FOR the second time in a year, a famous-name pastoral property in the far North West has hit the market – but this rapid turnover doesn’t mean it’s a “dud”.
It merely means the people who bought it last year have since been presented with expansion opportunities at home, and their far-flung “outstation” is no longer needed.
Roy and Georgina Garland bought the Bourke-district property, “Berawinnia Downs”, to breed Dorpers as an adjunct to their mixed farming operation at “Ben Lomond”, Tullibigeal.
Previously owned by Des and Denise Towers, the 27,000ha (66,000ac) “Berawinnia Downs” was first listed for private sale in April 2010 at an asking price of $737,000.
It was relisted at the reduced price of $650,000 early last year (with basic plant) and sold to the present owners for an undisclosed price.
Now, following a run of excellent seasons and substantial upgrading of fencing, yards and bores, the property is for sale at $750,000 through David Russell, Landmark Russell, Cobar.
That works out at $28/ha ($11/ac), or just $125 a sheep area for its owner-estimated carrying capacity of 6000 sheep or 450 breeding cows (plus goat harvesting).
Situated 93 kilometres north-west of Wanaaring, “Berawinnia Downs” is a pastoral property famous for having been the launching pad in 1924 for the Berawinnia Pastoral Company.
The story of how Berawinnia grew from a couple of outback leases (the other was “Tinapagee” on the Paroo) into a statewide grazing empire carrying at its peak 150,000 sheep and 10,000 head of cattle, was told in a two-page article in The Land Magazine last November.
“Berawinnia Downs” was a much larger spread when the lease (previously held by Sidney Kidman) was taken over by J.K. Crawford and Bill Stalley – co-founders of the eponymous pastoral company – in 1924.
In 1897 it was shown in Pastoral Directory of Australia as carrying 46,000 sheep and 370 cattle, but successive resumptions during the 20th century for closer settlement and soldier settlement whittled it down to its present size.
The present owners have not had a chance to stock the property since taking over in mid-2011, and as a result the country is well grassed.
It would ideally suit another “inside country” grazier like the present owner as a low-cost outback breeding base also offering seasonal opportunities for fattening or agistment.
Although unstocked with sheep or cattle, “Berawinnia Downs” has yielded good harvests of feral goats, of which the owner estimates an achievable seasonal turnoff of 2000 head.
Described as typical north-western mulga country of generally flat, red loam soils, “Berawinnia Downs” also has fertile flood overflow areas flanking the seasonal Kilkara Creek.
Native pastures comprise good stands of Mitchell, silver and wire grass, woollybutt and a variety of native herbages, plus edible scrub.
Average rainfall is 250mm and the country is watered by four bores (one shared), the main bore reticulating through 15km of poly pipe to tanks and troughs.
Improvements include a four-bedroom weatherboard homestead, four-stand steel shearing shed/workshop with sheepyards and seven-room quarters, three-bay machinery shed and steel cattle yards.
Contact David Russell, 0418 636 050.
