Trophy farms worth $120m change hands in year-end deals bonanza

Wealthy Australian families and high-powered business executives including renewable energy boss Andrew Doman have swooped on $120 million of trophy farms as confidence returns to the agricultural sector.

Leading the charge, Southern Pastoral – majority owned by Melbourne investors Simon McKeown and Bill Craig – has acquired 1900-hectare wool aggregation Avington near Kyneton in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges for about $35 million. The sale included most of Avington’s 16,000 Merino sheep flock. CBRE’s Shane McIntyre and Matt Childs brokered the sale.