Woolnorth's stunning location featured in video to attract buyers

The sprawling property is also located on a wild and spectacular coastline which has been scientifically proven to enjoy the cleanest air in the world.

Long before it became Australia's biggest dairy farm operation and as the name suggests, Woolnorth was for a much longer time a wool powerhouse.

At various times it has hosted up to 40,000 sheep and thousands of cattle.

Selling agents for the biggest dairy farm sale of the year have drawn on this rich history for their marketing campaign.

Chinese businessman Xianfeng Lu on Monday put north-west Tasmania's Van Dairy Group up for sale after already offloading some of its choice properties.

The sale includes Woolnorth's remaining 9500 hectares (23,475 acres) of land plus the option to buy its vast dairy herd and machinery.

Agents from Nutrien Harcourts said there was an opportunity for a buyer "to be captured in the history of one of Tasmania's most iconic rural properties".

The story of the Van Diemen's Land Company dates back to the 1820's, well before a sod of turf was turned on the Yarra River to create Melbourne, agents have reminded buyers.

John Batman voyaged across the Bass Strait to found Melbourne in 1835.

Woolnorth was founded at Circular Head in 1827.

The Van Diemen's Land Company was founded several years earlier as British businessmen sought to build a pipeline of cheap wool for UK factories.

For context, Australia's oldest continuously operating company is the beef giant Australian Agricultural Company, which was established in 1824 in NSW.

Woolnorth has some of Tasmania's most spectacular coastline, the agents said.

The coastline was described in explorer George Bass's diary while circumnavigating Tasmania in 1798 as - "the most stupendous works of nature he had witnessed".

The Woolnorth property in the north-west is located in what is known as the Roaring Forties.

The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds which were relied on by sailing ships in the early days of Australia's settlement.

Today those often ferocious winds has led to the development of two wind farms in the area and a science-backed reputation as having the cleanest air in the world.

There is a tour operation based there for tourists to check out the wild coastline and suck in that clean air.

There are 36 turbines on the clifftops at Bluff Point Wind Farm and 25 turbines at Studland Bay Wind farm on Woolnorth.

Farm-wise, during the 1960's to 1990's the property at times ran up to 40,000 sheep and had more than 2000 Hereford breeders.

At various stages, poppies, barley and potatoes have been tried out across the land.

In later years, large areas of the property were developed and converted into dairy country, including the eight rotary dairies on offer which have milked up to 8593 dairy cows.

The company once milked more than 11,000 cows across 17,000ha as Australia's biggest and oldest dairy operations producing more than 100 million litres of milk annually.

Today's sale includes Woolnorth's remaining 9500 hectares (23,475 acres) of land plus the option to buy its vast dairy herd and machinery.

Mr Lu bought the massive Woolnorth aggregation from Tasman Agriculture Ltd of New Zealand in 2016 for $280 million. The Kiwis had bought it in 1993.

Van Dairy, formerly Moon Lake Investments and Van Diemens' Land Company before that, attracted a lot of attention over its foreign ownership and farm operations.

Woolnorth had been owned by several overseas companies over the years notably from the UK and New Zealand.

Last month investment group Prime Value Asset Management bought another of Van Dairy Group's Woolnorth dairy farms.

The group bought 11 dairy farms for $62.5 million from Mr Lu in 2021.

In 2021, Van Dairy also sold the 900ha Harcus Dairy, part of the Gums dairy and the Heifer Unit near Smithton, to Tasmanian-born businessman Tim Roberts-Thomson.

In February, Fonterra cancelled a 25 million litre milk contract with Van Dairy citing "unresolvable commercial factors".

This sale is being handled by Nutrien Harcourts Tasmania with no suggested price offered.

It is still a substantial offering with 4200ha of dedicated dairy area, eight big rotary dairies, 10,300 megalitres of irrigation water, seven homes and extra worker's accommodation.

Infrastructure includes 30 homes, 13-stand shearing shed, two large cattle yards, sheep yards plus numerous farm and livestock sheds.

According to agents, the buyer will have the first right to Van Dairy Group's livestock and machinery plus grazing leases on two wind farms.

Woolnorth is for sale by expressions of interest closing on June 12.

For more information contact Tony Maguire from Nutrien Harcourts on 0417 101392.