AFTER being held by the same family for 177 years, the 905-hectare Calcannia has been sold at auction for $11.65 million.
Located about seven kilometres north of Clare, the property attracted significant pre-sale interest from all states and even New Zealand, before being knocked down to the Sparks family, Munduney, near Spalding – setting a price per hectare record for the Clare Valley in the process.
While some of the 11 registered bidders were hoping the property would be sold in lots, the Sparks family bought Calcannia as one unit.
Ray White Rural SA joint principal Geoff Schell, who conducted the auction in front of a capacity crowd at the Valleys Lifestyle Centre in Clare on Friday, said properties of the significance and scale of Calcannia were rare.
Boasting a 109-year-old homestead set in lush gardens, a second managers home, a large machinery/grain storage shed and a four-stand shearing shed, the property is renowned for being reliable, even in tough years.
Originally part of the Bungaree Station, Calcannia has been held by the Hawker family since the 1840s.
Andrew Hawker purchased the property from another family member in 1996 and had made considerable improvements in the time since – re-fencing the property, developing the stock water system and renovating the homestead.
Fellow Ray White Rural SA principal Daniel Schell said he was “absolutely thrilled” with the “outstanding result” achieved for the Hawker family.
