ONE of the Coolah district’s better known properties, “Mount Mill”, will go to a receivers’ auction next month, presenting a rare buying opportunity in this tightly-held district.
It gives canny investors the chance to snap up a choice grazing property with a 400 to 500 breeder capacity in a secure rainfall area, at what should be a realistic price from a committed seller.
Receiver/manager McGrathNicol has listed the property with Meares and Associates of Sydney and it will go to auction on April 15 with price expectations of $2500 to $3000 a hectare ($1000 to $1200 an acre).
It will be the third time in 30 years that Meares and Associates principal, Chris Meares (formerly a stock and station agent at Coolah), has been involved as an agent in the sale of the property.
“Mount Mill” is a 1245ha (3076ac) well-developed property 14 kilometres north of Coolah in the valley of the Coolahburragundy River, to which it has a long double frontage.
The country ranges from alluvial river flats to low hills of rich black and red/brown basalt soils.
About 30 per cent of the total area is arable.
“Mount Mill” came to notice in the 1970s when it was home to a substantial cattle feedlot operated by then-owner, Henry Crouch.
In 1981 it was bought by Mac Bowman and managed by his family in conjunction with an adjoining property, “The Bowery” (which they still own) until sold to the present owner two years ago.
It was during the Bowmans’ tenure that much of the modern development of “Mount Mill” was undertaken.
This included contouring of the cropping country, erection of new working infrastructure and major investment in stock water through a new bore and reticulation scheme.
The property has been run in recent years as a cattle breeding and finishing operation backed up by a winter cropping program.
It is estimated if operated instead as a purely backgrounding/finishing concern, “Mount Mill” could turn off 3000 head a year over three cycles.
Of the arable area, about 200ha is cropped annually with wheat and oats while a further 250ha is sown to lucerne-based pasture.
The balance of the property is predominantly native grasses with trefoils and clovers, now in abundance after recent rains.
Average annual rainfall is 700 millimetres and the property’s frontage to the permanent Coolahburragundy River is augmented by an equipped well and bore.
These supply a network of elevated tanks which gravity feed water to 20 large concrete stock troughs across the property.
Fenced laneways deliver stock from the 27 (approximately) paddocks to the centrally located steel cattleyards which have a covered working area, Pro-Chute crush, bugle race and floodlighting.
Other working improvements include a large steel machinery shed/workshop, 5000 tonnes of grain storage (shed and silos), woolshed, hangar/grain shed, registered weighbridge and stables.
The original “Mount Mill” homestead on the Coolahburragundy River was essentially rebuilt in the late 1960s by Henry Crouch to a design by Sydney architect, Denis Rourke, resulting in the present substantial 60-square residence.
Featuring an open-plan layout with modern kitchen and verandahs on all sides, the five-bedroom home has two courtyards, tennis court, three-car garage and outdoor spa, all set in a mature garden.
Additional accommodation is available in the shape of a renovated two-bedroom cottage and jackaroo’s quarters.
Sam Triggs of Meares and Associates said “Mount Mill” was a property on which the major infrastructure investments had been made, but still offering scope to lift production.
Contact Meares and Associates on (02) 9262 6884.
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