More than 1000ha of premier wool country for sale near Crookwell, with bonus wind turbine income

The farm property is an attractive proposition in its own right across 1046 hectares (2585 acres) of renowned wool producing country about 20km west of Goulburn.

But lining the western escarpment on the property are 13 wind turbines with a lease expiring in 2038.

Hosting turbines can pay around $14,000 per year for the landowner, meaning almost $200,000 in income annually for the next 15 years at least at that suggested price.

Those turbines are part of the Gunning Wind Farm of 31 turbines owned by Spanish company, Acciona.

Prized sheep still happily graze beneath those turbines.

The property has been in the McCormack family for 37 years who have built a history of producing high yielding, bright white wool and record sheep prices.

The property has a carrying capacity of 8090 DSE and is currently running 300 Merino stud ewes and 100 rams as well as a self-replacing Merino flock of 1616 ewes, including 500 Merino ewes joined to Border Leicester Rams, plus 800 Merino wethers and 560 mixed sex hoggets.

The property is running 200 breeding cows in a self-replacing system, and fattening steers to above about 500kg liveweight.

Owner Alan McCormack said his property is well watered by 27 surface dams, including a large feature lake ideal for recreational use, as well as a number of natural water courses and springs.

"It's a very reliable property for water and rainfall and we've worked hard to drought-proof it," Mr McCormack said.

"In 37 years, we've never had to use the water in the lake for livestock, even though we came close in the millennium drought of the 2000s."

He said their property was formerly owned by the Merriman family of Merryville Merino stud fame.

"Bruce Merriman said some of the best wool he'd ever seen came off Walwa.

"Two years ago our Merino ewes cut seven kilograms of wool and returned $100 per head.

"In 2020, before the property was divided up, we sold 800 first cross Merino-Border Leicester ewes at Yass for $420 per head and 14-month-old steers for $3000 per head at Wagga Wagga.

"It's a good fattening place, made up of very soft country."

Walwa Homestead has a new five-stand shearing shed and sheepyards, two new 60-tonne Kotzur silos and additional silo capacity of 140 tonnes, machinery sheds, a workshop and hayshed.

A large 110,000 litre tank supplies water for the shearing shed, new sheep and cattle yards and holding yards.

Walwa Homestead features 540ha (1334 acres) of improved pasture varieties including fescue, cocksfoot, rye grass and sub clovers and there is scope to sow a further 125ha. The balance of pasture comprises native perennial grass and clover.

For the past decade, forage cropping of 43ha of grazing canola and 34ha of oats has been incorporated into the paddock rotations, and applications of chicken manure, lime and fertiliser have further boosted productivity.

The land is gently undulating and features rolling hills of red basalt and granite soils rising to a shale range, with elevation from 813-893 metres.

The six-bedroom Walwa homestead was built in 1913 on a rich basalt knob and set amidst established gardens.

There is also a four-bedroom manager's residence plus a three-bedroom cottage on the property.

Walwa Homestead is being offered for sale by expression of interest, through LAWD in conjunction with Delta Agribusiness closing November 30.

For more information contact LAWD director Tim Corcoran on 0407 893935, Delta Agribusiness branch manager Bill Frew on 0428 482686 or Delta Agribusiness sales representative Jim Guilfoyle on 0428 628342.