Wogamia[i], a historic dairy farm located in the Shoalhaven Region of NSW, is set to sell for the first time in 12 years and only the third time in its 192-year history. Listed for auction by leading local agent Mr Jared Cochrane, Director of Raine & Horne Rural Nowa, the iconic property has a price guide of $11 million.

This rare dairy farming at 154 Wogamia Road, Longreach, boasts approximately 112.3 hectares of prime dairy farmland, including around 15 hectares of untouched bushland and nearly 2 kilometres of Shoalhaven River reserve frontage with picturesque beaches.

The land, located just 10 minutes from the town of Nowra, was most likely granted to the Glanville family during Major-General Sir Richard Bourke’s tenure[ii] as Governor of NSW. The property passed to the Emery family in the early 20^th Century before it was acquired by the current owners, a private local farming family, in 2012. “The farm’s historic homestead, built in the early 1850s by the Glanville family using convict-sourced sandstone, stands as a testament to the property’s rich heritage,” Mr Cochrane said.

The spacious homestead features a sunlit kitchen, dining room, lounge with high ornate ceilings, and a large main bedroom on the ground floor. Upstairs, there are four generous-sized bedrooms, a smaller fifth room or study, and modern amenities such as two reverse-cycle air conditioners and a slow-combustion fireplace.

The property also comes with a three-lot subdivision, already approved and partially commenced, offering significant development potential. According to Mr Cochrane, local dairy farmers with an eye on the development potential have shown early interest, with the three subdivision blocks offering value adding potential.

“The two vacant blocks, sized 1.473 and 1.7 hectares respectively, feature superior water views compared to the 1,869-hectare Mount Joy lot, which includes a two-bedroom architecturally designed home built in the 1970s.”

The dairy and pastures

Wogamia Farm offers approximately 100 hectares of pastures and infrastructure, including 33 hectares under centre pivot irrigation on Wogamia and 26 hectares under centre pivot on the neighbouring leasehold. Irripod lines are also on 20 hectares of Wogamia Farm. The property offers town water and has an irrigation license.

The farm also features a 24-side swing-over dairy system equipped with electronic ID drafting, heat collars, auto take-offs, stall gates, and a computer wash system. Additionally, there is an 11,000-litre vat plus a 10,000-litre vat, both connected to an approximately three-year-old three-stage cooling system.

Storage facilities include four silos with a capacity of 42 tonnes each, plus one additional silo that holds 19 tonnes. The feed pad can accommodate 480 medium-sized cows, and six silage pits are on the property.

The farm’s machinery includes a 2016 Deutz M600 tractor, a 2007 Kuhn 5168 Mixer Wagon, a solids spreader, and discs for fieldwork.

Mr Cochrane adds that the pastures are sown with ryegrass and summer Kikuyu/Millet and look fantastic thanks to the generous winter rains. “The property experiences an average annual rainfall of approximately 1,000 millimetres.” The soil consists mainly of fertile alluvial flats, ranging from sandy to heavy loam.

“Properties such as Wogamia Farm are scarce,” said Mr Cochrane. “We expect strong interest from local farmers and out-of-region buyers due to the property’s potential, while its river frontage and stunning outlook make it a prime candidate for continued farming or tourism-related ventures.”

Wogamia Farm is set to go under the hammer on Friday, 25 October, and interested parties should contact Raine & Horne Nowra on (02) 4423 4600 for more information or to organise an inspection.

[i] https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/properties/154-wogamia-road-longreach-2540-new-south-wales

[ii] https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/about/Pages/A-List-of-Governors-of-New-South-Wales.aspx