KIRK Stone had a 15-year military career prior to purchasing Bingara in 2003.

He served in Iraq and Timor but his passion and family history of farming saw him buy this property at Longwood as a modern-day soldier settler.

    BINGARA
  • LONGWOOD, VICTORIA
  • Property: cropping, grazing, equine
  • Size: 192ha
  • Auction: March 12, 2pm, on site
  • Price: about $900,000
  • Agent: Elders, Euroa
  • Contact: (03) 5795 2094

"I always wanted to be a farmer," Kirk said.

"I spent a lot of time on farms when I was growing up, so it was always something I wanted to do."

A lot of effort has gone into improving the home and farm at Bingara and the property has been completely redeveloped.

Department of Primary Industries help was enlisted to establish irrigation and drainage and a Landcare lime trial addressing soil acidity and low fertility has transformed Bingara into an impressive and productive enterprise.

Kirk runs about 500 crossbred ewes on the property and about 30 cows.

Last year he harvested 50 tonnes of wheat and 950 round hay bales.

The farm boasts a blend of country ranging from alluvial creek flats to rising ground and would be equally suited to equine pursuits.

Kirk said Bingara was an Aboriginal term for "by the water" and, being located on the Nine Mile Creek and in the high-rainfall belt of the Strathbogie Ranges, this property was aptly named by its founders.

Bingara boasts six dams, including a new 25-megalitre irrigation holding dam, a reticulated trough system to all paddocks and an electric irrigation bore.

It is also equipped with a travelling irrigator.

More than 80 per cent of the property has new fencing and it has laneways and tree plantings.

Farm improvements include a 40-tonne silo, secure workshop with concrete floors, office and work benches, sheep feedlot, two machinery sheds, a hay shed and new sheep yards with concrete working race.

The three-bedroom homestead was built in the 1930s but it has been extensively renovated, including a new kitchen and bathroom.

The home had also been re-roofed, rewired, replumbed and recarpeted.