THE sale of a prime farming property into seven parcels has been compared to actor Mel Gibson's North East land sell-off in 2004.
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Rockleigh, which is on Lindsay Road, Staghorn Flat, has been owned by the Adams family for 117 years.
Next Friday it will be auctioned in seven lots at Wodonga's Huon Hill from 1pm.
Estate agent Peter Ruaro said he could not recall a bigger farmland carve-up sale since Gibson sold off his Kiewa Valley portfolio.
Mr Ruaro would not be drawn on the sums he expects the Rockleigh properties to attract.
He noted with few properties in the area sold, there was little data to measure how much the 443.13 hectares would secure.
"The Adams country has always been known as some of the premier grazing country in the North East," Mr Ruaro said.
"It's pretty rare something like that comes along."
Peter Adams is the fourth generation to live at Rockleigh since 1902.
He spent his early boyhood there before moving to another family property at Bungowannah.
It was as a newlywed, having married Leonie three weeks previously, that Mr Adams returned to Rockleigh in 1969.
Now after producing fat lambs, sheep farming, running Herefords and breeding cattle, his body is telling him it is time to sell up.
"I woke up one morning and the legs were stiff and I looked at the calendar and realised I was getting old and thought it was time to change my lifestyle a bit," Mr Adams said.
"I've had two knee replacement operations and while they've both panned out well I didn't want to go slowly out of the farm."
The Adams do not have children to inherit the property and have bought a home in Wodonga.
However, they have also held on to an eighth parcel so Mr Adams in his words "can play farmer and run some steers".
"Having owned the land and not carried a big debt I've been fortunate, and not paying for half a dozen kids makes it easier on the bank account, but at the same time I've had to be conscience of fluctuations of cattle markets and fluctuations of the seasons," Mr Adams said.