FOR only the third time in its long-settled history, the Wellington district property “Mount Nanima” has come on the market, affording a choice entry opportunity to the upper Macquarie Valley for a buyer with an eye for heritage.
“Mount Nanima” is a 457 hectare (1130ac) remnant of the sprawling Nanima Run taken up in the 1830s by the colonial merchant/pastoralist Joseph Montefiore, and at its peak encompassing some 16,000 acres (6400ha).
In 1849, by which time Montefiore had moved to Adelaide and switched his attention to the nascent mining industry, “Nanima” was sold to Joseph Aarons, who held it for the next 50 years, erecting a 16-stand shearing shed.
By the mid-1890s, however, Aarons – like many pastoralists of the day under siege from rabbits and drought – was heavily indebted and under pressure from his lenders “Nanima” was broken up for sale.
The 3200ha portion of which the present “Mount Nanima” is a residue was bought in 1899 by C.H. Barton, the manager of the Wellington branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, and owner of nearby Towri Station.
It was further reduced in size by subdivision following his death in 1912, but it would be another 84 years before Barton’s descendants relinquished the portion now for sale as “Mount Nanima”.
That was in 1996 when Michael Barton, the original owner’s grandson, sold up to retire to a smaller property, “Yarrahappini”, next door.
The buyers were Tim and Jeannine Woods, who are selling now to relocate and have listed the property for private sale with Peter Milling and Company of Dubbo and Wellington, with a price tag of $2.82 million.
Situated just five kilometres north of Wellington fronting the Macquarie River and 30 minutes from Dubbo, “Mount Nanima” is a choice and well-developed property ideally suited to a mixed livestock breeding, trading or fattening regime.
The open, undulating country is of basalt soil formation currently supporting runaway pasture growth of lucerne, clovers, fescue, ryegrass and native grasses and amply sustaining the 800 crossbred ewes and lambs, and 250 yearling cattle on hand.
Although up to 250ha of the property has been cropped in the past, present focus is on pasture renovation, using a holistic management grazing regime based on 18 main paddocks subdivided by electric fencing into cells.
Stock water is sourced from the Macquarie River, with a backup bore, feeding a 90,000-litre header tank which reticulates to paddock troughs, homestead and sheds.
A feature of “Mount Nanima” is the colonial-style homestead, built in 1928 for Michael Barton’s parents out of bluestone-like concrete blocks made on the property.
Set in expansive gardens with an in-ground pool, the four-bedroom homestead boasts polished jarrah floors, bay windows, pressed-metal ceilings, French doors, open fires and combustion heating, a modern kitchen and wide verandahs. It is complemented by a recently renovated two-bedroom cottage.
Working improvements for sheep and cattle handling include a two-stand, raised board shearing shed with steel sheep yards and covered working area, and steel cattle yards incorporating a central drafting yard and circular race.
Other working structures include machinery and hay sheds, six silos, stables and a car shed.
