IT IS with a heavy heart that Wendy Le Get (nee Rudduck) is selling her family farm Koobabbie, Coorow.
Having been selected in 1906 by Wendy's grandparents Samuel Burton and Alice Mary Rudduck, Koobabbie has been in Wendy's family from the beginning so it's the first time it's been offered for sale.
It now measures 4461.8 hectares.
Wendy grew up on the property with her sister Alison Doley and parents Samuel Arnold (known as Arnold) and Clarice.
She has fond memories of her childhood on the farm and although Alison and she had different interests, they were close.
"It was fantastic growing up here - we had so much freedom as children to roam," Wendy said.
"As a family we were actively involved in the community - we competed regularly in the local Coorow Waddy Forest Agricultural Society Show.
"My father was into sheep showing, Alison used to ride and my mother and I competed in home making categories like cooking and needlework."
Wendy went on to become a secondary teacher, moved to Victoria and married her late husband Garry and had three children Rohan, Naomi and Ashley, who now live in Victoria.
Garry was a soil conservationist and also loved farming but sadly died in February 2018.
According to Wendy, Alison had the family's farming gene and had always wanted to be a farmer and took over the farm from her parents with husband John Doley in 1966.
They were renowned for being exceptional farmers and particularly Alison, having a passion for conservation, for which she was a recipient of an Order of Australia.
John died in 2007 and Alison in February last year.
Wendy and her family inherited the farm, so she has temporarily moved back to WA and is running the operation.
Once the farm is sold, she plans to return to Victoria to be with her children and grandchildren.
"I have always loved being here - I love the timber and the lakes," she said.
"The country is beautiful."
The decision to sell has not been easy.
"None of my children are farmers - perhaps one of them might have been interested but they didn't have anyone to mentor them into it," she said.
"It's hard to sell but there really is no other option.
"I hope the new owners respect my family's effort in preserving the buildings and the environment throughout the years.
"A great deal of effort has been taken in preserving the timber belts and bush areas.
"Alison had a real passion for Carnaby's black cockatoos and preserving their habitat - I hope the new owners carry on with monitoring and caring for them."
Koobabbie is graced with historic buildings that have been meticulously maintained, which is testament to the owners' attention-to-detail.
Alison left her vintage farming machinery, tools and equipment to the Coorow Heritage Group of which she was once president.
Wendy and her family then offered any of the historic buildings on the property to the group to be used in the Koobbabbie Precinct in Coorow.
The group plans to move three of the smaller historic buildings to the town centre but unfortunately two of the most treasured buildings are too difficult to be relocated.
These include the two stable complexes - the original being built in 1910 that was quickly outdated and replaced by the new stables which were built in 1914 and restored in 1982.
"They have no use for modern farming so there is a possibility that the new owners wouldn't want them, I suppose all I can do is hope that they stay and get looked after," Wendy said.
"There would be few old buildings around that were made with local timber - they showcase the beautiful timber of the region and the workmanship."
The homestead, designed in 1936 by well-known architect Marshall Clifton, is a stunning building constructed of rendered concrete blocks with a tiled gabled roof.
It features high ceilings, decorative plasterwork, timberwork and reflects the exquisite craftsmanship of the time.
The heritage character continues into the shearing shed, which was built in 1912, modified in 1976 and has been well-maintained since.
It has a soaring high, corrugated iron roof supported by timber and steel trusses, as well as a lean-to roof.
The main part of the shearing shed flooring is concrete, with the lean-to being raised timber slatted flooring and is divided into sheep pens with steel fencing.
In a nod to the shearing shed's heritage, a portion of the original building has been retained in a corner on the main floor and reflects how the work was once done.
The development of Koobabbie was rapid as by 1916, 2617 Merinos were shorn.
In July 1918 there were 56 horses, including 21 Clydesdales.
Wendy and Alison's parents sold a portion of Koobabbie, known as El Cala, which was later purchased back by Alison and John.
Wendy said it was quite a memorable moment for the family.
"It was nice to have El Cala back in the family - Alison and I started our lives in the house on that block," she said.
The property's lake country of 1619ha is not included in the sale.
It is fenced off and outlined in maps and has no impact on farming practices.
"Alison and John bought that country for conservation purposes so we would like it kept for that," Wendy said.
"We are looking to gift it to an organisation who will preserve it as it's not suitable for farming.
"It has a rare, attractive gypsum lake, beautiful orchids and other rare plants.
"It looks magnificent in spring with the wildflowers."
Historically Koobabbie has been run as a mixed sheep and cropping enterprise.
Over the generations Wendy said it was quite progressively farmed, with her parents running various trials and her father was very active and on the board of Wesfarmers.
Alison and John harmoniously farmed the property and continued to preserve the natural environment, including planting lots of trees.
But nowadays it has been more conservatively farmed.
Ray White Rural WA director Simon Wilding is marketing Koobabbie and said it is up there with some of the best properties he has listed in his career.
"It's very rare to find a property that has never been offered to the market before, which is the case with Koobabbie," Mr Wilding said.
"And to see a property with buildings this old and in such good condition is also certainly rare.
"Having driven around the property half a dozen times, it's clear to me that the people who took it up knew what they were looking for because it is recognised as probably having the best soil types in the area and being very high yielding."
Mr Wilding said that comment had also been echoed by local farmers that he had spoken to and that prospective buyers had admired Alison and John's environmental preservation efforts.
"A local farmer I took there yesterday was taken aback and said they have done a fantastic job with their conservation," he said.
Preserving the natural environment hasn't always gone hand in hand with agriculture but that has started to change with modern farming and emergence of regenerative agriculture.
Perhaps Alison and John were ahead of their time by being dedicated to protecting the environment in a way that complemented their farm.
"It shows their commitment to looking after the country," Mr Wilding said.
He said interest in the property has been very strong from farmers local to the region and from other areas, as well as receiving some corporate enquiries.
"It has been a pleasure to have the opportunity to present this property to the market for the first time because it is such a special property with the preservation that has gone on there with the buildings and bushland," Mr Wilding said.
"Being able to view some of the old plant and equipment that's still there has been a great experience for me."
Wendy said a clearing sale is due to be held early next year which will include some historic machinery.
Koobabbie is for sale via expressions of interest closing Friday, October 16, 2020 at 12 noon.
- More information: contact Simon Wilding on 0417 965 211.