Believe it or not, at least one of the attendees at yesterday's auction for Marnoo farm land came just to pay homage to one of the agents.
The St Arnaud man travelled to the Wallaloo Golf Club just outside the Wimmera town to see Elders Real Estate veteran Jim Barham doing his stuff.
What the man saw was Mr Barham and other Elders' agents like auctioneer Sean Simpson having to working hard to sell two farm blocks for Don McAllister.
But after a slow start, the bigger block of (207 hectares, 511acres) sold to a local farm family for above $6600 an acre for a total sale price of about $3.5 million.
A second block on Soldiers Road across 54ha (133ac) was later passed in with no bids made at the auction held at the Wallaloo Golf Club on Friday afternoon.
More famous as sheep country, the crops around Marnoo have never looked better, agents agreed.
All the farm land on offer had been sown to lentils.
About 50 people attended the auction of the land which had been in the McAllister family since the early 1950s.
It began with a vendor bid of $6000 and sold to a local buyer after negotiation for just above the final bid of $$6600.
Mr Simpson said although the second small block failed to receive any bids he expected it would sell fast in a private sale.
Agents from Elders Real Estate say North Plains has some of the district's best soils and is well suited to many agricultural pursuits.
They include the growing of cereals, legumes, wool production and fattening.
The poorly named Misery block of 188.5ha (466ac) made $8000 per acre ($19,777 hectare) in an online auction during pandemic restrictions at a similar time in the season two years ago.
Just 10km from Misery was Tellefson's 226ha (556ac) which was also up for sale at the same time which sold for $7700ac ($18,943ha).
All the sales were for land only, no homes and little shedding.
North Plains on Mingawalla Road was the same.
This country is described as gently undulating and well drained.
Again agents say the ground is in excellent health and comes with input history, access to GWM water.
It is mostly arable with some established tree stands.
It is currently leased out and the new owners will not take possession until after this year's promising lentil harvest.
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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.
