It might not look its best just now, but that hasn’t troubled the 25-odd prospective buyers from three states who have lodged inquiries since marketing began for the western NSW leasehold, “Rosewood”.
The fact that the long-held Wilcannia property has received 35mm of rain in the past week and is now coated with a “green tinge” of new growth means it is all set to fire after a follow-up fall.
Would-be buyers are also aware that any property held by one family for more than a century must have something going for it. “Rosewood” is the 27,581 hectare (68,153ac) pastoral holding of Joe and Sylvie Galloway, who are selling the property after 109 years of family ownership to retire and provide for succession.
It has been listed for sale by Marty Deacon of Elders Deniliquin and will go to auction at Broken Hill on November 16 – at first, as a whole, and if not sold, as four contingent portions. “Rosewood” was one of three adjoining blocks off Teryawynia Station taken up in 1910 by sons of Thomas Galloway, an Englishman who had settled on the Darling River in the 1870s.
Four generations on, the original three blocks – each of about 20,000 acres when taken up - are now amalgamated into the holding now for sale as “Rosewood”.
This makes it a substantial holding, with carrying capacity in normal seasons estimated by the owner at about 5000 breeding ewes, plus opportunity fattening. In addition, the property furnishes an annual feral goat muster of around 1500 head, providing useful supplementary income in all seasons.
Situated on the Cobb Highway 117 kilometres south of Wilcannia, “Rosewood” comprises level to undulating country of red loam soils, timbered by neila, mulga, pine, oak, cabbage bush and mallee.
In season the property grows an abundance of natural clovers, medics, grasses and herbages including crows foot, spear grass, copper burr, blue bush and cannon ball. Subdivided into 10 main paddocks, the property has undergone an extensive fencing upgrade in the past 10 years, involving the erection of hingejoint along most of the boundary, and internally.
Annual rainfall since 1928 has averaged 270mm and the property is watered by 15 earth tanks and an equipped bore with solar pump.
The main homestead, built in 1956, is of clad weatherboard construction and has four bedrooms plus self-contained governess quarters, two living areas, renovated kitchen and bathroom.
Also still standing is an earlier homestead of three bedrooms built in the 1940s.
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Working improvements include a four-stand electric woolshed with steel and mesh yards to handle 3000 sheep, shearers’ quarters and amenities, steel cattle yards and machinery shed.
Like many pastoral-zone graziers, the Galloways made a switch about 10 years ago from Merino sheep to Dorpers, which have thrived in the semi-arid environment.
Normal numbers have been substantially reduced in response to the dry times, and the country is ready to rebound as soon as conditions are favourable. Bidding for “Rosewood” is expected on the high side of $125/ha ($50/ac).
