Riverina farm Caroonboon listed for first time since 1861
Caroonboon has been the NSW Western Riverina seat of the Dickson family since 1861.
John Dickson bought the property with the same fencelines as today from Henry Ricketson for £11,500.
The local historian Brad Chalmers told The Land, the Dickson's built a log cabin and lived hand to mouth until their first woolclip of 40 bales, sold in England in 1865. Initially leasehold, the country was surveyed in the 1870s and 1880s.
The fourth and fifth generation Dicksons – John Dickson, his wife Jill, who took over the farm in 1976, and their son and daughter Jim and Susan – are now selling Caroonboon.
Situated near Wanganella 67 kilometres north-west of Deniliquin, Caroonboon fronts the Billabong Creek for 4 kilometres.
The 29,513 hectare (72,926 acres) Billabong Creek property has been listed for sale through Landmark Harcourts Deniliquin for 11 September auction with interest expected from both the corporate investment sector, as well as family operators.
The property has been listed with James Sides who recently sold the nearby Booabula.
Bidding for Caroonboon is expected to exceed $11 million.
There is a six bedroom renovated homestead, a four bedroom manager's home and three cottages.
It comes with 10 stand 1982 wool shed with cover for 1,700 ewes.
Caroonboon has had an extensive S/D watering overhaul in the past two years with a $1 million investment delivering water to 100 watering points
There has been the consistent carrying capacity of over 15,000 grown sheep for the past 30 years and has recorded sheep sales of over $18,000 head per annum.
It has also been home to one of the oldest Merino studs in Australia, flock 18, with the final decision on its future to be made after the property auction.
Its focus of commercial sheep production has been on meat lamb breeding following a decision to introduce Dorpers about 15 years ago.
The agents says the self-replacing Dorper flock of 12,000 ewes, joined to lamb every nine months, complements a commercial Merino flock of 2,700 ewes and the Merino stud numbering 850 head.