A productive mixed farm near Molong in the Central West has a colourful history that is more to do with Australia’s early mining development than with the agricultural traits for which the property is now better associated.
“Copper Hill” takes its name from a timbered hill on a section of the 508 hectare (1253ac) property, which has the distinction of being the site of the first copper mine developed in the fledgling colony.
In 1846 an English company brought Cornish miners to the site, sank shafts and built furnaces for smelting the ore, all well before the better known copper mines at Cobar, and at Burra in South Australia came into being.
The discovery of gold near Bathurst in 1851 caused the miners to down tools and head for richer fields, and copper mining at Molong petered out.
Two later attempts were made to revive the mine, in the 1870s and the early 1900s, but neither lasted. Since then the former mining site has reverted to native bush, and today it is merely a historical curiosity on the property which, since its purchase in 1977, has been worked as a successful mixed farm by owner Dave Fearon.
Mr Fearon and his wife Suzie are now ready to take it easier, and the property has been listed for sale with Tom Sheehan and Ben Redfern of Ray White Emms Mooney, for auction in Sydney on October 7.
A feature of “Copper Hill” is its colonial weatherboard homestead, built in the 1890s by the property’s then owner John E. Kelly
Its central location – four kilometres from Molong and just 36km from Orange – together with its enterprise versatility, natural endowments and lifestyle appeal, make “Copper Hill” an attractive proposition for a range of rural and city-based buyers.
The property comprises mostly gently undulating country, timbered originally by white and yellow box, rising from alluvial flats fronting Molong Creek to arable slopes of basalt and heavy loam soils, with limestone ridges.
A 50ha wheat crop this season is showing good promise, after well-timed rains. Present stocking consists of 1000 Merino ewes and 250 crossbred ewes, all joined to terminal sires, and 50 Murray Grey cows and calves. All progeny are typically turned off in prime condition.
The property has a 2km frontage to Molong Creek and comes with a 63 megalitre irrigation licence plus a 50ML bore licence, while a well feeds stock water to header tanks and troughs. Average rainfall is about 675mm.
A feature of “Copper Hill” is its colonial weatherboard homestead, built in the 1890s by the property’s then owner John E. Kelly, a former West Darling pioneer, miner and parliamentarian, who also owned “Myall-Mundi” at Trangie (where he died in 1896).
Renovated in recent years, the six-bedroom home combines a modern, open-plan kitchen and dining area with period features including polished boards and high ceilings, and a garden setting with pool and tennis court.
Working improvements include a shearing shed, sheepyards, steel cattle yards, machinery shed and workshop and haysheds.
Bidding for “Copper Hill” is expected in a range upward of $5000/ha ($2000/ac).