Mount Schanck, one of South Australia's prized grazing stations, listed for $50 million

One of South Australia's prized sheep and cattle grazing stations, Mt Schanck, has been listed for sale publicly for the first time in its near-200 year history by Melbourne's Evans family.

The property (above and below), comes with an asking price of more than $50 million.

Buyers are spoilt for choice as Hassad Australia is selling its SA farming land on the Eyre Peninsula and Mid North by expressions of interest. It includes 7106 hectares at Cummins and Ungarra spread across 11 farms being marketed by Elders.

Hassad Australia – owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund – bought the land less than five years ago but now selling to focus more on investments beyond the farmgate.

 

It is expected to be the state’s biggest land sale since the University of Adelaide sold its Mid North properties; Martindale and Munduney.

Industry estimates put the value of Hassad’s SA portfolio at up to $60 million.

Originally owned by the Arthur Brothers of Van Diemans Land and then for 140 years by pastoralists the Clarke family, the 2870-hectare Mt Schanck property near Mount Gambier last traded off-market in 2005, when the late Ron Evans, the former AFL chairman and Spotless managing director, acquired it for the family trust.

Mr Evans, who played full forward for both Essendon and West Perth in the 1950s and 1960s in addition to being an accomplished club cricketer, appeared on the BRW Rich 200 list from the 1990s until his death from cancer in 2007.

His son Richard manages Mount Schanck while another son, David, founded stockbroking firm Evans & Partners. 

The family's decision to offer Mount Schanck via an on-market campaign comes amid the strongest selling conditions seen in many years for prime rural property tied to food production, especially lamb and beef, according to CBRE agents Danny Thomas and Phil Schell who handling the sale of Mount Schanck.

"We've never seen market conditions like this before.

"The family acquired the property as an intergenerational asset, but the market has really moved in their favour and now is the time to sell," Mr Thomas said.