FULL of history, character and having been exceptionally managed since the beginning, the premium farm Koobabbie, Coorow, has been purchased by neighbouring farmers, the Birch family, of Catalina Farms.
Vendor Wendy Le Get's (nee Rudduck) family have farmed the property since it was selected in 1906 by her grandparents Samuel Burton Ruddock and Alice Mary Rudduck.
It was the first time Koobabbie had been offered for sale, which is a rare occurrence for farms nowadays.
Rod Birch, who farms with his wife Shelley, son Daniel and wife Jen and their two young children, along with long-term farm operations manager Justin Passamani, said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a farm of Koobabbie's calibre.
"I have the highest respect for the work the family (Rudduck and Doley) has done over the past 114 years since original selection," Mr Birch said.
"We are very pleased to have purchased the property as a whole as we wished to keep it together to retain the history of the legacy that the previous owners have set."
Spanning 4461.8 hectares, Koobabbie was run as a mixed cropping and sheep enterprise.
Ms Le Get inherited the farm after the death of her sister Alison Doley in February last year, who farmed with her husband John (who died in 2007).
Mr and Ms Doley had a passion for environmental conservation alongside running an efficient farm business.
This resulted in the property being meticulously maintained with the natural environment in mind.
Ms Doley was well recognised for her conservation efforts, which saw her appointed to the Order of Australia.
"We're pleased with the successful sale of the whole farm to the Birch family," Ms Le Get said.
"Because they're locals, we've had the chance to have a good look at how the Birch family farm and we have a lot of respect for what they do.
"Koobabbie has a history of being at the forefront of farm management practices and we're sure the Birch family will extend that legacy."
The Birch family runs a 100 per cent cropping operation and Mr Birch said he aligned with the vendor's passion for sound farming practices and sustainable land conservation.
"I have a real love for native flora and fauna and I believe that we operate in a similar way with a strong attention to detail in the way we do things," Mr Birch said.
"Koobabbie will give us greater economies of scale and allow us to spread our fixed overheads.
"It also introduces scope for different rotations as it changes the metrics of the soil types we currently farm.
"I always allow a minimum three-year strategy to incorporate a new property into our rotations."
Having known Mr and Ms Doley for many years, Mr Birch said he always regarded them highly as farmers.
There were several factors that made Koobabbie an appealing purchase for the Birchs, with it being all one adjoining parcel neighbouring their operation being key.
"It also has excellent soil types, with first-class sandplain as well as strong medium to heavy soil types," he said.
"It is well serviced from road systems, but the management over the years with a conservative and sustainable farming system was a standout factor."
Much of the property's history has been retained with buildings, some of which will be relocated to the Koobabbie precinct in Coorow, while others that are too fragile to move, reside on the property.
Maintaining Koobabbie's incredible 115-year history was also a passion of Mr and Ms Doley's.
It was Ms Le Get's wish to find a buyer who would maintain the historical buildings and the conservation efforts of the Doleys - and which she found in the Birch family.
"We're also very happy that they are committed to supporting the conservation programs that Alison and John Doley had in place and looking after the historical buildings that remain on site such as the stables," she said.
"It was with mixed feelings that I watched the buildings that our family has donated to the Koobabbie Precinct being lifted onto the back of low loaders and moved yesterday.
"From our end, the farm has looked after three generations of our family and we are sure the outcome of the sale will look after future generations."
Mr Birch said he plans to continue the legacy that Ms Le Get's family created.
"The historical buildings have been continuously restored to reflect the property's history and it's our aim to maintain them," Mr Birch said.
He is very active in the agricultural industry, with his additional commitments being a director on The University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture industry advisory board and he is on the Grains, Seeds and Hay industry funding scheme management committee.
Until recently he was the deputy chairman of GrainGrowers Ltd.
He is also a founder of The Lupin Co, a lupin foods company that grows, mills and processes lupins into the human food ingredients sector for both the Australian and the export market.
Ray White Rural WA director Simon Wilding handled the marketing campaign of Koobabbie and said there was "a huge amount of interest, particularly local".
There was also interest from outside the region and there was no corporate enquiry.
"Koobabbie is a wonderful property and both parties were great families to work with," Mr Wilding said.
While Farm Weekly could not confirm a price, Mr Wilding said the purchase price "was what I expected, if not more".
