TWELVE months and twelve days after it hit the market Uardry Station at Hay has sold to South Australian buyers.
Colliers International executive of rural and agribusiness, Craig Young, Sydney confirmed on Thursday that Tom and Patricia Brinkworth had purchased the 34,618-hectare (85,543-acre) property.
The sale brings to an end just under 40 years of ownership by the Black family, who will hand over the keys to the property on October 30.
Settlement will follow the Black's final two on-property sales: the Uardry Dohne Performance sale on September 5 and the Uardry Stud Foundation Sale on September 25.
The announcement that Uardry Station was up for sale was made on August 11 last year by Graeme Black, managing director of Charles Mills (Uardry) Pty Ltd.
While the sale price has not been disclosed, price expectations for the property when the sale was announced August last year were in the vicinity of $40 million.
Mr Young said the Brinkworths are regarded as one of Australia's biggest woolgrowers and their farming operations "had just got bigger".
He said it was good to see that it was an Australian family who had purchased the property.
This purchase adds to the Brinkworth's impressive collection of properties in both South Australia and NSW.
Mr Young said the family were one of Australia's largest sheep graziers with more than one million hectares of land across the two States and 350,000 sheep.
"The Brinkworth family have purchased the property and its operations, including the studs and farming, in its entirety, including the Charles Mills (Uardry) trading name," he said.
He said Uardry management remains committed to the property and the operations of the business will continue as usual until handover on October 30.
"Uardry is recognised as one of Australia's most prestigious Merino studs with its rich and successful history," he said.
"Since the purchase of Uardry in 1973, the owners and management have ensured that Uardry is at the forefront of the Australian Merino and wool industry."
Since 1973, Uardry has grown from a single Merino stud through to a four studs.
In addition to the Merino stud, Uardry now comprises the Sims Uardry Merino, Sims Uardry Poll Merino, and Uardry Dohne studs.
Uardry has an annual sales revenue in the order of $5m and an active client base of more than 350.
The property has a carrying capacity of about 25,000 sheep and 1000 cattle, a 32 kilometre Murrumbidgee River frontage and water licences totalling 15,749 megalitres.
Uardry had been listed for sale with Colliers International, Sydney and Adelaide.
