THE 2549-square kilometre Wertaloona Station has had no more than three owners in its 170-year history, but is being offered by sale by the Rowe family's Princess Royal.
Sitting on the edge of Lake Frome and the Gammon Rangers National Park in the North Flinders district, Wertaloona has a prescribed maximum stocking rate of 5940 cattle or 29,700 sheep equivalent.
Elders rural real estate manager SA/NT Phil Keen said the sale offered a "truly rare" chance to take on one of the state's largest pastoral holdings, and would be attractive to "anyone seeking to establish or expand a business at scale".
"The property is presently disposed of as an European Union-accredited and organically certified beef cattle station," Mr Keen said. "Having said that, Wertaloona is also suitable for sheep meat and wool production."
The station is 543 kilometres north of Adelaide by road, and features spectacular sites such as Chambers Gorge and Big John Creek.
It offers three houses, including a new transportable home, as well as multiple sheds and four main yards. There are 10 dams and 28 bores located throughout the station, along with five main creeks and numerous watercourses running from the ranges, the majority of which flood over the floodplains.
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Princess Royal is run by Simon Rowe and his children Rebecca, Jack and Katherine.
In addition to its interests in the Flinders Ranges, Princess Royal owns a number of properties in the Mid North and operates a major feedlot on Mackerode Station at Burra.
The family has been involved with Wertaloona since 1997, but has recently decided the station is not central to its strategic plan.
"The forecast growth in demand for high quality and safe Australian protein is compelling," Simon said.
"We believe that having the capacity to consistently deliver high quality product into both domestic and international markets will allow us, and our suppliers, to continue to grow into the future.
Accordingly, our primary focus has shifted to our trading and feedlotting operations and our pastoral holdings in the Flinders have ceased to be strategically compelling in the context of our overall portfolio and future direction.
"We have therefore taken the decision to divest Wertaloona in order to reinvest the capital into the growth of our feedlotting operations."
Wertaloona is being offered through expressions of interest, closing on March 6.
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