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Homestead in new hands/Dartmoor Homestead sold
Gabrielle Duykers. A 180-year-old homestead in the heart of Naracoorte will undergo repairs and a revamp before it begins its new life as a bed and breakfast. Dartmoor Homestead was built in four stages between 1842 and 1890. The three-acre property is home to Naracoorte’s first dwelling – a small cottage nestled behind the homestead – built by George Ormerod in 1840.
Work continues on storm recovery
Hepburn Shire Council is continuing to support recovery efforts in the community following a thunderstorm that damaged homes and property in and around Creswick and Clunes on 5 January. “The intensity of this storm caused widespread damage to homes, farms and public land in the west of our Shire. Our preliminary estimates are around $10m of damage to Council assets alone, and around $25m damage to crops” : Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie.
Anyinginyi angered by gym eviction
Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation is calling out the behaviour of the Barkly Regional Council (BRC) for the eviction of the Corporation from the Sport and Recreation Centre. The town’s sole gym was built by Anyinginyi, maintained and operated for two decades on Purkiss Reserve. Anyinginyi Board Chairperson Ross Williams said the actions of Council are a repudiation of the Barkly Regional Deal’s intent to work together, co-operatively in the interests of the community.
Rinehart offloads cattle stations for $60m plus
Billionaire Gina Rinehart is nearing the end of a $300 million sell-down of cattle properties across northern Australia, after selling the Willeroo and Aroona stations for over $60 million.
Crops yield strong farmland returns
Australian farmland returns continued to outperform, coming in at 12.72% in the 12 months to the end of September, boosted by very strong annual crop farmland numbers. According to the latest quarterly Australian Farmland Index compiled by the Asian Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles, income contributed 6.06% and appreciation return 6.38% to the result.
Pandemania and the Bexhill Quarry Parklands
It's worth reflecting on what-just-was: wave after wave of pandemania. Snap lockdowns and travel restrictions were for some, a form of forced minimalism ... The antidote of course is to find our social focus again, re-acquaint ourselves with community activities, get out of forced hibernation and meet the real world ... ranked up there with hidden Hinterland beauty spots is the spring fed waterhole of the old Bexhill Quarry.
One of the town’s oldest pubs is sold to a local
With her brother John Bligh and Allan Michael, nine years ago Mary Bligh had her sights set on turning the Commercial into a true local pub with no pokies, “bloody good food” and live music featuring local talent. And she did.
Farmers buy Western District net zero aggregation from US giant
US-backed agricultural investment firm Laguna Bay is selling the Woorndoo Aggregation broadacre cropping portfolio in Victoria’s Western District for about $70 million to two local farming families. It marks the next step in Laguna Bay’s selldown of its Australian assets, arriving one year after it offloaded Banongill Station, also in the Western District, for $80 million to a consortium of local farming families.
Forrest snaps up Australia’s best boutique hotel
Mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and his wife Nicola have expanded their lifestyle portfolio, with the Margaret River’s Cape Lodge Hotel the latest acquisition for their investment firm Tattarang.
Buyers expand with Yanna Station
The 21,124-hectare Yanna Station in south western Queensland has sold for $7.31 million to Michael and Tracey Flynn from Valera Vale, who are expanding their operations. The buyers run a core stud herd of 1,200 Droughtmasters on properties at Milbong, Munbilla and Mt Mort, and between 3,000 and 4,000 stud and commercial Droughtmasters at Valera Vale.
Wanditta Station bought by Shaw family
The Shaw family of Wanditta Station has bought the neighbouring Mitchell Park property for $8.4 million. The 1,240 hectare Central Queensland property consists of buffel grass country and 2,040 megalitres of water entitlements, while there is irrigation water over three licences, and 1,350ML capacity from the Retro and Sandy Creek dams in the Fitzroy River Basin and potential to build further dam storage infrastructure.
Tatiara tackles housing
Gabrielle Duykers. Tatiara District Council has been praised for its “proactive” efforts to mitigate the region’s housing crisis, which includes zero rental vacancies in Bordertown ... In a submission by the Local Government Association of South Australia to a federal inquiry into housing affordability,Tatiara council was used as a case study for how the worsening situation was impacting the local economy, but was hailed for the initiatives it had undertaken to address the issue.
Publicans pounce on country pubs
Three regional NSW hotels have been snapped up by prominent publicans, with the Sir George Hotel setting a record. One of Australia’s oldest and most iconic hospitality venues, the iconic Sir George Hotel in Jugiong has sold to long time publican and hotel operator Fraser Short for a reported $14 million.
Regional pub sales continue to flow
Armidale's Railway Hotel has sold for around $8 million, becoming the latest venue in the New South Wales regional town to change hands amid a bubbling period for the sector.
Australia’s largest wind farm gets the green light
An 800MW wind farm is headed to Victoria’s south-west, as WestWind Energy was given the green light to go ahead with the Golden Plains project that is set to become one of the country’s largest.
US investor offloads Qld cattle property for $69m
ASX-listed Rural Funds Group (RFF) has added to its Fitzroy River Basin holdings, picking up the 27,879-hectare Kaiuroo cattle and cropping property aggregation in Central Queensland’s Mackenzie River district for nearly $69 million, well above the expectation price of $55 million.
Qld boosts eco-parklands on southern Gold Coast
The Queensland government will transform a newly acquired 148-hectares on the southern Gold Coast into one of the nation’s most expansive eco-parklands. The Currumbin Eco-Parkland, will see local native flora and fauna protected from encroaching development, including the preservation of koala habitat at the site.
Rifa sells final stake in Australian beef
Chinese-owned investor Rifa Salutary has completed the two-year divestment program of its Australian grazing assets, offloading the large-scale cattle breeding property Cooplacurripa Station on the eastern fall of the Great Dividing Range for $35 million bare.
Community sets out to save wetland and Aboriginal land
When Jill Adam saw that blocks of land in Tabulam were up for sale because of unpaid rates, she dug deeper. The properties ... were owned by the now-deregistered Jarguan Aboriginal Corporation. The properties are now held by ORIC – the federal government’s Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. ORIC said it will not pay the rates and charges owing on the land in the name of Jarguan Corporation.
Native Title victory gives land back to custodians
Dancing broke out at the Cairns Courthouse last week after the Federal Court recognised the Kuuku Ya’u and Uutaalnganu people’s Native Title rights to more than 210,000 hectares of land in Cape York. It was a major milestone for the Cape York Land Council’s United #1Claim, which covers more than half of all land on the Peninsula.
Hotel changes hands
Gabrielle Duykers. The Naracoorte Hotel Motel will bid farewell to long-time family operators the Pettman’s, with new owners to take over the business early next month. Hotel Motel manager Josh Pettman runs the facility with the help of his wife Jody and parents Heather and David. He said the family were presented with an offer from Australian Venue Co. that came at the right time.
Old church gets elegant makeover
Nicholas Rupolo. It’s the perfect blend of luxury and elegance. This old church built in 1890 was recently converted into a luxurious retreat by Melanie Absolom and her husband Kevin. The church features its original stained glass windows, an open and elegant living area and a mesmerising cache of history in its walls.

