AWX boss answers cattle call with $14m purchase

AWX labour hire CEO Tom Strachan is the latest millionaire to launch into Australia’s agricultural market, after he bought a 7300-hectare beef property west of Brisbane.

The Lighthouse station, between the regional centres of Taroom and Roma, was offered for sale with neighbouring Meeleebee Downs as part of the estate of the late Dr James Baker.

Baker bought the property in the 1970s and it was developed over the next 40 years until Strachan, who was last year ranked at No.40 on BRW’s Young Rich list, with a net worth of $47 million, snapped it up for $14 million this week.

The site is home to a substantial livestock operation, and also draws income from 36 coal seam gas wells on the property, which are operated by Origin Energy and APLNG.

Meeleebee Downs remains for sale.

CBRE agribusiness regional director Danny Thomas, manager Chris Holgar and senior consultant Geoff Warriner sold the property after an expression of interest campaign.

Meeleebee Downs is for sale in Queensland’s Roma region

“Lighthouse has undergone significant development over the past four decades, resulting in the establishment of one of the most well regarded holdings in the district,” Thomas says.

“This property presented an appealing investment opportunity to invest capital in Australia’s increasingly attractive agricultural market.”

Thomas says the land has the potential to be developed for a variety of other uses.

“The further development of current and potential cultivation land including large scale irrigation infrastructure is one future possibility that exists, as well as the potential establishment of a feedlot,” he says.