A WELL-KNOWN Riverina property will go to auction next month in what promises to be one of the benchmark irrigation offerings of the autumn sales season.
“Coonara” is well-known in the Riverina by virtue of its history – as part of the former Groongal Station – and its long-standing reputation as a producer of high-yielding crops.
The property is owned by the Merrylees family, whose forebears bought historic Groongal Station from Ralph Falkiner in 1924.
Groongal Station had previously been part of the Learmonth family’s pastoral empire, after being taken up initially in the 1830s by Henry O’Brien of Douro Station, Yass.
“Coonara” was later hived off the station as a separate property of some 5600 hectares to provide for the expanding family, and is farmed today by David and his father Ian Merrylees.
The property is now being sold to wind up a partnership, and the dryland portion of “Coonara” has already been sold to John Merrylees and family of adjoining “Groongal”.
This leaves the irrigation portion of 2387ha (5900ac), which has now been listed for sale with John Dalton of Elders Griffith, and will go to auction in Griffith on February 24.
It is expected to fetch about $9 million based on current values, much of which will reflect the property’s hefty water assets.
Situated in Riverina “foodbowl” heartland about 10 kilometres east of Carrathool, “Coonara” fronts the northern bank of the Murrumbidgee River for 5.8km.
River red gums and native pastures line the river bank, which takes in a number of bends enclosing white sandy beaches.
The property comes with 10,268 megalitres of Murrumbidgee water entitlements, comprising 5835ML of general security and 4396ML supplementary, plus 37ML of stock and domestic.
This underpins an irrigation farming capability of more than 1500ha of developed country with a long history of growing winter and summer grain and oilseed crops.
During the 1970s and ’80s Ian Merrylees made the headlines several times as a grower of the top-yielding sunflower crop as a member of Pacific Seeds’ Hysun “Three Tonne Club”.
His best yield was 4.3 tonnes/ha, achieved in 1987.
Other crops grown successfully on “Coonara” have included maize, faba beans, canola, wheat and triticale. Cotton is also being grown now on neighbouring farms.
About 955ha of the property has been landformed for irrigation and is cropped in rotation with pastures, using both flood and syphon methods and a central fertigation system.
A further 590ha of country has been developed for irrigation under older layouts, of which 290ha has been recently surveyed and offers immediate upgrading potential.
Two large storage dams and a full recycle drainage system enable efficient harvesting of opportunity river flows and rainfall run-off.
Livestock were run in conjunction with cropping operations until the mid-2000s and the property comes with basic livestock infrastructure, including reticulated water and a large woolshed.
Working improvements include a 1200-tonne silo complex plus wet grain and seed/fertiliser silos, Vertec grain dryer and weighbridge.
The main homestead, built in the 1940s from poured concrete, has six bedrooms, separate lounge and dining rooms, a games room with full-size billiard table and stainless steel kitchen.
Other structures include a five-bedroom manager’s residence, six workers’ cottages, machinery sheds, workshop and quarters.
“Coonara” is being offered for sale with a 90-day settlement, but a buyer will be granted early access if desired for a winter cropping program. Standing crops are not included.
Contact John Dalton, 0407 549 703.
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