A stunning $10.7 million was paid for less than a thousand acres of prize grazing country near Ballarat yesterday.
After more than 100 years of ownership, the McCartney family put their prize farm up for sale before a packed house at the Burrumbeet Soldiers Memorial Hall.
Yentrac in total was just under a 1000 acres taking in 398 hectares in the Ercildoune region.
Elders Rural sold the land in three lots.
The Home block 138ha (341ac) which included the family home sold for $13,000 an acre.
A second block called Ercildoune 91ha (225ac) sold for the top $14,900 an acre.
The largest chunk of the property, The Flat took in 169ha (418ac) and made $7000 an acre.
Yentrac is described as a prime cropping and grazing property in a highly regarded district.
Auctioneer Sean Simpson several times described the land as being in "good heart" after a century of stewardship by the McCartney family.
The property is about 33km from Ballarat and across the Western Freeway from Lake Burrumbeet backed by a wind farm on the hills.
Yentrac has a mix of solar and powered bores, rainwater and numerous surface dams servicing the property.
It also sits in a secure 635mm-685mm rainfall district.
The sale included the four-bedroom home, two-stand shearing shed and large undercover sheepyards.
There are a number of other sheds, cattle yards, crush, silos and dams on the lots.
Also, a handy sized chunk of farm land at Great Western between Ararat and Stawell made $5050 at public auction yesterday morning.
Two neighbours competed for the block to push prices up.
Rod Moran's property (217 hectares, 537 acres) was seen to be an ideal extension to an existing enterprise, or largely because of its impressive views, could be a "stand alone farm with lifestyle opportunities".
Offered by Southern Grampians Livestock and Real Estate at the Ararat Colonial Lodge Motel is was bought by Mick and Cassy Roche and others.
The farm included undulating, versatile country with mostly arable soils.
It has well established tree belts, a three-stand wool shed with yards, four main paddocks and four dams.
Full story of the two sales and more next week.
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Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
