Benalla farm as pretty as a picture

A prime 609ha farm and landholding in rural Victoria is up for sale, in one of the largest agricultural offerings to reach the market this year.

Owned by renowned cattleman and Order of Australia recipient Michael Burston, who passed away late last year, “East Mount Ada” at Benalla, in the state’s north-east, offers a significant potential farming operation as well as a picturesque homestead.

The land is held in 22 titles and has 3km of frontage to the Midland Highway and also has a double frontage to Chesney Rd, which divides part of the property.

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The property is to be auctioned in Benalla on October 6, with agents expecting bidding to begin around $4.75 million.

The property includes a large homestead and gardens.

Once home to the Yallambee Poll Hereford Stud, the property is setup to house a major livestock operation, with an included cattle yard designed to work around 300 head of cattle.

Another block on the property features a four-stand woolshed and bugle yards spanning about 700sqm, with undercover storage for around 700 full wool sheep.

Other farming infrastructure on the property includes a steel-framed hayshed with space for 320 large rolls of hay, a machinery shed with an attached workshop and concrete floor, and an enclosed stable building with two horse boxes and an additional area that can hold 102 rolls of hay.

Around 255ha of the property has the potential to be irrigated, with one third of that area laser-levelled for check bank flood irrigation in the 1980s.

The farm was owned by the late Michael Burston.

Ruralco is marketing “East Mount Ada”, with state manager Michael Everard saying the property has potential for a variety of uses.

“I regard ‘East Mount Ada’ as a canvas ripe for work and development to create a district farming masterpiece,” Everard says.

“By any measure this is a significant farm holding and the auction presents the opportunity for a farming family, investor or corporate to become involved to secure a premier north-east district holding.”

“East Mount Ada” includes more than 600ha of farmland, as well as an ornamental lake.

The property’s homestead was built in the late 1960s and has four bedrooms, a study, large living areas and a billiards room, as well as surrounding gardens, a tennis court, an ornamental lake and solar panels on the roof.

The property will be auctioned at the Benalla Art Gallery at 11am on Friday, October 6.