THE listing of two Walcha-district properties, “Tarwonga” and “Thorleys”, by the same family makes for an ideal opportunity for a prospective buyer to acquire a substantial area of more than
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1900 hectares of solidly performing sheep breeding country.
The 609ha (1506acre) “Thorleys” is owned by Lee Fletcher, while his brother David (in partnership with Lee’s son Will) owns the 1335ha (3300ac) “Tarwonga”.
“Thorleys” was purchased by Lee and David’s father Don in 1946, who was then in a farming partnership with his own brothers.
Lee took ownership in 1990, and said “Thorleys” had come a long way since his father had purchased it in the 1940s, when it was a scrub block.
The property was a vast resource for good firewood, and through the years the timber has been cleaned up and more recently the property has undergone a program of pasture improvement.
About 133ha (330ac) of the property has been pasture improved to cocksfoot and clovers by Mr Fletcher in the past two to three years.
“I’ve always used it as a sheep block, and I think it is very good sheep breeding country.”
Mr Fletcher usually runs about 1800 Merino ewes – about 50 per cent of those are joined to White Suffolk or Poll Dorset rams.
In addition he has run up to 50 heifers.
Among the more recent improvements to the property has been the addition of a substantial set of sheep yards about five years ago, with the capacity to hold almost 2000 sheep.
“Thorleys” has gently soft undulating trap country and is subdivided into six paddocks.
While “Thorleys” is bare of infrastructure aside from the sheep yards, “Tarwonga” – purchased by the family in 1974 – includes a brick homestead thought to have been constructed in the mid 1960s.
The comfortable home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms and is set in established gardens.
“Tarwonga” also has a four stand shearing shed added to the property in 1991 and in good condition, as well as a set of steel yards added at the same time.
The property has a carrying capacity of about 2500 ewes and 130 breeders; under current ownership the property has been running a Merino flock joined to Border Leicester ewes.
“Tarwonga” is subdivided into 14 paddocks, with each paddock having two dams.
The property has undulating trap rock country and is timbered with stringy bark and yellow box.
The properties are listed for sale with Bruce Rutherford, Landmark Boulton’s, Walcha, and Henry Leonard and Tim Kelly of Leonard and Co Raine and Horne, Goondiwindi.
They are both set for auction early next month, on June 4.
Similar country in the area to “Tarwonga” has made in excess of $800/ac, while similar country to “Thorleys”, in recent years, has made from $1000/ac to $1400/ac, depending on size and the level of improvements.
Mr Fletcher said both properties were reliable sheep country and offered ease of management, along with the potential for further pasture improvement.
“Thorleys” is situated about 19 kilometres north east of Walcha while “Tarwonga” is 24 kilometres north east of Walcha, and are only separated by 300 metres in parts.
Visit Domain Rural for more photos.
Nick Heydon
The Land's property editor.
The Land's property editor.
