Historic Goonoo Goonoo cattle station close to sale

The Tamworth beef breeding station Goonoo Goonoo, the most historic of properties in the fertile NSW Peel Valley area, seems set for spring sale.

The Goodman family – who paid $25 million in 2006 for the then 5,400-hectare holding – are close to having accepted an undisclosed offer from farmer Tony Haggarty, a coal mining entreprenuer.

Best known for his outstanding santa gertrudis prize-winning cows, Haggarty has told The Land he plans to extend his black baldy breeding program at the farm, which dates back to 1830s, and is typically pronounced gunny gun-oo. Haggarty's major farming property has been Linton Station at Barraba.

From 1833 until 1985 the farm was the headquarters of the Australian Agricultural Company.

It was part of the original land grant by King George IV in the British Parliament.

The station homestead includes a historical mini-village, comprising the original 1830s chapel, post office and store.

The land reports Goonoo Goonoo was now set on 2,250 hectares with a 1,600-hectare eastern portion selling to Hagarty in 2009.

The NZ-based Goodman family headed by Greg and Anna Goodman purchased the property in 2006 from Colonial Pastoral Company.

By rural standards it’s had quick successive owners since the 1985 sale, when the then 5,000-hectare was bought for $5.2 million when Ray Lord outbid the then National Party Leader Ian Sinclair for the property.

The Sydney businessman Ray Lord, who headed Direct Acceptance Corp Ltd but was better known for his extensive international casino interests, sold it in 1990 to the Prudential Assurance Company for about $15 million.

Prudential's purchase was part of a combined $30 million deal involving Ray Lord's 154,000-hectare Queensland Central Highlands pastoral holdings.

The then 4,850-hectare Goonoo Goonoo, considered a pillar of the rural industry, was able to carry up to 5,000 head of cattle.

Photograph by S. Myers