THE Keane family's 35,076 hectare (86,672 acre) Thargomindah property Wathopa will be auctioned by Ray White Rural on February 11.
Located 60km south of Thargomindah and 127km north west of Hungerford, Wathopa was originally open plains country, which over time has seen the emergence of trees across the landscape.
Wathopa was originally purchased by the Keane family in 1908 and is being offered by the Estate of Jack Keane. Mr Keane passed away in April this year, aged 91.
The Jack's first trip to Wathopa was as a 13-year-old boy droving a mob of sheep to the property.
After leaving school, Jack started work in the family business, splitting his time between the home property at Cunnamulla and Wathopa, commuting in an old Blitz truck before eventually establishing himself at Wathopa.
In the early 1960s, Jack and his dad started Wathopa Santa Gertrudis Stud, the 25th registered stud in Australia. The stud herd was founded by buying one of the first six Santa bulls imported from King Ranch Stud in America. A stud herd of 100-150 cows bred bulls for sale.
Destocked, the vendors are offering early access for livestock to the buyer.
The landscape is slightly undulating with semi-open soft red loam mulga plains and some stony ridges interspersed with multiple wide shallow coolabah and box watercourses feeding to numerous extensive dark soil swamps.
The main pastures include neverfail, Queensland bluegrass, mulga Mitchell and mulga oats, and many other natural species. Button grass, pigweed, gidyea and copper burr are also prolific during winter seasons.
The productive property is watered by three flowing share bores and a solar equipped well. There are also several other equipped bores and wells not in use.
There are six main paddocks plus holding paddocks connected by three laneways, which lead back to the yards.
The fencing is described as being in very good condition, with many kilometres of new fences erected within the last seven years. One internal fence of about 16km needs renewing.
The cattle and sheep yards are located near the house close to the middle of the property. The four-stand shearing shed is in a workable condition.
Set among well-maintained and manicured lawn and garden, the main homestead comprises of two joined homes. The low-set timber five-bedroom homestead, and a six-bedroom shearers quarters provides plenty of accommodation.
Other improvements include an enclosed workshop with concrete floor, four-bay machinery shed, three-sided shed initially used as stables and an airstrip and hangar.
In the early 1970s, during brucellosis testing, Wathopa carried 1200 grown cattle plus sheep. Year in year out, Jack conservatively stocked Wathopa and consistently ran about 5000 sheep and 500-700 mixed cattle.
Wathopa has recently received 80mm of rain, giving it a great start to the season.
Contact Rob Wildermuth, 0428 222 687, or AJ Riley, 0429 227 441, Ray White Rural.