Article by Tallis Miles, courtesy of The Weekly Times
30.04.2025
As the global scramble for Australian farmland intensifies, meet the power players — families, rich listers and corporations — staking fortunes to secure their slice of the soil.
AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST LANDHOLDERS BY VALUE
1. PSP investments (Canada) – $8.5 billion
Canadian pension fund managing assets for the Canadian public sector, armed forces, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Partners with local agribusinesses across various agricultural sectors.
ALTORA AG
• Cropping business with 45 properties across 153,000 hectares of Queensland, NSW, and South Australia.
• Major properties: Timberscombe, West Wyalong NSW – 8432 hectares, purchased for $70 million (April 2024); Erregulla Plains/Yarragadee, Mingenew WA – 21,866 hectares.
AURORA DAIRIES
• Operates across 16,820 hectares and 50 farms in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
• Produces 253 million litres of milk annually from 40,240 cows.
• Business also includes five farms in New Zealand running 7000 cows producing 32 million litres of milk.
AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND FIBRE
• Joint cropping venture with the Robinson family.
• Focus on farming, ginning and marketing operations in the Macintyre, Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, and Murrumbidgee valleys.
• Major assets include former Auscott Limited cropping business spanning nearly 40,000 hectares.
FRESH COUNTRY FARMS OF AUSTRALIA
• Focus on broadacre permanent crops and protected cropping systems with Investments in almonds, avocados, citrus, berries and wine grapes.
• Major properties include the 12,000-hectare APA almond orchard and vineyard in the Victorian Sunraysia, the 865-hectare Goodwood and Promiseland mango and avocado orchards at Bundaberg in Queensland and the Two Wells Glasshouse in South Australia.
HEWITT
• Large-scale organic beef and sheep producers operating across 5.6 million hectares in NSW, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.
• Major properties include the 1.1 million-hectare Narwietooma Aggregation in the Northern Territory; the 202,200-hectare Numery and the 331,800-hectare Ambalindum, also in the Northern Territory.
KOOBA PTY LTD
• Irrigated row cropping and livestock business in NSW’s Murrumbidgee region.
• Major properties include the 40,000-hectare Bringagee and Benerembah at Carrathool and Kooba Station at nearby Darlington Point.
SIMPSON FARMS
• One of Australia’s largest avocado growers and manufacturer of processed avocado and mango products.
• Operates across 850 hectares of farming operations – 770 hectares of avocados and 80 hectares of mangoes – at Childers in Queensland.
SOUTHERN PREMIUM VINEYARDS
• Owns and operates vineyards in Australia’s finest and most productive winegrape regions including the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Limestone Coast of South Australia, as well as the NSW Riverina.
• Major assets include 15 vineyards in the NSW Riverina (2546 hectares); six vineyards in the South Australia’s Coonawarra-Limestone Coast (790 hectares) and six vineyards in the Barossa Valley (342 hectares).
STAHMANN WEBSTER
• A spin-off of PSP Investment’s Webster Limited takeover growing walnuts, pecans, macadamias and almonds.
• Major assets include a 2051-hectare macadamia aggregation at Bundaberg in Queensland, the 700-hectare Sandy Valley almond farm at Tabbita in NSW and the five-farm Trawalla pecan aggregation at Pallamallawa NSW.
2. Macquarie Agriculture (Australian fund) – $4 billion
Australian-managed fund with $4B+ in agricultural assets across livestock, cropping, and horticulture, making it the second-largest investor in Australian agriculture by value. The portfolio spans about 4.5 million hectares.
PARAWAY PASTORAL COMPANY
• Operates 27 stations across 4.48 million hectares in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria.
• Runs more than 220,000 cattle and 250,000 sheep.
• Major assets include the 1.51 million-hectare Davenport Downs at Winton in Queensland, the 1.02 million-hectare Tanbar Station at Windorah, and iconic NSW Riverina holdings Mungadal at Hay (116,994 hectares), Cooinbil at Coleambally (89,040 hectares), Steam Plains at Conargo (46,395 hectares) and Pooginook at Jerilderie (19,656 hectares).
VIRIDIS AG
• Broadacre cropping business founded in 2017 operating 12 aggregations across 122,750 hectares in Western Australia, South Australia, and NSW.
• Major properties include the 16,700-hectare The Grange property at Dongara in Western Australia, the 13,000-hectare Alcheringa southeast of Geraldton and the 15,700-hectare Oodnadatta Farms near Moree in NSW
COWAL AGRICULTURE
• Aggregation of eight farms near Emerald, in Queensland, purchased in August 2022 for about $120 million.
• Comprises 5976 hectares of cropland along the Nogoa River and watered by the Fairbairn Dam. Produces a variety of summer and winter crops including cotton, mungbean, sorghum, chickpeas and wheat.
CUBBIE AG
• Australia’s biggest cotton farm comprising 93,000 hectares of land, including 22,000 hectares of irrigated cropping fields, at Cubbie Station near Dirranbandi and The Anchorage and Aspen properties St George in southwest Queensland.
• Macquarie acquired 100 per cent ownership of the business in 2022, including cotton gins.
VITALHARVEST
• Owns the largest aggregation of berry and citrus farms in Australia with assets leased to Costa Group until 2040.
• Portfolio comprises seven farms: four in NSW and Tasmania and three in the South Australian Riverland.
• Macquarie acquired the ASX-listed Vitalharvest in 2021 for $357.35 million.
3. TIAA-Nuveen Natural Capital (United States) – $2.5 billion
• US-based fund manager backed by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA). Now operates under Nuveen Natural Capital (formerly Westchester Group).
• Has been active in Australian agriculture since 2007 and now has a portfolio spanning across 350,000 hectares of NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.
• Nuveen Natural Capital’s global portfolio includes 600-plus assets valued at $US13.7 billion in 10 countries.
• Strong focus on row cropping, expanding into permanent crops (almonds, macadamias) and viticulture.
• Notable recent acquisitions include the 14,070-hectare Sunshine Aggregation at Forbes in NSW, purchased from AAM Investment Group in 2024 and the 552-hectare Heathcote Vineyard Aggregation at Corop in northern Victoria, acquired from Treasury Wine Estates for $14 million.
• Significant assets include the 13,392-hectare Mascott property at Bellata in NSW, a 13,420-hectare aggregation at Watheroo in Western Australia and the 8867-hectare Milo property at Moree in NSW.
4, Hancock Agriculture, S Kidman & Co (Gina Rinehart) – $2 billion
• Mining magnate and Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has significantly expanded and refocused her agricultural interests as part of her $29 billion fortune.
• In recent years, Rinehart’s S. Kidman & Co sold off 10 of Australia’s most iconic cattle stations, covering a combined 6.7 million hectares, marking a shift in strategy.
• Since the divestment, Hancock Agriculture has concentrated on producing premium cattle, including developing one of Australia’s largest fullblood and F1 Wagyu herds.
• Key recent acquisitions include the 10,000-hectare Wongaboori Station near Mendooran in NSW, purchased for $70 million, which adds to her existing 16,600-hectare aggregation of Glencoe Station, Boogadah, Caigan and Hiddendale.
• The company also acquired the 10,029-hectare Moolan Downs Station in Queensland’s Western Downs and the 8371-hectare Ottley Station in northern NSW from Packhorse Pastoral for approximately $80 million.
• Expansion into Victoria has followed, with separate purchases including 467 hectares of farmland at Kennedys Creek for around $9.8 million, and the 511-hectare Chrome Park property at Branxholme for over $8.6 million.
5. Rural Funds Group (ASX-listed) – $1.9 billion
• One of Australia’s largest diversified agricultural REITs, managing $1.9 billion in assets across five key sectors: almonds, beef, cropping, macadamias and vineyards.
• Portfolio comprises 67 properties covering about 740,000 hectares in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
• The beef business spans 717,435 hectares valued at $720.6 million), ahead of almonds (4068 hectares valued at $453.3 million), macadamias (736 hectares valued at $402.9 million), cropping (14,217 hectares valued at $126.2 million) and vineyards (638 hectares valued at $56.9 million).
• Major assets include the 2530-hectare Kerarbury almond orchard in NSW, valued at $279.4 million, the 390,600-hectare Natal beef aggregation, valued at $184.9 million, and the 935-hectare Yilgah almond orchard valued at $111.9 million.
• Sold a 50 per cent share in the 2492-hectare Mayneland and 4130-hectare Baamba Plains properties in Queensland to The Rohatyn Group in 2024 for $39 million. The properties are leased back under long-term triple-net lease.
6. CK Life Sciences (Hong Kong/Bahamas) – $1.8 billion
• Backed by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing via CK Hutchison Holdings with an estimated $2 billion-plus in Australian agricultural assets across Victoria, South Australia, NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
• Focus on horticulture, viticulture, and irrigated cropping.
• Operates Belvino Investments Trust which operates 18 wholly owned vineyards across Australia and New Zealand.
• Major farming assets include the 3400-hectare Boongargil Cotton business listed in 2024 with expectations of about $35 million, the 394-hectare Roper River watermelon farm in the Northern Territory, kiwifruit, avocado and pear orchards in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley and tablegrape, citrus and winegrape orchards in the Murray Valley and Sunraysia regions.
• In July 2024, sold the 547-hectare Balranald Vineyard in NSW, plus 4465 megalitres of water, to goFARM for $40 million.
7. Australian Agricultural Company (ASX-listed) – $1.5 billion
• Founded in 1824, AACo is Australia’s oldest continuously operating company. It operates Australia’s largest beef herd of 455,000 cattle across 6.5 million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
• Total assets of $2.4 billion, including property assets valued at $1.5 billion.
• The portfolio comprises 19-owned cattle stations, four leased stations, two owned feedlots, two owned farms and one leased farm.
• Major property include the 1.24 million-hectare Brunette Downs Station near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, the one million-hectare Headingly Station near Urandangie in Queensland and the 934,900-hectare Anthony Lagoon and Eva Downs stations in the Northern Territory.
• AACo produces premium branded beef for domestic and export markets (North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East).
8. GO. FARM – $1.5 billion
• Founded in 2013 by Liam Lenaghan with backing from Costa Asset Management, GO. FARM has grown into one of Australia’s most prominent agricultural investors and developers. The company specialises in transforming underutilised farmland into high-performing, irrigated horticultural assets.
• In 2023, GO. FARM launched a $120 million almond-growing expansion in the NSW Riverina, acquiring 1758 hectares near Griffith, including the 700-hectare Stephendale Vineyard. It also snapped up the 547-hectare Balranald Vineyard in a $40 million deal.
• In 2024, the company acquired the 3300-hectare Eurambeen Station and Grandview properties west of Ballarat for about $30 million. That same year it launched the $300 million Responsible Agriculture Fund to pursue new land transformation projects independently of its existing investor base.
• Also in 2024, GO. FARM secured a $200 million co-investment from Qantas Super to support the regeneration of underutilised farmland. As part of this expansion, GO. FARM acquired the 2666-hectare Dellapool Aggregation in the NSW Riverina formerly owned by Italian confectionery giant Ferrero. The company plans to repurpose the site, once home to a failed hazelnut venture, into high-density olive groves.
9. Auston Corporation-Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Canada) – $1.3 billion
• AustOn is the Australian agricultural investment arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, one of the world’s largest pension funds with $A296 billion in assets.
• Active in Australia since 2018, AustOn targets long-term partnerships with innovative agribusinesses, primarily in the horticulture sector.
• In November 2023, acquired a major equity interest in Montague which handles 18 per cent of Australia’s apple production and 15 per cent of the nation’s stone fruit production with assets in Victoria, Tasmania and NSW.
• Earlier that year it purchased a major stake in the NSW and South Australian-based Mitolo Family Farms, one of Australia’s largest horticultural producers with 26 farms, focused on potatoes and onions.
• Other key assets include the 2600-hectare Aroona Farms almond orchard at Lyrup in South Australia, the 360-hectare Jasper Farms avocado business at Busselton in Western Australia, the 500-hectare Pomona Valley fruit business in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, acquired in 2021.
10. Fiera Comox (Canada) – $1.3 billion
• Canadian agricultural fund Fiera Comox has rapidly emerged as a major player in Australian farming through its partnership with prominent Victorian landholder Nick Paterson under the Excel Farms banner.
• Excel Farms underwent significant expansion in 2023 with major cropping acquisitions including the 26,839-hectare Ballandry Station at Griffith in the NSW Riverina, which it purchased for $120 million, the 8554-hectare Cherylton Farms at Kojonup in Western Australia, purchased for $100 million, the 12,000-hectare Southwark Soaks Aggregation at Pingrup, for which it paid more than $40 million.
• In November 2024, Excel Farms offloaded the 967-hectare Karrara Aggregation at Ecklin South in Victoria for about $20 million. In March 2025 it listed the 1152-hectare Kurkeim property in Victoria’s Wimmera region.
• Fiera Comox is also a partner in Queensland’s Eastern Australia Agriculture business, which operates across the 36,000-hectare Kia Ora and Clyde stations at Dirranbandi.
11. Manulife Investment Management (Canada) – $1.2 billion
• A key North American player in sustainable agriculture, with a global portfolio of about 160,000 hectares across the US, Canada, Australia, and Chile.
• Focus on permanent plantings and horticultural crops, with increasing emphasis on sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and precision technologies.
• Has been active in Australia since 2020, managing significant horticultural and broadacre cropping assets in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland.
• Australian assets include the 19,877-hectare Cowl Cowl and Wyadra stations at Hillston in NSW, which it purchased from the Harvard University Endowment Fund in 2020 for more than $120 million.
• In the South Australian Riverland, owns the Attis Farms and Pomona Farms Australia, with a focus on permanent plantings including almonds, citrus, and wine grapes.
• In 2022, sold the 12,840-hectare Kalanga cotton aggregation to the Coulton family’s Morella Agriculture at Boggabri in NSW for about $80 million. In 2023 it purchased the 779-hectare Gemfields macadamia property near Emerald in Queensland.
12. Alberta Investment Management Corporation (Canada) – $1,1 billion
• AIMCo is a major Canadian pension, endowment, and government fund manager with $1.1 billion+ in Australian agricultural assets.
• Entered the Australian ag sector in 2021, rapidly expanding across cropping and cattle through key partnerships with New Forests (Lawson Grains) and New Agriculture (Kimberley Cattle).
• Investment strategy centres on institutional-scale, sustainable assets in broadacre cropping and large pastoral operations.
• AIMCo has grown the Lawson Grains cropping business in NSW and Western Australia from 105,000 hectares at the time of its $600 million purchase in 2021 to more than 120,000 hectares today. Recent purchases include the 13,900-hectare Jemalong Station at Forbes in NSW ($85 million) and the 2800-hectare Green Park Aggregation near Rand in NSW ($40 million), both in 2023, as well as the 3096-hectare Bulgandra Aggregation near Walbundrie for $43.65 million in March this year.
• AIMCo and New Agriculture has added to the 2.9 million-hectare Kimberley Cattle Portfolio, for which it paid Archstone Investment Group $300 million for in 2023, with last year’s purchase of Yeeda and Mt Jowlaenga stations in Western Australia. The additional 473,608 hectares has taken the company’s footprint to 3.4 million hectares. The deal also included the Kimberley Meat Company abattoir assets.
AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST LANDHOLDERS BY AREA
. Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello – 9 million hectares+
• Central Australian businessmen.
• Retain the title as Australia’s largest landholders with a portfolio exceeding 9.2 million hectares, or more than twice the size of Switzerland.
• Operations include the organic beef-focused Crown Point Pastoral Company.
• Key holdings include the 1.65 million-hectare Clifton Hills Station in South Australia and the 1.36 million-hectare Innamincka Station at Leigh Creek.
2. Australian Agricultural Company (ASX-listed) – 6.62 million hectares
• Having celebrated 200 years in 2024, AACo operates across a land mass of 6.62 million hectares, equal to 1 per cent of Australia.
• Owns several properties around the one-million-hectare mark, including the iconic 1.24 million-hectare Brunette Downs Station at Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, the one-million hectare Headingly Station south of Camooweal in Queensland and the 934,900-hectare Anthony Lagoon and Eva Downs aggregation in the Northern Territory.
3. North Australian Pastoral Company – 6 million hectares+
• One of Australia’s oldest (established in 1877) and largest cattle companies.
• Comprises 15 properties and a feedlot across the Northern Territory and Queensland running about 200,000 cattle.
• Largest assets include the 1.64 million hectare Alexandria Station in the Northern Territory and the 1.29 million-hectare Marion Downs Station at Boulia in Queensland.
4. Williams Cattle Company – 4.65 million hectares
• South Australian pastoralists operating as a partnership between 15 members of the Williams family.
• Key holdings include the 2.37 million-hectare Anna Creek and The Peake stations in South Australia, famous as the largest cattle station in the world, and the 701,000-hectare Hamilton Station at Oodnadatta.
5. Macquarie Agriculture – 4.5 million hectares+
• The Australian-based fund is the second-largest farmland investor by value in Australia.
• The 4.48 million-hectare Paraway Pastoral Company portfolio of 27 stations accounts for most of its size.
• Other assets include the 93,000-hectare Cubbie Station at Dirranbandi in Queensland – Australia’s largest cotton farm – the 12-farm Viridis Ag portfolio covering 113,500 hectares of Western Australia, South Australia and NSW, and the 5000-hectare Cowal Agriculture aggregation in Queensland.
6. Consolidated Pastoral Company (Australia-UK) – 4.2 million hectares
• Founded in 1879, now majority-owned by UK-based Hands Family Office (Guy and Julia Hands).
• Re-entered expansion mode post-2020 with recent acquisitions including Australia’s largest sheep station, the 1.046 million-hectare Rawlinna Station, 400km east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia purchased from Jumbuck Pastoral in 2025.
• In 2024 paid $33 million for the 9548-hectare Hillcrest Station near Middlemount in Queensland to add to its existing Jimarndy (17,638 hectares) and Langley (4882 hectares) aggregation.
7. Hughes family (Hughes Pastoral Company and Georgina Pastoral Company) – 3.9 million hectares
• Owned and operated by cattle industry leaders and Wagyu pioneers Peter and Jane Hughes and family with properties across Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory.
• Flagship properties include the 140,000-hectare Tierawoomba aggregation, which runs a 25,000-head Wagyu-cross herd at Nebo in Queensland, the Riveren and Inverway stations (550,000 hectares) in the Northern Territory’s Victoria River District, purchased for about $100 million in 2022, and the 438,000-hectare Miranda Downs in Queensland’s Gulf country, added in 2021 for $215 million.
• Sold the 97,400-hectare Cawnpore Station near Middleton in Queensland in 2024 for $18 million.
8, Gina Rinehart (S. Kidman and Co and Hancock Agriculture) – 3.5 million hectares
• The 2.05 million-hectare S. Kidman and Co portfolio now includes the 891,000-hectare Durham Downs in southwest Queensland’s famed Channel Country and nearby Morney Plains Station (623,000 hectares) and the 520,000-hectare Helen Springs in the Northern Territory’s Barkly Tableland.
• Hancock Agriculture’s portfolio includes several major pastoral assets across Australia; including the 400,000-hectare Fossil Downs Station and the 265,000-hectare Liveringa Station in the West Australian Kimberley region; Mulga Downs (314,320 hectares) and Roy Hill (379,702 hectares) in the Pilbara; Moolan Downs (10,029 hectares) in Queensland; the 8731-hectare Ottley Station at Inverell and 26,000 hectares around Mendooran in NSW, and additional holdings in Victoria.
9. McDonald Holdings (MDH) – 3.36 million hectares
• Family-owned since 1827; spanning seven generations.
• Operates 14 properties in outback Queensland running 150,000 cattle.
• Cattle are bred in Queensland’s Cape York region, backgrounded for feedlots around Cloncurry and Winton, before being finished on grain at the MDH feedlot on Queensland’s Western Darling Downs.
10. Brook Pastoral Company – 3 million hectares+
• Operated by former Birdsville Pub owners David and Nell Brook.
• Runs a major organic beef business under OBE Organic.
• Holds five properties across Central Australia’s Channel Country including the 780,000-hectare Adria Downs, as well as nearby Alton Downs, Cordillo Downs, Kamaran Downs, and Murnpeowie Station.
• Also owns a sixth property in southeast Queensland.
11. Alberta Investment Management Corporation (Canada) – 3 million hectares
• Canadian pension fund surged up the rankings after a major acquisition in 2024.
• Purchased the 2.9 million-hectare Kimberley Cattle Portfolio (pending regulatory approval).
• With investment partner New Forests, owns the Lawson Grains portfolio (more than 120,000 hectares), bought for $600 million in 2022 and added to significantly since.
ONES TO WATCH
Consolidated Pastoral Company (United Kingdom) – $1.2 billion
• Founded in 1879 and now majority owned by the UK-based Hands Family Office, backed by private equity guru Guy Hands and wife Julia, who has shown a renewed confidence in Australian agriculture.
• Seven years ago CPC ran almost 400,000 cattle across 16 stations, spanning 5.5 million hectares, but then-owner Terra Firma Capital Partners began divesting assets.
• In 2020 Guy Hands personally acquired CPC after CPC sold nine of its cattle stations in the Northern Territory and Queensland, realising around $310 million.
• In early 2025, CPC expanded into sheep production by acquiring the 1.046 million-hectare Rawlinna Station from Jumbuck Pastoral.
• Other recent acquisitions include the 9548-hectare Hillcrest Station for $33 million to add to its existing stations Jimarndy (17,638 hectares) and Langley (4882 hectares), creating a combined 32,168-hectare grazing operation.
• CPC now owns 4.2 million hectares, running more than 300,000 cattle and producing a diversified range of crops
Farmland Reserve-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) (United States) – $450 million-plus
• In the span of several months, Farmland Reserve – an investment arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – acquired three major cropping portfolios across eastern Australia.
• Operating via its Australian subsidiary, Alkira Farms Inc, the Utah-based religious group (also known as the Mormon church) purchased 38,599 hectares of Australian cropping farmland across the acquisitions.
• In 2024 they paid more than $350 million for the 26,885-hectare Worral Creek portfolio, which includes irrigated and dryland farms in southern Queensland and northern NSW, and 65,900 megalitres of water entitlements.
• In February 2025 purchased the 5694-hectare Calrossie Farm (formerly North Star Aggregation), located 45km north of Moree in NSW, for $68 million.
• Most recently acquired Duxton Farms’ 6020-hectare Kentucky Farms cropping property in Central West NSW for $38 million.
• Farmland Reserve reportedly holds a US farmland portfolio valued in the billions, spanning more than 350,000 hectares.
Jacky Cheung-Marina Nine Holdings – $180 million-plus
• Chinese-born property tycoon Jacky Cheung has built a NSW farmland portfolio worth more than $180 million in recent years.
• Through two holding companies he has established agricultural hubs in the Upper Hunter (pastoral) and the Riverina (cropping), totalling more than 15,000 hectares.
• Major purchases include the 5810-hectare Balarang Station north of Scone for $32.5 million, and the 2122-hectare grazing farm Fernleigh for $12.95m.
• In the Riverina, notable assets include the 2807-hectare Commins portfolio near Whitton purchased for $88 million plus plant and equipment.
• Also owns more than 2760 hectares on the Sturt Highway at Carrathool, and a further 1640 hectares at nearby Conargo Rd, acquired in October and settled in December 2023 for more than $32.2 million.
WHO WANTS TO BE A BULLIONAIRE?
Billionaire mining magnates, hedge-fund barons and media moguls are leading the charge into Australian agriculture, with farmland fast becoming a favoured asset among the nation’s wealthiest.
This year’s edition of Who Owns Australia’s Farms reads like a who’s who of business heavyweights, whose investments in theagriculture space are growing exponentially.
Topping the list is Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, whose agricultural assets – through S Kidman and Co and Hancock Agriculture – are now valued around $2 billion. According to The Australian’s recent rich list, Rinehart has a wealth of about $46.34 billion.
Hancock Agriculture has been active in the rural property market over the past year. It acquired the 10,000-hectare Wongaboori Station near Mendooran, NSW for more than $70 million, and in July last year purchased a trio of farms in western Victoria spanning 467 hectares for about $10 million.
Other billionaires featured on the rich list with major agricultural holdings include Nicola ($16.06 billion) and Andrew Forrest ($15.01 billion), whose investment vehicle Tattarang owns vast pastoral interests across Western Australia. Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes ($13.56 billion) also holds several properties in South Australia and Western Australia.
Hedge fund manager Baron Michael Hintze ($4.02 billion) owns MH Premium Farms, comprising 16 properties in eastern Australia.
Others wealthy ag players include retail giants Gerry Harvey ($3.04 billion) and Brett Blundy ($2.52 billion), Macdoch Group’s Prudence Macleod ($2.32 billion), the Perich family of Leppington Pastoral ($1.8 billion), meat processing magnates Roger Fletcher ($1.17 billion) and Trevor Lee ($1.09 billion), KC and philanthropist Allan Myers ($905 million), cattle barons the Hughes family ($893 million) and central Australian pastoralist Viv Oldfield ($784 million).
