A choice portion of one of the Condobolin district's most illustrious former station properties has hit the market as a consequence of its owners' eastward expansion.
West Borambil is the 815 hectare (2013ac) property of Merino sheep classer and stud breeder Tom Kirk and his wife Kate, who bought it in 2000 from Merelyn Wallace.
Eight years later the property made headlines when it became the new home of the famous Bundemar Merino stud.
This followed the Kirks' purchase of the historic stud from Peter Vickery of Dobikin, Bellata.
But now West Borambil has become surplus to the Kirks' requirements.
They are about to take possession of a new property - Emrose at Baldry - where their sheep are already depastured.
The Kirks bought the 1513ha Emrose (previously owned by four generations of the Barber family) in October after it was passed in at Ray White Dubbo auction for $5.3 million.
Situated midway between Parkes and Yeoval, Emrose appealed to the Kirks as a higher-rainfall diversification from Condobolin, where they also own a 3680ha dryland mixed farming property, The Gilgais.
Mr Kirk is self-marketing West Borambil, which is being offered for sale by expressions of interest with bids invited by a closing date of January 7.
It's an offering of keen local interest, given the property's 'dress circle' position fronting the Lachlan River and the Lachlan Valley Way just seven kilometres east of Condobolin.
West Borambil was one of three blocks created by a 1967 family division of Borambil Station, held then by Sydney-based pastoral baron W.G. Matchett and his descendants since 1914.
The former owner, Merelyn Wallace (nee Hopkins), was a grand-daughter of Matchett's.
Borambil in 1967 was a sizeable holding of 11480ha, but well under the 30000ha it comprised at the time of Matchett's death in 1932, before resumptions for closer settlement made inroads.
Under the Kirks' ownership West Borambil has been operated as a mixed farming operation combining stud and commercial Merino breeding with dryland and irrigated cropping.
Fronting the Lachlan River for 6.2km, West Borambil is a level property of mostly rich alluvial river soils, with 312ha of developed flood irrigation and 200ha of dryland cultivation.
There is potential to develop a further 50ha of the dryland country for irrigation.
A key selling point is the property's 944-megalitre general security water entitlement.
West Borambil has successfully grown cotton, mostly recently in 2016 on shares, although the Kirks' own crop grown in 2012-13 (pictured) achieved impressive yields of up to 13.6 bales/ha.
Other crops grown have included wheat, oats, barley and canola, variously for grain, hay and grazing, in conjunction with the stud Merino operation of some 1000 head of ewes, rams and lambs.
Average rainfall is 458mm and stock water is secured by a 16ML high-security stock and domestic entitlement from the river and an equipped bore with 11ML groundwater licence.
The modern, four-bedroom homestead is of Hardiplank construction, renovated in 2003 and 2018.
The homestead is attractively set amid native and deciduous trees with an in-ground saltwater pool and double garage.
Working improvements include a three-stand, raised-board shearing shed, and steel sheep yards with raised classing race.
There is also a 300-tonne grain shed with roof-mounted auger system, machinery shed and workshop.
By PETER AUSTIN.
