PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
- Bingara
- Agent: Sam Triggs, 0410 683 891. Inglis Rural Property.
If anyone ever had a yen to own a grazing property in the Bingara district of the North West Slopes, there was probably never a more opportune time than the present.
Not only is the district awash with feed following well-timed rains, but for various reasons mainly to do with family decisions, there is a wealth of choice for interested buyers.
In the past month we have featured two substantial Bingara district properties on these pages.
This week we feature two more, including - on this page - the largest of the lot.
On offer is the aggregation of Niambar and Allambie, a combined area of 2780 hectares (6869ac) for sale by expressions of interest, closing June 11, as a single package by Inglis Rural Property.
Owned by Marlene and Karl Dehaen, the properties are contiguous and join the 1724ha Cluny property of Hamish Munro described in this section last month.
Like Cluny, Niambar and Allambie were originally part of the Munro family's once-vast Keera holding.
The present owners acquired Allambie (850ha) in 1986, adding Niambar (1930ha) in 2008.
The addition of Niambar built the aggregation to a sizeable spread, ideal for low-cost cattle breeding and woolgrowing while also appeals as a private bush retreat, with hunting and recreational values.
Situated 45 kilometres south-east of Bingara, the property ranges from alluvial creek flats to open grazing slopes of free-draining sandy and gravelly loams and extensive timbered shale ridges.
The predominantly native pastures have been seeded with medics and clovers and topdressed since 2000 with urea and single super as required.
However, there is still ample scope for further improvement.
When managed as an outstation of Keera, the properties typically ran Merino wethers.
The owners in past years have carried up to 2000 ewes plus wethers and replacements, and 50 cows.
In 1996, with wool in the doldrums, the emphasis turned to cattle, and before the drought the aggregation supported 300 Angus and black baldy breeders, selling calves as weaners, and 2000 Merino wethers.
Offers are expected in the vicinity of $2.2 million, or well under $500 a DSE, based on its estimated 4500-4700DSE carrying capacity.
During the drought the breeders were sold off although 217 weaners were retained on Allambie, of which about 80 remain on hand, along with just 100 wethers on Niambar.
Water is a feature of the property, with an average rainfall of 700mm (and 425mm received so far this year) and nine bores supplying tanks and 23 paddock troughs, plus 20 dams and two seasonal creeks.
The property is subdivided into 20 paddocks, and a goat trapping yard on Allambie captures some 250 feral goats each year for sale as supplementary income.
Accommodation consists of a four-bedroom cottage on Niambar and a three-bedroom cottage on Allambie, both of weatherboard construction with wood heating, plus two single-room guest huts.
Working improvements consist of two sets of steel and timber cattle yards, one with panels for working sheep, plus a set of portable steel yards for goat handling, stables, and a timber-framed storage shed previously used for shearing.