- Tottenham
- Agent: Sam Lawler, 0457 847 622. Delta Livestock and Property, Trangie.
A modest mixed farming property in the Central West listed for auction later this month presents a tempting start-up opportunity for a young couple keen to enter the industry.
The property also stacks up as an affordable breeding and fodder-producing 'out-station' to an existing farm business, especially a grazing operation on the higher-rainfall tablelands.
Delta Livestock and Property is marketing Kurrajongdale at Tottenham on behalf of Richard and Paula Clegg, who are retiring (but plan to stay in Tottenham).
The sale will end a century of one extended family's occupation of Kurrajongdale, a 1251 hectare (3089ac) property purchased by Paula Clegg's grandfather, Edwin Hudson, in 1920.
It was originally part of Orange Plains Station, one of the many pastoral holdings of Pat Hill Osborne of Currandooley, Marulan and carried 50000 sheep and 1000 head of cattle.
Osborne died in 1902 and Orange Plains was broken up some years later for closer settlement, with a focus on wheat growing.
Apart from his farming involvement, Edwin Hudson was a stock and station agent with an office in Tottenham.
His son Allantook over both the farm and the agency business, only to have his pastoral career seriously interrupted by the Second World War.
Serving as a pilot, he was captured by the Japanese and interned as a prisoner-of-war in Changi, his fate unknown to his family, and his father died before his eventual release.
After the war Allan returned to the property, although most of his time and energy were directed at his off-farm career as a successful stock and station agent.
Following his death in 2000, his daughter Paula and her husband Richard Clegg took over the property.
The property was almost entirely re-fenced, and scrubby areas tidied up to expand the available cropping area.
Situated just west of Tottenham and 142km south-west of Dubbo, Kurrajongdale is a property of mostly level to gently sloping red loam country, rising to areas of stony ridge.
About 90 per cent of the property is considered arable, of which 180ha is now planted to barley (included) and thriving on well-timed rains.
Average rainfall is 425mm and already this year the property has measured 360mm, resulting in abundant growth of the native pastures.
Traditionally the property has carried a self-replacing Merino flock of about 1200 ewes, plus cropping, and it is now lightly stocked with agistment cattle.
Traditionally, the property has carried a self-replacing Merino flock of about 1200 ewes.
Timbered originally by box, pine and kurrajong, the country is now mostly cleared for farming, and subdivided into 12 main paddocks.
Stock water is provided by five ground tanks and a reticulation system that gravity-feeds water from storage tanks to troughs in all paddocks.
An attractive brick-veneer, air-conditioned homestead of four bedrooms, built just 15 years ago, is set in established surrounds, close to the liveable original homestead.
Working infrastructure consists of a machinery shed and workshop, an older-type three-stand woolshed (two equipped) with steel sheep yards, and three 72-tonne silos.
Kurrajongdale will be offered for sale in Tottenham on July 22, with bidding expected in a range of $1.6-$1.7 million, or barely $1360/ha ($550/ac).
