COLLENDINA Station has changed hands again with Balldale sheep stud operators Rodger and Kim Mathews the new owners of the historic Murray River property between Corowa and Mulwala.
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The Cooper family from Daylesford paid $7.05 million at auction for Collendina last November.
But the sale didn’t proceed and Mr and Mrs Mathews, who were the losing bidders, have since snapped up the property for an undisclosed lesser figure.
They operate the Borambil Merino Stud at Balldale and have future plans to relocate it to Collendina.
The Mathews family have been farming in the Rand-Balldale area since the 1800s when Mr Mathews’ grandfather, John, first settled in the southern Riverina.
Mr Mathews’ father, Len, is also a highly regarded sheep industry figure and founded Borambil in 1968 before Rodger and Kim took over in 2006.
“I love the river country and I could just see it as a great long-term fit for where I want to end up,” Mr Mathews said.
“I will retire there one day.
“We run a merino stud and it will be a great place to take it to.”
Mr and Mrs Mathews also produce wheat and canola on their already substantial holdings, which have been boosted by the additional 1267 hectares at Collendina.
The property, including the two-storey, 115-square homestead built in 1891, is about 65 kilometres from the Mathewses’ stud.
“It is a historic property,” Mr Mathews said.
“It just needs a bit of tender loving care and we just hope to bring it back to its stately position.
“The idea of taking the stud down there with the irrigation and the presentation has got a few advantages.”
Mr Mathews said he had hopes one or more of his three sons, Luke, Ben or Shayne, would return to the farm in the future. They also have a daughter, Nicole.
Ben played 198 senior AFL matches for the Sydney Swans including the 2005 premiership after originally playing for Corowa- Rutherglen.
