THREE blue ribbon inner Darling Downs farming properties covering 1224-hectares (3024 acres) sold for a collective $9.07 million at a Ray White Rural auction in Toowoomba today.
The Stirling family’s Minyaka sold for $5.05m, Ballandean for $2.61m and The River Paddock for $1.41m.
Minyaka covers 680ha and sold to Moree graingrowers David and Mandy Gillan for the equivalent of $3005/acre. It is described as first class alluvial black soil flats which forms part of the famous Felton flats.
Improvements include a spacious four-bedroom homestead set in an established garden with a tennis court. There are also two machinery sheds and a grain storage and drying complex with 700 tonnes of storage in five aerated silos, plus four elevated seed silos. There are also stables, a barn, and 25,000 litres of fuel storage.
Adjacent to Minyaka on the northern side of the Clifton-Pittsworth Road is the 390ha property Ballandean. It sold to neighbours Michael Brosnan and Bill McDonald and family for the equivalent of $2710/acre. Ballandean runs from level black soil flats, originally all open plain into a small area of timbered box country on the eastern end of the property.
The River Paddock covers 154ha and adjoins Minyaka. It sold to neighbours Clinton and Sarah Petersen for the equivalent of $3681/acre. The River Paddock is all first class alluvial black soil flats.
Marketing agent James Croft, Ray White Rural Pittsworth, said 15 parties had registered to bid on the properties.