HARTWOOD Station is good enough for royalty - just ask Prince Philip, KIM WOODS says

Richard Walker has farmed the Riverina plains all his life.

Yet the 63-year-old still exudes passion and excitement over new finds he makes each day, whether it's a tree species he hadn't noticed before or regenerating native bush.

In his own words, he is no tree-hugger - simply a farmer who cares for the environment.

Richard managed Euroka Station at Jerilderie for 35 years before taking over managing the neighbouring Hartwood Station a year ago.

Owned by the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW since December 2008, the 6768ha Hartwood Station is home to the threatened grey crowned babbler, plains wanderer, silky swainson pea and slender darling pea.

Grassy woodlands of buloke, moonah, black box, weeping myall and white cypress pine flourish on Hartwood.

Once home to the Yarkuwa Aboriginal group, more than 300 indigenous cultural sites, including scar trees and oven mounds, have been recorded and documented.

All sites are managed so they are not disturbed by farming.

Hartwood is a jewell in the crown for the Nature Conservation Trust.

Using a revolving fund of $25 million, the trust buys rural properties of high conservation value.

Biodiversity is enhanced and covenants are placed on ecological assets while allowing conventional cropping, irrigation and grazing to continue. About 22,000ha have been protected across NSW.

NCT southern regional manager Nicky Bruce said the trust did not aim to restore pre-European environments.

"We are conserving what is already here," she said. "We are not about telling people how to run their farms. It's about balancing production with the environment."

Nicky said using conservation guidelines on their own commercial farms was a new concept for the trust.

"We have had to learn to meet in the middle for best outcomes. It's like bringing together the greenies and the brownies."

Hartwood has been fenced into different management zones, covenants have been placed on areas of high conservation value, some farming practices have been restricted and controlled grazing introduced were appropriate.

Nicky said the natural regeneration was impressive.

"I love the subtle changes in the vegetation," she said.

The station was originally settled by the Broughman family in 1845 and in the early days included the 19,492ha South Currabung- anung and 22,267ha North Currabunganung.

By 1893, the station's annual wool clip was 1391 bales and six years later, 84,000 flock and 2000 stud sheep grazed the station.

Hartwood's 80m long shearing shed was capable of holding 2000 woolly sheep under cover.

Still an impressive structure, the 18-stand double-sided board, wool pressing and loading area was serviced by a mini rail line.

The shed features stencils of numbers of sheep shorn and wool bales produced during the late 19th century.

The main homestead was used by Prince Philip on three occasions as a holiday retreat. While the naval ship he was serving on was docked in Sydney, the young prince would visit the station alone on his rest and recreation leave.

The homestead dates back to the 1840s, has 11 bedrooms and jackaroo quarters are built around a central courtyard. The oldest section is timber and plaster construction, and features the original timber roof shingles under corrugated iron.

Richard Walker spends his days ducking his 193cm frame under the low 19th century doorways.

Tackling everything at a jog, Richard does what once took an army of domestic servants, station hands, workers and shearers.

"We try to conserve and preserve the buildings here rather than change them," Richard said.

At the sheep yards, he runs his hands over the double brick, skirted and capped plunge dip, admiring the workmanship.

"In its heyday it must have been a magnificent property," he said.

Today, Hartwood offers potential for environmental science students.

But, first priorities have been fencing, weed and feral animal control and direct seeding of revegetation areas.

About 38km of electric fencing excludes stock from the Billabong and Yanko creeks and 28 new troughs have ben installed.

A mix of agisted sheep and cattle are rotationally grazed.

Nicky said it was Nature Conservation Trust policy not to own stock.

"When we purchased this place we rested it from grazing for a year," she said.

"It has come away brilliantly. We don't overgraze the non-riparian areas and aim to keep vegetative cover at 50-70 per cent, depending on the season, soil and native grasses."

Wallaby grass flourishes on the harder red soils while spear and curly windmill grass grow on the grey soils, and daisies, native peas and orchids on the open plains.

Although 2500ha is laid out to bordercheck and contour irrigation, there is no cropping.

The trust is now selling Hartwood for $5.5 million and is seeking a buyer who will respect the conservation works.

As part of a stewardship program, the new owner will be provided with advice and guidance.

Richard said he had learnt a lot since arriving at Hartwood.

He can recall as a child seeing brolgas and bush stone curlews, but he has seen just one shy and heavily camouflaged plains wanderer in recent times.

"It's a beautiful stretch of myall - I just love it," he said, looking towards a community of trees on the Riverina plain.