7245 Bylong Valley Way, Bylong NSW 2849

Auction Location: The Radisson Hotel - 66 Pitt Street, SYDNEY.

If there was the ideal cattle fattening/Lucerne hay production farm, ‘Wingarra’ is surely it.

Set on the favoured western side of the valley, ‘Wingarra’s’ features include top quality alluvial and basalt soils with reliable groundwater supplied by four wells. All the work has been done improving this property, with pastures, fencing, stock water and working improvements all done to perfection. There is a 419 megalitre irrigation license, a state-of-the-art centre pivot irrigation system and additional country laid out to mains.

Accommodation is provided by three comfortable and very well renovated houses, and a sandstone homestead with the potential to be something special. The past life of ‘Wingarra’ is reflected in the beautifully restored sandstone stables circa 1865, as it has been a highly respected thoroughbred stud.

‘Wingarra’, is an outstanding farming, fattening and breeding holding, exceptionally improved and lends itself to a variety of enterprises.


LOCATION
Located on the western side of the Bylong Valley Way, 4km south of the village of Bylong. It is 90km east of the thriving tourist destination of Mudgee, 44km north of Rylstone and approximately 290km north-west of Sydney.

AREA
910.31 hectares or 2,248 acres.

RAINFALL
Average 650mm or 26 inches per annum.

SERVICES
240 volt rural and STD phone available, as well as excellent mobile phone coverage. Mail is delivered three times a week. The school bus goes past the front gate to a primary school at Rylstone and a high school at Kandos, 44 km south and 55km south, respectively

Weekly fat cattle sales are held at Mudgee, 90km to the west and in the Hunter Valley at Scone and Singleton both approximately 130km to the north-east.

SOIL TYPES AND AREAS
There are approximately 280 acres of black alluvial flats at the front. This then rises to approximately 1500 acres of red alluvial flats through the body of the property. The western end of the property comprises approximately 470 acres of undulating red basalt loams.

FENCING
The boundary is netting and barb along the Bylong Valley Way while the remainder consists of 6 barbs. 80% of the boundary has been renewed in the last eight years.

Internally, ‘Wingarra’ is sub-divided into 32 paddocks, with internal fences all 5 barb. 90% of the internal fencing has been renewed in the last six years. The recently introduced laneway systems all consist of 6 barbs.

PASTURE DEVELOPMENT
• Currently 162 hectares (400 acres) of Oats
• 134 hectares (331 acres) sown to Lucerne based pastures
• 169 hectares (417 acres) sown to Tropical Perennial Grasses
• 38 hectares (94 acres) sown to Improved Pasture
• Total farmed/improved = 503 hectares (1242 acres)
• The remaining 404 hectares (1,000 acres) comprises native pastures that have been Supered. Approximately 200 hectares (500 acres) of this country could be farmed.

IRRIGATION
There is a 419 megalitre irrigation license. The irrigation system works via three wells, all equipped with electric submersible pumps, that pump to a 90,000 litre ballast tank. From there two Grundfos centrifugal pumps deliver water via six inch galvanised mains to the centre pivot and hydrants servicing 125 acres.
The centre pivot is four bays, and waters 44 acres.

STOCK AND RAIN WATER
Stock water is supplied by a well that pumps up to three 35,000 gallon concrete tanks and two 15,000 gallon poly tanks. This is then reticulated to concrete troughs, with one or more in every paddock.
There are also five dams, two of which can be filled by the stock water system.

IMPROVEMENTS

Main Homestead
The main homestead is a sandstone building circa 1865 with a new iron roof. It consists of four bedrooms, bathroom, laundry, kitchen, pantry, dining room/lounge room, sitting room, entry vestibule and library. This building was partly renovated by a previous owner. It lends itself to further renovation and has the potential to be a truly magnificent country homestead.

Manager’s House
The second home is a three bedroom sandstone, again with a new iron roof and a hardiplank extension. This home has been extensively renovated to an excellent standard, and features include reverse cycle air conditioning and an in-ground swimming pool.

1st Cottage
There is a two bedroom hardiplank cottage that has been renovated to a very high standard, which features reverse cycle air conditioning.

2nd Cottage
A two bedroom weatherboard cottage that has been nicely renovated, which has reverse cycle air conditioning
Working Improvements
There are two large four bay steel framed machinery sheds, both approximately 12 metres by 28 metres, enclosed on three sides and built in 2005 and 2009 respectively.

There is a six bay steel decking carport enclosed on three sides.

There is a set of Besser Block stables, featuring twelve boxes and a large workshop area.

There is an historic set of sandstone stables, circa 1865, fully and faithfully restored. They include seven stables, a tack room, hay loft and adjoining day yards.

There are four silos, two flat bottom and two cone bottom, with a total capacity of 240 tonnes.

The main cattle yards are all steel and constructed in 2008. They feature a round six way draft, covered race, weigh box and crush and five metre loading ramp. The second set of cattle yards, on the western end of the property, are timber and have a race and crush.


PRODUCTION
Under the previous owners ‘Wingarra’ ran a combination of breeders and trade cattle, gradually increasing the number of trade cattle and decreasing the breeders.

In the 2013/14 financial year 180 females were joined, 860 trade cattle were brought in and an additional 240 agistment cattle were carried. During that year a total of 1200 feedlot and slaughter cattle were turned off. In addition to the cattle, 270 tonnes of Lucerne hay has been produced each year consistently off six cuts.

The current owners have dramatically Increased hay production, and focused on fattening cattle. In the 2015/2016 year they produced 750 tons of lucerne hay fattened 900 cattle, and it Is estimated this level of hay production could be maintained and the property could turn off 100 cattle/month. Respected agronomist James Cheetham has rated the carrying capacity of 'Wingarra' at just under 10,000 dse (See Appendix 1). Over recent months, the current owners have recorded average weight gains on yearling trading cattle of 1.7kg/day.