INTENSE Victorian and NSW interest in Waterbag Station - a 42,000 hectare property sold two months ago by Landmark Harcourts east of Broken Hill - has fuelled hopes of a similar result for Winnathee Station.
Landmark Harcourts Broken Hill has listed Winnathee Station for sale by registrations of interest as part of a winding-down of the Far West NSW property portfolio of South Australian pastoralist Kelvin Westbrook.
Mr Westbrook, whose main activity is a 40,000-head sheep and lamb feedlot at Loxton, South Australia, originally held three contiguous leaseholds in the NSW North West "corner country" north of Broken Hill.
Apart from Winnathee Station, there was "Lake Stewart" and "Waka", the latter two situated to the north of Winnathee Station.
Mr Westbrook sold "Waka" two years ago, and with the sale of "Winnathee", which he has owned since 1979, he will retain only "Lake Stewart" as his sole NSW pastoral country asset.
Listing agent Simon McIntyre expects the latest listing to generate strong inquiry from NSW "inside country" graziers as well as traditional Victorian and South Australian interest.
The property has a vendor-estimated carrying capacity of 12,000 to 14,000 dry sheep equivalents (DSE) or 850 to 1000 cows plus followers, and under present ownership it has carried both sheep and cattle successfully.
It is now lightly stocked with about 1500 sheep and 700 head of cattle, and is carrying a good body of feed following useful winter rainfall.
Comprising 71,157 hectares (175,760ac) and situated about 90 kilometres west of Milparinka, "Winnathee" is just to the west of Yandama Station, a former Kidman holding of which it was once a part.
Its western boundary is the South Australian border fence.
The country is a blend of open plains and red clayey sand dunes interspersed with alluvial flats bordering the five major watercourses that intersect the property from east to west, providing valuable floodout.
A fully integrated pipeline system serviced by three bores reticulates water to storage tanks, troughs and turkey-nest dams, while 11 earth tanks provide additional water back-up. Average rainfall is 225 millimetres.
Vegetation consists of Mitchell grass, cannonball, copperburr, saltbush and bluebush plus perennial grasses and herbage in season.
vadjacent to the five-stand shearing shed, plus several outlying sets of yards.
Other built improvements include the four-bedroom homestead which is cement sheet clad and air conditioned, a 15-room shearers' quarters with good facilities, machinery shed, work- shop and storage sheds.
Registrations of interest for Winnathee Station close on October 28, with recent sales in the district indicating a likely value range of $25-$30/ha ($10-$12/ac).
Contact Simon McIntyre, 0407 843 202.
Peter Austin
Former editor and long time columnist and property writer for The Land.
Former editor and long time columnist and property writer for The Land.
