A small but productive grazing property in the Blayney district has been listed for sale to end a 10-year tenure by part-time farmers Ron and Julia Roberts.
“Rosedale Farm” is an 84 hectare (208ac) property at Neville, a chilly and fertile upland region about 20 minutes from Blayney and just over three hours from Sydney. Its size and location make it a property ideally suited as a home base for a “tree-changing” local family with nearby business interests, or a getaway farm for city folk, or a retirement parcel.
The present owners, who have been farming part-time for the past 36 years, both worked originally for Webster’s Vaccines, before starting their own export business in the mid-1990s. Modern communications have enabled them to run the business from the farm (and from their previous farm in the Upper Hunter), while pursuing a shared passion for land improvement and cattle breeding.
Now they are ready to slow down and spend more time travelling, and they have listed “Rosedale Farm” for private sale with Webster Nolan Real Estate of Sydney and Townsend Real Estate of Orange. They are seeking offers of around $1.65 million for the property, but are committed sellers and will listen to “all genuine offers”. Timbered originally by yellow and white box and stringybark, the gently undulating property has a productive mix of native and introduced phalaris and sub-clover pastures. Native trees and conifers have been planted in shelter belts along fencelines and laneways, leaving paddocks mostly open and well suited to haymaking or fodder cropping.
Under present ownership the property has typically carried 50 cows and calves in a crossbreeding operation involving Belted Galloways, but it is now lightly stocked with just 35 breeders. Livestock production is backed up by an annual fodder production program involving hay baling of pasture or crop paddocks. Aside from cattle breeding, the property is equally well suited to a steer fattening enterprise, prime lamb or Merino wool production, all of which are variously pursued on other properties nearby.
Average rainfall is about 900mm, and the property is securely watered by seven dams and a reliable spring. Since taking over “Rosedale Farm” the Roberts have developed a more sophisticated watering system using poly pipe and two-way valves to enable stored water to be moved around the property.
The watering system also captures water from a spring (with a weekly output estimated at 1.5 megalitres) and effectively guarantees permanent stock water across the property in all seasons. An attractive Western Red Cedar homestead, built in the 1930s and extended and renovated in 2003, sits in established gardens ringed by mature trees.
The four-bedroom home also has a formal dining-room, lounge/family area, office, Oregon timber kitchen, polished timber floors, slow-combustion heating and two verandahs. Flanking the homestead is an orchard with many varieties of stone and citrus trees, connected to a watering system.
Outbuildings include a two-stand shearing shed with machinery skillion, four-bay machinery shed and workshop, five-bay hay shed and fully-enclosed tool shed with concrete floor.
The timber cattle yards, which adjoin a vet shed, incorporate an under-cover race with crush and two-way draft, and have lights, power and water connected.
