is looking healthy despite the season.”

This year, a number of stations in the Flinders Ranges listed for sale have attracted widespread interest.

In August, the 43,300ha Lake Torrens, 162km from Port Augusta, and the 55,400ha Motpena Station, 208km from Port Augusta, sold to a long-standing family owner in the region and a local producer.

While the agents were unable to disclose the buyers or the prices paid, when Lake Torrens Station was offered to the market in June, it was listed for $5.4m and met vendor expectations.

Water is supplied from three bores, springs and numerous dams in a 225mm average annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, a three-bedroom manager’s residence, a shearers’ quarters, an eight-stand shearing shed, multiple sheep and cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Historic sites on Wilkatana Station include the Eyre Depot where explorer Edward John Eyre established camp on his journey north in 1839 and a weir constructed in 1912 to capture and store water for the Commonwealth Railways – the water was then transported via wooden pipes into Port Augusta for the steam trains.

Wilkatana Station will be auctioned bare on November 20.