Ellamanna

Location
The property is located 26 kilometres north of Benalla in NE Victoria and the same distance from the Hume Freeway which connects Melbourne and Sydney. It is approximately a two and a half hours drive to Melbourne, approximately 44 kms south of Yarrawonga, 68 kms to Shepparton and 44kms to Wangaratta.

Land
Ellamanna is a property of 176 hectares (see titles below) consisting of, in approximate terms, 100 hectares grazing/cropping, 35 hectares hill grazing and the remainder, native forest /some grazing – shelter.
Note:The forest area is located quite some distance from the house.
The main enterprise is sheep with some crop on shares.

House
This is a large,old, weatherboard farm house with lots of character, fully renovated and insulated. The house consists of kitchen/dining/family room, 3 bedrooms, study, lounge room, bathroom , laundry, large pantry, entrance area,verandah almost all the way round and separate spa/summer house.

Sheds
There is a shearing shed, large hay shed, work shed and general shed. There is also a chook shed, potting shed and another small shed. All of the sheds are in good condition. There is a firewood/timber lot in close proximity to the house.

Water
Extensive work has been carried out on the farm water system including two tanks of approximately 55,000 litres each and extensive poly-pipe connections. See details below.
It is claimed that these are sound steps towards drought protection.

Price
The price range is $710,000 – $740,000

Ellamanna
(Full statement)

The full statement given below is under the headings of Life Style, Income and Conservation to give a good statement of the farm.

Lifestyle
The property presents a rare opportunity to engage in an interesting and rewarding lifestyle. First, some further details on the house. The lounge /kitchen/dining room area is heated by a wood heater and there is also a Stanley combustion cooking stove and a modern electric cook top and electric wall oven. This area has a reverse cycle air conditioner. There are 10 solar panels returning a net annual electricity credit under present conditions. The room described as a study could readily serve as a 4th bedroom. The front lounge has an open fire place. The bathroom has a shower, toilet, basin and storage areas. The large pantry has adequate space for a fridge and a freezer. The verandah has a large, sheltered relaxation area with a board walk connecting it to the spa house. There are many other interesting house features including large doors and windows, all designed to take maximum advantage of any cooling breeze in summer. There is a satellite dish on the roof for internet access.
The house is set in an extensive area of native trees and shrubs, augmented by some of the exotic trees of the original old garden. There is an orchard on the north side of the house.
Ones lifestyle is obviously a matter of personal choice but what is claimed here is that the owner is able to present a property which has many established features which are conducive to a satisfying situation. Close by are some of the main tourist areas of Victoria, including wineries, snow fields, the River Murray and historic Beechworth.

Income
It is not easy to say what level of income may be obtained from the property especially if it is run with a strong emphasis on conservation and a relaxed lifestyle. The present owner had a 650 strong flock of self-replacing merino sheep, providing around 15 bales of wool per year. Thus an average price for the wool and the actual weight of wool can be calculated to give a gross income. If the enterprise was fat lambs and there were 400 ewes, then the gross return would be for the sale of lambs plus income from the wool. Alternatively the property could be leased and there seems to be a demand for this. The present return to the owner is from agistment. At present there is a canola crop of approximately 30 acres and a subsequent crop plan can be discussed. ( The canola crop has been put in on shares; owner does not have the machinery.)
As the water system is very good for this area, other activities can be considered. Dams, tanks, and poly-pipes have all been installed with an eye to the toughest drought times. This property has extensive areas of native grasses. There has been only very restricted use of chemicals on the farm in the last 27 years.
There are two large paddocks of approximately 120 acres each, two of approximately 30 acres each, one of approximately 15 acres and several small paddocks, including holding paddocks adjoining good sheep yards. There are two lane-ways for ease of stock movement. The present owner ran merino sheep and has some crop on shares.
The property is on three titles. First given in hectares, 54.6 hectares, Second in acres, 151 acres , 2 r, 31p (61.1 hectares), and third in acres, 148 acres,1r, 16p (59.9 hectares). This gives a total of approximately 176 hectares (434 acres).

Conservation/Management
The large forest area consists of native trees and interesting rock formations and includes some good grazing. It protects a small mob of kangaroos and other native species. It is the biggest privately owned forest area in the immediate area. At present it is not fenced off from the large paddock behind the house but a grant for this purpose may be available in the future. The present owner’s policy has been to graze lightly with very little grazing in the past four years. The forest is obviously a valuable resource in terms of carbon sequestration. There are areas of native trees to regenerate former gully erosion and a firewood lot close to the house.
There can be little doubt that management is the key to a good lifestyle in terms of a good integration of conservation, a sensible, sustainable financial return and a satisfying engagement with the whole property.

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A final note on agents and buying and selling farm properties: A prospective buyer will be in liaison with the owner as far as inspections are concerned and probably also to settlement. It is contended that the owner knows more about the property than an agent would know. The present owner is prepared to spend a lot of time with a prospective buyer. The buyer is welcome to appoint an independent negotiator at buyer’s expense if required. Any deposit paid will be subject to the usual trust arrangements for Victoria through the seller’s and buyer’s legal representatives who will also deal with the usual contract arrangements. The owner who had not been farming before he acquired the property 27 years ago intends to pass on his extensive knowledge of the many aspects of the property to aid future development.