A haven with broad appeal

Aside from productive grazing country, portions of pasture cropping land, a 419 megalitre irrigation licence and good improvements, there’s also a sandstone homestead dating from 1865.

That homestead is reflective of the property’s history, which includes ownership by the Thompson and Buffier families who respectively ran the property as a Hereford stud and then a Thoroughbred property.

Today the property operates as a breeding and finishing operation.

The wide range of features together with the varied enterprises that have been carried out contributes to current owner Lucy Horseman’s belief her property “Wingarra” will stand out for several buyers.

Mrs Horseman said the property had a broad appeal, given breeding and finishing capabilities, as well as general lifestyle appeal.

She and her late husband Jack had purchased the 910 hectare (2248ac) property in 2006 when they were living in the Hunter Valley and were on the lookout for another block of land.

They chose “Wingarra” given the property’s size and general location, and the wide scope of productive potential.

The property has been managed by her son Stirling Fearon.

They are selling for consolidation purposes and will be focusing on their other properties in Central Queensland.

“We are very attached to the property and we are proud of what we are offering,” Mrs Horseman said.

That starts with the improvements, which Mr Fearon said included infrastructure and pastures.

“We’ve had a long pasture improvement program in place for the past eight years, as well as an extensive restoration and development of all buildings,” Mr Fearon said.

“We also restored fencing, added laneways and made improvements to the irrigation.”

About 80 per cent of the property’s boundary fencing and 90pc of the internal fencing have been renewed.

Other improvements include a substantial set of steel cattle yards which were added in 2007, and which offer 400-head capacity.

Mr Fearon said more specifically the pasture improvement had involved two separate programs across different soil types – the first comprising summer varieties with tropical perennial grasses, and clovers, while the second program consisted of winter actives, fescue clover mixes and lucerne.

Soils on the property include black and red alluvials through to red basalt loams.

The property has typically grazed about 200 to 300 breeding females, mostly black baldys, as well as up to about 500 trade cattle.

More recently, the breeders have come down to about 180 females and the property has been running about 800 trade cattle, as well as a further 240 head on agistment.

In addition to the cattle, “Wingarra” also has a portion dedicated to crops with a focus on lucerne, barley and oats.

“Wingarra” is just four kilometres south of Bylong and 90km east of Mudgee.

Peter Druitt, Peter Druitt and Company Real Estate, Mudgee, is handling the sale of the property which has been listed for sale by auction on September 25.

In addition to the main four bedroom homestead, “Wingarra” also has a manager’s house as well as two cottages.

Infrastructure includes hay and machinery sheds, sandstone stables, four silos, and two sets of cattle yards.

View this property on Domain Rural.

Contact Peter Druitt, 0428 634 376.