A mixed farming property recently listed for sale on the South West Slopes can boast nearly a century and a half of continuous family ownership.
Now called Gundaline, but previously Mintaro, and originally Connemara, the property was part of lands selected at Frampton by O'Connor brothers from Ireland in 1873.
Situated 12 kilometres south-west of Cootamundra in prime mixed farming heartland, Gundaline is a property of 772 hectares (1906ac) currently owned by Brian and Geraldine Ryan.
The Ryans are now ready for retirement and they have listed the property for sale by expressions of interest with CBRE and Delta Agribusiness.
It was Brian's father, Martin, who renamed the property Gundaline when he and his wife Sheila (nee O'Connor) took it over in 1950 from O'Connor relatives.
He appropriated the name Gundaline from the eponymous Riverina station which he often admired while driving between properties he and his brother then owned at Dookie (Vic) and Illabo.
Described as 64 per cent arable, Gundaline is a property of mostly undulating country falling away to the east from ridges of the Bethungra Range. Its elevation range is 460 to 390 metres.
The grey clay loam and red loam soils are ideally suited to improved pastures and cropping, with fertility maintained by crop rotations and topdressing as prescribed by soil tests.
Average rainfall is 600mm and the property is watered by 28 dams backed by extensive catchments.
Currently under lease, the property previously ran a 400-cow Angus breeding herd rearing progeny to feeder weights, but now is used for cattle backgrounding and prime lamb breeding.
It is now carrying some 1000 head of trade cattle and 500 Merino ewes mated to terminal sires, alongside a winter cropping program based on wheat, canola and oats in rotation with legume pastures.
With an emphasis on winter dry matter production, this season's cropping mix is 247ha of grazing canola, 194ha of oats/ryegrass and 56ha of oats, complemented by 272ha of native pastures and clover.
Expressions of interest for Gundaline close on September 5, with offers expected in the mid-$6 million range.
Both crops and pastures are responding well to recent rains, including a welcome 27mm recorded last weekend.
The lease is due to expire on December 31 and a successful purchaser will have the option of taking over the lease upon settlement, or delaying settlement until it expires.
A feature of Gundaline is its classic rendered brick homestead, built in 1918 as the Connemara homestead by Edward O'Connor and today an attractive blend of heritage features and modern touches.
Set in established gardens with views over the property, the four-bedroom home has a renovated kitchen and dining area, outdoor entertaining area and solar heated pool.
Working improvements include a four-stand steel-framed shearing shed with steel sheep yards, steel cattle yards, machinery sheds, workshop and five cone-bottom silos.
By PETER AUSTIN.