Who Owns Farms in South Australia?
In 2022, there was strong demand for rural properties across Australia, including South Australia. This demand led to significant investment in farm real estate, which was also encouraged by low interest rates and impressive farmgate returns.
The strong interest in rural properties continued despite the downturn in the urban residential market. The growth in rural property investment in 2022 included a substantial purchase by Crown Point Pastoral Company. This purchase raised them to the top position in the country’s landholder list.
Key points
- There was a strong demand for rural properties in Australia in 2022, including South Australia.
- The growth in rural property investment in 2022 included a substantial purchase by Crown Point Pastoral Company. This purchase raised them to the top position in the country’s landholder list.
- Other major farm owners in South Australia include AJ&PA McBride, the Jumbuck Pastoral Company, and CK Life Sciences.
Crown Point Pastoral Company, now number 1 landholder
Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello of Crown Point Pastoral Company, were already farm owners in South Australia and other areas of the country. They bought Innamincka and Macumba stations from Gina Rinehart. This purchase made Crown Point Pastoral Company the number one landholder, taking the title from Rinehart.
The company went on to buy Mount Doreen Station in the Northern Territory. This purchase gives it a total portfolio of 9.2 million hectares. The land is across the Kimberley Region in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and the far north of South Australia.
Other major farm owners in South Australia include AJ&PA McBride, the Jumbuck Pastoral Company, and CK Life Sciences. The appetite for rural purchases in South Australia continues with recent trades. These trades include the sale of Binbrook, at Lucindale, by Tom and Kerry McWaters. The sale made the owners around $14,111 an acre.
Full list of South Australian farm owners
There are many more owners of South Australian rural properties than the major investors we have mentioned. The complete list of farm owners in South Australia is a long one. The table below includes details of the owners and their properties.
| Owner | Details | Properties Owned in South Australia |
| AJ&PA McBride and Co | The company is focused on wool production. It operates a total of around 1.3 million hectares. | Ashmore, in Kingston.
Braemar Station, Burra. Brooklyn, Lucindale Bleasdale Winery, Langhorne Creek. Konetta Station, Millicent. Nepowie, Naracoorte. North Well, Kingoonya. Teetulpa, Yunta. Wilgena Station, Tarcoola. Yudnapinna Station, Port Augusta. |
| Auston Corporation | The Auston Corporation is the Australian branch of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. The Auston Corporation owns apple, avocado, and almond farms in South Australia as well as Victoria. | Aroona Farms, Lyrup. |
| Australian Capital Equity | The company is owned by businessman Kerry Stokes who is the former boss of Seven Network. | Balquhidder Station, Parawa.
Mt Scrub, Fleurieu Peninsula. |
| Billy Kalina Pastoral Company | The company is owned by Colin Greenfield and his family. | Billa Kalina, Woomera. |
| BPC Maylands | The company is owned by Australian businessman Robert Champion de Crespigny. | Maylands, Parawa.
Myponga Portfolio, Myponga. Salt Creek Farm, Salt Creek. |
| Brook Pastoral Company | Owners David and Nell Brook are pioneers in the area of organic beef. They own 3.5 million hectares in Queensland as well as South Australia. | Alton Downs, via Birdsville.
Cordillo Downs, Innamincka. Murnpeowie Station, Marree. |
| Caparra PTY Ltd. | The company owns 100 properties covering over one million hectares. | Banff Station, Salt Creek.
Cortina Station, Kingston. Didicoolum Station, Kingston. Frome Downs, Yunta. Ninga Ninga Station, Kingston. SFM Australasia aggregation, Padthaway. Watervalley Station, Kingston. |
| CC Cooper & Co | Leith and Averil Cooper own this company. It’s a mixed cropping and livestock business that operates in New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia. | Narrung Aggregation, Narrung.
Jamestown Aggregation, Jamestown. |
| CK Life Sciences (China) | This company is backed by the richest person in Hong Kong, Li Ka-shing and it’s listed in Hong Kong. The company has citrus and grape-growing properties. | Bussorah Vineyard, Padthaway.
Dalmeny Vineyard, Padthaway. Jubilee Vineyard, Riverland. Katnook Vineyard, Coonawarra. Miamba Vineyard, Lyndoch. Qualco East Vineyard, Riverland. Qualco West Vineyard, Riverland. Station and Kirkgate vineyards, Coonawarra. |
| Crown Point Pastoral Company | The biggest holders of land in Australia. | Clifton Hills Station, Birdsville Track.
Crown Point Station, Birdsville Track. Innamincka Station, Leigh Creek. Macumba Station, Oodnadatta. Pandie Pandie Station, Birdsville Track. |
| Evelyn Downs Pastoral Company | Evelyn Downs, Coober Pedy. | |
| Fiera Comax (Canada) | Fiera Comax is a private equity investment firm from Canada. It owns global agriculture and forestry assets that are worth billions of dollars. | Boorala, Frances.
Manton, Frances. |
| First State Super | The owners of this company are a superannuation group for public sector employees in New South Wales. It manages around $89 billion for its 770,000 members. | Amaroo, Paringa. |
| Gary Overton | Overton is a grazier from South Australia. | Mulka Station, Marree. |
| George and Sophie Millington | Cappedee, Hallett.
Collinsville Station, Burra. Kadlunga, Mintaro. |
|
| Growth Farms | A small group of Australian farmers own this investment management company. | Cygnet Park Farms, Kangaroo Island. |
| J&F Fennell | This company is owned by pastoralists from Central Australia. | Wintinna, Coober Pedy. |
| Jumbuck Pastoral Company | This pastoral company was created by the MacLachlan family. It’s one of the biggest companies dealing with sheep and cattle production in Australia. | Bulgunnia, Coober Pedy.
Commonwealth Hill, Coober Pedy. McCoys Well, Yunta. Mobella, Coober Pedy. Mt Victor, Yunta. Mulgathing, Coober Pedy. |
| Litchfield Pastoral | These organic livestock producers are from South Australia. They control approximately 600,000 hectares. | Mount Lyndhurst Station, Leigh Creek.
Mundowdna Station, Leigh Creek. Wilpoorinna Station, Leigh Creek. |
| Macquarrie Agriculture | Wiltoo, Cummins.
Vitalharvest Freehold Trust, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania. |
|
| Mutooroo Pastoral Company | The land owned by this company covers 2.1 million hectares in the northeast of South Australia. The Morgan and Wells families own this organisation. | Muttooroo Station, via Broken Hill.
Mulyungarie Station, Cockburn. Lilydale and Manunda Stations, Yunta. |
| Nangwarry Pastoral Company | Nangwarry Station, Nangwarry. | |
| Napier Pastoral Company | The company is owned by Greg and Sharon Vickers who have properties in Central Australia, and the southeast of South Australia. | |
| Paul & Jo Smith | Tieyon Station, Kulgera. | |
| Princess Royal | The Rowe family owns this company. | Burra Creek Wines, Burra.
Mackerode Station, Burra. Princess Royal Station and feedlot, Burra. Wooltana Station, Blinman. |
| Robertson Chowilla PTY Ltd. | The Robertson family own this company. | Chowilla Station, Renmark. |
| Rural Funds Group | The Rural Funds Group has in excess of $1.3 billion worth of assets, including investments in beef, almonds, cotton, and macadamias. | Dohnt vineyard, Coonawarra.
Geier vineyard, Barossa Valley. Hahn vineyard, Barossa Valley. Kleinig vineyard, Barossa Valley. Mundy vineyard, Adelaide Hills. Murphy vineyard, Adelaide Hills. |
| Saltbush AG PTY Ltd | This company is owned by Paddy Handbury. | Arcoona Station, Woomera.
Booborowie Aggregation, Booborowie. Swinging Shovel, Lucindale. |
| Select Harvests | Select Harvests owns more than 9,000 hectares of almond orchards in areas including the South Australian Riverland. | Loxton/Paringa orchards. |
| Swiss Australia Farm Holdings | This organisation owns and operates farms in New South Wales and Queensland as well as South Australia. | Glenstrae, Willalooka.
Naweena, Padthaway. |
| Todmorden Cattle Company | Glengarry, Snowtown.
Hillview, Snowtown. Todmorden Station, Oodadatta. Walaki, Lochiel. |
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| Welbourn Hill Pastoral Company | Wellbourn Hill, Marla. | |
| Williams Cattle Company | This company is owned by the Williams family. It operates the biggest cattle station in the world, Anna Creek. | Anna Creek Station, Coober Pedy.
Arckaringa Station, Coober Pedy. Connibar/Carieton, Carieton. Hamilton Station, Coober Pedy. Mt Barry Station, Coober Pedy. Mt Sarah Station, Coober Pedy. Nilpanna Station, Coober Pedy. The Peake Station, Coober Pedy. |
| Yadlamalka Pastoral | South Australian pastoralist Andrew Doman owns this organisation. | Beltana Station, Flinders Ranges. |
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