Beautiful Boonal Station - Weekly Times Now

THE famed Boonal Station is for sale for the first time in 118 years.

It is regarded as one of northern NSW's finest pastoral properties, and with heavy black soils, it is ideal for fattening livestock and irrigating cotton.

• BOONAL STATION


• MOREE, NSW


• Property: cotton, fattening


• Size: 9876ha


• Sale: tenders close April 3


• Price: $30 million-plus


• Agent: Meares and Associates, Sydney


• Contact: Chris Meares, 0414 770 703 or Sam Triggs, 0410 683 891

The 9876ha holding was acquired by the Munro family in 1895 and has been developed by different generations.

There is an abundance of water with extensive double frontage to the Macintyre River and single frontage to the Duramesq River.

There are more than 7000 megalitres of water entitlements from the rivers and at least 8000 megalitres of storage.

About 1137ha of the property is laser-developed flood irrigation country. Recent rain means the station already has enough water in its reserve for the 2013-14 cotton crop.

Last year, 13,000 bales of cotton were grown with yields of about 12.5 bales/ha on irrigation country and 5 bales/ha on dry land.

The property has potential though to grow a range of productive high-value crops in winter and summer.

Crops grown at Boonal include sorghum, corn, soybeans, barley max, wheat, chickpeas and oats.

About 3000 cattle are backgrounded each year, but if cattle is a focus for the new owners, the Munros believe Boonal could turn off more than 8000 head per annum.

Meares & Associates selling agent Sam Triggs said Boonal Station was a flagship of the agricultural sector.

"To find a property with critical mass, and as well located as Boonal fronting both the Macintyre and Dumaresq rivers for 34km and with its outstanding qualities of soft rich friable black soils, access to low-cost irrigation water from the Border Rivers, a climate which allows both summer and winter cropping, closeness to market routes and service centres, all help to underpin this agricultural powerhouse," Mr Triggs said.

"No wonder Boonal Station has been retained by the vendors for 118 years."

The property is located just off the Newell Highway, making it easy to get to Moree, Toowoomba and Goondiwindi.

Infrastructure on the property includes a major shed complex in the irrigation area and three sets of cattle yards strategically placed around the farm.

There are three four-bedroom homes and single-staff barracks.