Southern Monaro property Mooresprings for sale

The 1107 hectare (2737ac) property, then somewhat smaller in area, was acquired in 1900 from Thomas Moore by James Chirnside from the eponymous Victorian pastoral dynasty.

The property passed in due course to his son Lindsay, who added the adjoining Yarra property to bring it to its present size, and after that - in the 1970s - to Lindsay's three daughters.

In 2008 Mooresprings was bought by local graziers Terry and Leanne Moreing to become the new home of their Morfield Hereford stud. The stud was recently dispersed, along with their Poll Dorset stud, and now to allow for succession planning the Moreings are selling Mooresprings to retire.

The property has been listed for sale with Colliers International and will go to auction at Merimbula on May 7 with price expectations on the high side of $5000/ha ($2000/ac).

Situated at Bibbenluke, 16km north-east of Bombala, 79km from Cooma and just an hour's drive from South Coast beaches, Mooresprings has long enjoyed a reputation for quality livestock.

Carrying capacity is estimated at 10,000 DSEs, and the property has typically carried 300 cows and followers, with progeny grown to feeder weights of 400 kilograms, plus 2100 Merino and first-cross ewes, the latter mated to Poll Dorsets for a prime lamb.

About 400 Merino wethers were also run as woolcutters, and the property until recently was home to the Poll Dorset stud of about 300 ewes, from which about 120 to 140 rams were sold annually. In earlier times calves bred on Mooresprings were sold as weaners at annual Monaro sales, while surplus sheep were keenly sought at the Cambalong circuit sale.

Described as 80 per cent arable, Mooresprings predominantly has rich black and red basalt soils, rising from river flats to rolling hills with some steeper slopes along the southern boundary.

The property has a 5.5km frontage to the Bombala River, three permanent creeks, nine dams and two reticulation systems supplying 10 paddock troughs.

Average rainfall is 660mm and already this year the property has received falls totalling 175mm, providing a strong start to the season.

About 690ha of the property is pasture improved or fodder cropped, the balance being a native mix of poa tussock, kangaroo grass, microlaena and corkscrew plus introduced medics and sub-clover.

The homestead, built in the 1930s for Lindsay Chirnside and renovated in 2010, is cement-rendered double brick and has three bedrooms, office and modern kitchen/dining area.

Set in established gardens, the house has polished timber floors in the kitchen and dining room, two wood heaters, separate lounge and sitting rooms and a detached double garage. It is complemented by a three-bedroom cottage and the original five-bedroom shearers' quarters (now unused).

Working infrastructure includes a five-stand woolshed with new Arrow yards, steel and timber cattle yards, machinery and hay sheds, workshop, silos and original stables.