For the second time in two years - but only the fifth time in 180 years - the well-known Bell River property Narroogal, at Wellington, is looking for a new owner.
A substantial aggregation of 1184 hectares (2926 acres), Narroogal is owned by James Jackson, of Bell River Homestead, and Keiran Horth of Pinehill Pastoral.
The pair bought it in partnership in 2017 from Ian and Susan Law for $4.64 million.
The Laws had held the property, with a White Dorper stud, for 10 years, before which it was owned by the Coffee family.
The Coffees had added the Tralee section to their original Narroogal/North Narroogal holding bought 25 years earlier.
Listed for November 12 auction by Sydney-based Webster Nolan Real Estate and Townsend Real Estate of Orange, Narroogal is expected this time around to fetch upwards of the $5 million mark.
Co-selling agent David Nolan said the property's re-listing for sale after just two years was not to do with the drought or finance.
He said it was 'a combination of age, and families going in different directions'.
Either way, the sale decision presents a rich opportunity for a new owner to take over this well-located and agriculturally diverse property and add a new chapter to its long and illustrious history.
Narroogal was first settled in about 1837 by John Maxwell and by 1847 was showing up as a holding of 8550ha (21,120ac).
In 1871 the property was taken over by Edwin Smith, one of five sons of colonial pastoralist and parliamentarian John Smith of Gamboola at Molong.
It was regularly shearing 20,000 sheep by the time it was broken up following Edwin's death in 1908.
Today Narroogal is operated as a mixed farming venture with irrigated and dryland cropping, Dorper and Australian White sheep and Angus cattle, although it lends itself to a range of enterprises.
Situated near Mumbil, 15 kilometres south of Wellington, Narroogal fronts the Bell River for 6km (including 2.5km double frontage).
The property rises from alluvial river flats to arable slopes and elevated grazing plateaux.
About 260ha of the property is arable.
This includes 220ha of river flats which are currently sown 50:50 to lucerne and phalaris-based pasture.
Remaining is a balance of native pastures with scattered box, red gum and kurrajong timber.
Average rainfall is 675mm and apart from the river - to which there is a 149-megalitre irrigation entitlement - the property is watered by solar bores and a spring servicing troughs across the 31 main paddocks.
The century-old main homestead, currently the manager's residence, is of double-brick construction.
The homestead features five bedrooms, modern kitchen, separate lounge and dining rooms, family room and enclosed north-facing verandah.
It is complemented by a modern brick-veneer residence of three bedrooms.
This residence overlooks the river flats on the North Narroogal section of the property.
Livestock handling infrastructure is of a high standard.
It includes a set of steel cattle yards to work 200 cows with curved race and under-cover work area with Stockman Pro-Chute crush and scales.
Other working structures include the main three-stand (unequipped) shearing shed with raised board and under-cover yards plus an outlying crutching shed with two electric stands.
There are also machinery sheds, hay sheds, a workshop and silos.
By PETER AUSTIN.