This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
CATTLE breeding enterprise Manchee Agriculture is making a major expansion move, acquiring the 140,000-hectare Christmas Creek Station at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, which was expected to sell for $30 million.
Fifth-generation producers John and Liz Manchee’s are in charge of the beef and cattle production business that has a history dating back to the 1880s, and the Manchee family has been producing stud cattle since 1947. It is Australia’s oldest registered shorthorn stud.
Manchee Agriculture owns nearly 8,100 hectares at Narrabri in the NSW North West Slopes, and Roma, in Queensland’s Maranoa Region.
Christmas Creek Station was offered for sale early this year by pastoralist Lawson Klopper. It has been used as a breeding and finishing property and was sold on a walk-in, walk-out basis with 7,500 to 8,000 Grey Brahman cattle, plant and equipment.
About 10,000 cattle are mustered each year with a 10-year average of 4,000 cattle sold annually.
Expansive black soil flood plains feature stands of Mitchell grass and other natives, while Buffel grows on the lighter soils and soft spinifex feature on southern parts of the property.
Christmas Creek River runs through the centre of the property for 40 kilometres.
Greg Smith from Elders Broome managed the sale.
Christmas Creek was originally a 400,000-hectare pastoral lease part of The Australian Land and Cattle Co and the Emanual family’s portfolio of properties. It was one of a number of larges leases that were broken up in the late 1980s in what was called “The Fitzroy Valley Reconstruction”. Lawson Klopper had owned Christmas Creek Station since 1989.
