Freedom at Forbes

than anything else when he sells his family property “Goolerong”: the sheer sense of freedom.

Mr Hawke and his brothers, George and Howard, are selling “Goolerong”, a property which has been in their family since 1936 when their grandfather George came to the district with his sons, Keith (their father) and Les.

Today, offering a total of 1336 hectares (3350ac), the total property will be available in three portions: the 971ha (2400ac) “Goolerong” itself, “ as well as the 316ha (782ac) “Lenkunya” and the 68ha (168ac) “Nooramunga”.

All three portions will be offered at auction on September 4 through Ian Simpson, Ray White Rural, Forbes.

Mr Hakwe said the decision to sell came with mixed feelings.

“(Farming) is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he said.

“You can’t last forever though, and I’ve had a good run on the property.”

The brothers have run a mixed farming operation of cropping and crossbred ewes.

The property as a whole has typically carried about 1800 crossbred ewes.

“We also used to run cattle, and we also had Merino wethers for a time,” he said.

He said once their 19-micron fleece had sold for over 1024 cents a kilogram, back in 1988.

Crops planted across the property in recent years have included canola, wheat, barley, and peas.

Mr Hawke said there was plenty he would miss about the property, with the good mix of heavy and light soil types at the top of the list.

He will also miss productivity on a large scale so close to town, with the property only about seven kilometres north-west of Forbes.

Soil types across the property comprise red and heavy loams, while topography is mostly flat with some gently sloping areas.

The country is considered to be suitable for a range of cropping pursuits including canola, winter cereals, peas and lucerne production.

Infrastructure is extensive and includes numerous grain silos, machinery shedding, a five stand shearing shed, and sheep yards.

The property also has two weatherboard houses, one of which is currently unoccupied.

Mr Hawke said among some of the more recent improvements to the property were silos and shedding.

The listing of the property in three portions offers good flexibility for buyers, with the larger “Goolerong” subdivided into a total of 18 paddocks and with 12 dams.

“Lenkunya” has a total of five paddocks and seven dams, while the smallest of the three, “Nooramunga”, offers just the one paddock and dam.

Contact Ian Simpson, 0417 468 565.

View this property on Domain Rural.