Only three families have held the Crookwell district property, Abbeyville, since it was taken up as a grant in the 1840s by Alexander Abbey.
Successive generations of the Abbey family would hold the Bevendale property for more than a century before selling it in 1948 to the Coleman family, reputedly for one pound ($2) an acre.
The Abbeys retained adjoining country known as Abbey Vale, now held by Edward Abbey and his family.
A few years (and the 1950s wool boom) later, Abbeyville was resold for 12 pounds an acre, this time to Herbert McGaw, who left the property upon his death to two of his four sons, John and Neville.
At its peak during the Abbeys’ ownership the property is thought to have reached some 8090 hectares, but by the time of its sale to Coleman (and later, McGaw), it had been trimmed to about 1942 hectares.
John and Neville divided the property between them, John’s portion in due course being bought by the Murray family, who now operate it along with additional country as Bevendale Station.
Neville and his wife Phillipa retained the Abbeyville homestead portion with their son Angus, and that is the 980ha (2420ac) property now for sale to wind up a family partnership.
It has been listed for sale by Peter Reardon of Landmark Harcourts Goulburn and will go to auction in Goulburn on April 12.
Situated about 40 kilometres west of Crookwell, where it straddles the upper Lachlan River for about 4km, Abbeyville is a productive grazing property well suited to sheep and cattle breeding.
The country rises from alluvial flats fronting the river to open, undulating grazing country of shale and granite soils types and basalt plateaus.
Much of the river and plateau country is arable and has been used to grow fodder crops including oats, turnips, millet and lucerne, supplementing the natural and introduced pastures.
Noted for its clean, fine wool production, the property at its peak has carried 4000 Merino ewes and 60 cows, although in recent years it has been more conservatively stocked.
Apart from its Lachlan frontage, the property enjoys a 3.5km frontage to the permanent Grabben Gullen Creek, plus a seasonal creek, dams and springs.
A drawcard of Abbeyville is its colonial-style double-brick homestead, built around 1900 and incorporating period features including high ceilings, timber joinery and marble fireplaces.
Flanked by covered verandahs and set in established gardens with tennis court, the four-bedroom home has separate lounge and dining rooms and a spacious eat-in kitchen and family room.
Working improvements include a large, four-stand shearing shed and sheep yards, cattle yards, hay/machinery shed and shearers’ quarters.
MERRIWA SALE
Parkway, one of two Merriwa properties submitted to on-line auction last week on account of the estate of the late Keith Yore, was sold to the unnamed losing bidder immediately after being passed in at $3.4 million. The sale price was not disclosed.
Held by Mr Yore since 2001, the 829ha Parkway is a mostly gently undulating property of basalt soils with an estimated carrying capacity of 300-320 cows.
Also offered at the same auction was Mr Yore’s nearby Templemore property of 1375ha, which was passed in at $4.75m and is now for private sale at $5.2m.
Selling agents were Meares and Associates of Sydney and Flood Rural and Water of Muswellbrook.
