A DEDICATED grazing property in the heart of the Riverina has come on to the market for the first time in almost four decades.

The Arnott family has decided to sell Coolbaroo, north of Jerilderie, to concentrate their farming interests further east.

    COOLBAROO
  • JERILDERIE, NSW
  • Property: grazing
  • Size: 6505ha
  • Price: $4 million
  • Agent: Elders, Griffith
  • Contact: John Dalton on 0407 549 703

They say they will genuinely miss their livestock property, which has produced some quality Shorthorn cattle and Merino sheep during their tenure.

Coolbaroo has only been used for grazing, and the care the Arnotts have taken with it shows in the way it looks today.

Ariel Arnott said the family had never overgrazed the country and that the approach had paid a dividend by supporting stock through the dry times.

"We have only ever fed stock very recently, and moved to lighten the stocking rates in the past when things were dry," Ariel said. "If you look after this country, it will look after you."

The Arnotts have been long-time stalwarts of the Merino industry, using Lone Pine bloodlines before switching to Bindawarra a few years ago.

The resultant progeny have retained their large body size but the wool has improved and fined down to 19-20 micron.

The sheep and cattle are run on land that ranges from typical Riverina plains country to sandy rises covered with Murray pine and oak. There is also 5km of frontage to the Yanko Creek, which is flanked by river red gums and fertile creek flats.

A unique feature of Coolbaroo is the Turn Back Jimmy Creek, which runs when it rains and also floods out to provide an excellent source of fresh water, as well as growth after the waters have receded.

The care the Arnotts have taken with Coolbaroo can be seen in many ways. They have fenced off areas of trees and allowed regrowth to occur.

They have also established plantations at various points around the property, both for aesthetic and shelter reasons.

Their dedication to the grazing philosophy is also reflected in the stock water system.

Most of the 14 paddocks have at least two stock watering points, which means stock can graze the entire paddock and not just around the waters.

The Arnotts have built a laneway system, and Ariel said this had been useful in decreasing the labour needed in busy times.

"When we are shearing, we can just let the sheep into the laneway and they find their way back," she said. "It saves us time and it is much less stressful for the sheep."

Improvements on Coolbaroo include a four-bedroom house with swimming pool, machinery shed and workshop, hay shed, four-stand shearing shed, steel sheep yards, three sets of cattle yards and two sets of yards further out on the station.

Coolbaroo has no irrigation but has three irrigation licences off the Yanko Creek totalling 209 megalitres.