Affordable, low-input New England grazing country for sheep or cattle has become available with the listing for private sale of “Towri”, the Uralla district property of Brisbane-based Dr Philip Smith and his wife Lenna. Held by the present owners for 34 years, “Towri” is a substantial property of 1618 hectares (3999ac) offering good protection for sheep or cattle breeding and well suited to clean wool production or backgrounding.
It has been listed for sale by Frank Spilsbury of Elders Armidale and David Nolan of Webster Nolan Real Estate in Sydney, at a modest asking price of $2.8 million.
The property has a long history of breeding Merino sheep and cattle, but in recent times has been carrying agistment cattle, in which capacity during the 24 months to May 2014 it comfortably ran 524 cows and calves. Situated 26 kilometres west of Uralla on the sealed Kingstown road, and 51km from Armidale, “Towri” is a property of gently undulating grazing country of granite and trap formation.
Just under 900ha is described as arable, with shelter and shade trees remaining of yellow box, apple, stringybark and gum, the balance carrying open to heavy timber including patches of regrowth that offer opportunities for selective clearing.
The predominantly native pastures have been augmented by seedings of white and sub clover, while paspalum also occurs along creek flats.
Pasture hay has been made in past years on the arable country. Recent good rains stimulated pre-winter pasture growth and the country is reportedly in good heart, and well equipped to accommodate a new grazing enterprise.
Carrying capacity of the property in its present state is estimated at between 5000 and 5500 DSE, and there is potential to lift production substantially with improved pasture establishment, topdressing and fodder cropping.
Alternatively, with modest investment in water and further subdivision, the property lends itself to a holistic management regime enabling more targeted management of native pastures. It could also quality for organic certification.
Water security is a feature of “Towri”. Its average rainfall is 750mm and a long frontage to Perlieu Creek (which has permanent holes) is supplemented by 30 dams, many spring-fed.
At one stage faba beans were grown on “Towri” under irrigation from a pump on Perlieu Creek, using moveable pipes.
The property is subdivided into 28 paddocks with a central laneway connecting five paddocks to the cattle yards.
Working improvements include a three-stand elevated shearing shed with steel sheepyards, a well-built set of timber and steel cattle yards with covered work area and concrete draft, machinery and hay sheds and a 30-tonne grain silo.
The three-bedroom manager’s residence is of weatherboard construction and features polished timber floors, a family/dining area with open fireplace and wood heating in two bedrooms.
It is supplemented by a two-bedroom cottage, in addition to which several ideal homesites for an owner/occupier have been identified and prepared.
The property’s $2.8m price tag equates to $1730/ha or $700/ac.
