Historic Central Tablelands mixed farming enterprise Catombal Aggregation has been sold for more than $25 million to a family operation from southern New South Wales.

The five adjoining properties span 2,912 hectares, 39 kilometres from Molong and 75 kilometres north west of Orange, located in the highly regarded, reliable rainfall district of Cumnock and enjoying a temperate climate between 500 and 700 metres above sea level.

Ben Redfern from Ray White Emms Mooney managed the expressions of interest campaign, which netted 16 submissions and ended with the property selling as a whole for over $8,600 per hectare.

Investment group Rural Investor was the vendor, with the asset having reached the end of its investment cycle. The sale included this year’s winter crop of 400 hectares of wheat, barley, oats and canola, and otherwise sold bare of livestock and plant.

Catombal previously formed part of the Munro family’s 4,407-hectare sheep, cattle and cropping holding that had been settled in 1877 and sold five years ago.

It ranges from gently undulating cultivation country to protected valley grazing. Soils are a basalt and limestone derivative, transitioning from clay loams at ridges to rich red basalt soils on arable country.

Catombal can support between 26,000 and 28,000 dry sheep equivalent.

Water infrastructure has been developed by current management to include new bores and pipelines, and upgraded header tanks and additional troughs. There is also 30 kilometres of new fencing, including 10 kilometres of exclusion fencing.

Working infrastructure includes yards, sheds and silos.

Current management has also undertake a cropping program to work with a perennial pasture system.