Horse breeders snap up major NSW Hunter landholding
Horse breeders Andrew and Georgie Ferguson have snapped up a major rural holding at Dungog in the NSW Hunter as they move to re-establish their successful Bell River Thoroughbred operation after a two-year sabbatical.
The Fergusons bought Croom Park on Fosterton Rd, Dungog, which sports nearly 71ha on three titles at auction for $2.4 million. Billed as all but drought proof the property features more than 2km of frontage to the Williams River, a swimming hole, bore licence, dam and lagoon.
The vendors were downsizing couple Keith “Bluey” Watkins and Jan Watkins with the property bought through Paddy Dillon of local Dungog agents Dillon & Sons.
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“Dungog is half the price of the Southern Highlands and the land is better in my view. It’s fertile country, it’s a better position and it’s a far better climate and much warmer than the Southern Highlands,” Dillon told The Weekend Australian.
“It’s a landmark property and landmark sale, properties of this quality very rarely come on the market.
“The auction attracted four active bidders and quite a few more parties were registered to bid. But given the bidding started at $2.1 million it probably knocked a few parties out before we started.”
He was recently quoted in the Dungog Chronicle saying: “I have been saying for 30 years that Dungog is the Bowral of the North.”
Dillon & Sons agent Paddy Dillon, buyers Andrew and Georgie Ferguson and vendors Keith and Jan Watkins.
The Fergusons sold their Wellington property Bell River two years ago and want to re-establish themselves with a plan to have 30-40 brood mares and their offspring at Croom Park.
The estate features a 1920s-style four-bedroom and two-bathroom homestead with the Ferguson family undecided as to whether they should renovate or demolish it. The home has big verandas and portrait views over the entire farm. It is surrounded by fig trees.
One of the Ferguson’s sons, Jock, plans to live at the farm, while their other son, James, Ferguson will continue in his work as a blood stock agent for the family operation.
“We had a break for two years and we have brought our sons into the business,” Andrew says.
The Ferguson’s expect it will take 12 months to set Croom Park up as a horse breeding operation but plan to base themselves from their Woollahra home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Croom Park’s fodder production has serviced the district’s largest dairy farm for the past 30 years with Dillon saying the farm is drought proof given its extensive access to the Williams River.
Croom Park last changed hands more than three decades ago.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
