Finance veteran Mark Burrows sells Widgee Waa for around $14.5 million
Although there’s plenty of stock on market, it has been a busy winter for prestige hobby farm sales in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Topping the list of whisper quiet sales has been Widgee Waa, which was offered by the retired merchant banker turned green finance advocate Mark Burrows.
He’s retained Sugarloaf Farm, with its acclaimed garden with Wollemi pine, but reputedly secured a very bullish $14.5 million for Widgee Waa. The price just falls short of the $15 million Southern Highlands record.
Widgee Waa, set on 150ha at East Kangaloon, is an aggregation built up over 31 years, since around the time when Burrows was head of investment bank advisory Baring Brothers Burrows.
The property has cattle farming infrastructure, a manager’s cottage plus stable facilities for a significant brood mare and thoroughbred horse operation.
It was listed by Christies International agent Ken Jacobs in conjunction with Meares & Co agent Chris Meares.
The 200ha property Comfort Hill at Sutton Forest that sold to the late international television show veteran Reg Grundy in 2007 retains the record of $15 million in the Highlands. Last month Pepper Tree Creek Estate, one of Kangaloon’s oldest properties, sold for $6.7 million to the Sartorel family through Di Jones agent Kate McCullagh.
The 30ha property was established in 1862, around the time the early settlers of Kangaloon and Robertson areas started purchasing land.
Its stone cottage, plus out buildings and dry stones walls, including a quaint dairy, were built during that time. A team of landscapers, builders, horticulturalists and green keepers recreated the estate.
There are 40-plus offerings priced at $3 million or over on realestate.com.au.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.