Unlikely as it seems, given its remote location and the state of the season, a pastoral property newly listed in the backblocks of the Bourke district has triggered a nationwide flood of inquiry.
On offer is “Myrnong”, a 24,864 hectare (61,440ac) station property situated 60 kilometres south-west of Wanaaring, between the former giant pastoral runs of “Urisino” and “Nocoleche”.
In the early 1900s the property was probably part of the vast Dunlop-Toorale-Nocoleche run of mega-pastoralist Sir Samuel McCaughey, when it’s claimed that one fence ran westwards in a straight line from the Darling River through McCaughey land for 150kms!
It was later held for many years by the Riches family, who in the early 1960s were shearing more than 8000 sheep.
Managed now principally as a goat breeding enterprise, “Myrnong” is owned by Christine Ferguson, who bought the property in 2001(originally in partnership) from Gilbert O’Brien. Since then she has brought the property to a high pitch of sustainability and management efficiency with judicious investment in fencing, water and livestock handling infrastructure.
Ms Ferguson won a Nuffield Scholarship in 2010 to study grazing management, and employs holistic practices on “Myrnong” with the result that even under the current drought conditions it retains good ground cover. Having since become involved with her partner in an “inside country” property venture, Ms Ferguson is reluctantly selling “Myrnong” and has listed it for September 27 auction.
Buyer interest in the property has been heightened by the construction now under way at Bourke of a new $60 million small-stock abattoir, expected to provide a major boost to local goat production. Described as mostly open to semi-open soft red mulga country with a south-east pocket of harder stony country, “Myrnong” has good stands of woollybutt and grows a variety of grasses and herbages in season.
Water is a feature of the property, where three sub-artesian bores (one sunk last year) augmented by six ground tanks service 12 main watering points servicing 17 paddocks. All watering points are enclosed by circular steel trap yards designed for sheep or goats, and the three main sets of yards have drafting and loading facilities.
An automated system to monitor and control the water supply to tanks and troughs was installed in 2014, enabling the property to be safely operated without daily hands-on management.
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Livestock and pasture management is further enhanced by the erection or upgrading of 180km of fencing in the past 15 years, involving mostly new 6/70/30 Hingejoint or Weston fence.
Western Lands rated at just under 5000 DSE, the property is now lightly stocked with about 3000 trade goats, but in past years has carried 4500 breeding does and followers plus 2000-3000 trade goats or sheep, and cattle in season.
Working improvements include a four-stand steel shearing shed with attached steel sheep/goat yards to handle 10,000 head, steel cattle yards for 300 head, an 18m x 10m machinery shed and workshop.
