A CHOICE remnant of the former Eastern Riverina station property best known as the one-time home of pastoral baron Robert Rand will go under the hammer next month.
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Landmark Albury has listed for sale “Killawarra”, a 1617 hectare (4129ac) mixed farming property whose present ownership by the Trethowan family dates back to 1953.
That was when the bulk of Mahonga Station – then owned by George Armstrong Pty Ltd, who had bought it from Rand’s descendants in 1925 as a 19,000ha spread – was offered for sale in subdivision.
Sam Trethowan and his brother John took three of the blocks between them, Sam later buying out his brother and adding more country to build “Killawarra” at its peak to about 2200ha.
Sam and his wife Audrey – now retired and living in Albury – cleared, fenced and pasture-improved the property, where they established a highly-regarded flock of Mungadal blood Merinos, shearing up to 7000 head in conjunction with cereal cropping.
In 1994 they handed over to their son Andrew, who established organic farming practices and gained organic certification, while ramping-up the cropping side of the operation.
It is only due to Andrew’s untimely death from a brief illness earlier this year that the property has been placed on the market by his two sons and daughter.
The property’s versatility and favoured location – in an area already attracting corporate investment – should ensure keen local and wider interest in this “plum” offering.
The fertile plains of the original Mahonga Station flanking the Billabong Creek certainly captivated the pioneer pastoralist Robert Rand, when he took over the property in 1849 from its founding settlers, the Huons.
Rand (after whom the eponymous town is named) later annexed “Urangeline”, giving him a spread of some 70,000ha, on which by the 1890s he is said to have been carrying 280,000 sheep.
Situated 14 kilometres west of Rand and 60km north of Corowa, “Killawarra” enjoys a long frontage to the Billabong Creek and a reliable 500mm average rainfall.
The property is described as 90 per cent arable with soils ranging from alluvial grey loams to red loams and timbered originally by Murray pine, grey and yellow box and red gum.
Well suited to a range of enterprises, the property is managed now as a 50:50 cropping and livestock operation, growing winter cereals alongside Merino and crossbred sheep and an Angus cattle herd.
Its organic certification gives the property access to specialist markets for its production of wheat, oats, lambs and cattle, and a 120ha irrigation entitlement provides further scope.
Included on the property is the original station woolshed with its 13 stands (seven operable in Sam Trethowan’s time, four now equipped) and under-cover room for 3000 sheep.
Other structural improvements include the pise homestead, a large machinery shed and workshop, steel sheep and cattle yards, silos and 300-tonne grain shed.
Similar country in the district has sold recently at about $2500/ha ($1000/ac), and the April 11 auction of “Killawarra” is seen as a timely local test of the broadacre farmland market.
Contact Brian Liston, 0428 931 894
Peter Austin
Former editor and long time columnist and property writer for The Land.
Former editor and long time columnist and property writer for The Land.
