News Corp Australia
First published 4 Apr 2025, 9:10am
Prominent Northern Territory cattle farmer Tim Edmunds appears committed to remaining in SA and is selling a multimillion-dollar tourist venture to build a family home in the picturesque Clare Valley.
Mr Edmunds, one of NT’s biggest landholders, sold his Central Australia pastoral enterprise in 2017 and announced plans to move his family to Mintaro, a historic town about 126km north of Adelaide, purchasing the iconic homestead and farm Kadlunga for about $20m.
But his focus soon returned to the NT and, just months later, Mr Edmunds spent another $20m on the 542,400ha Napperby Station, northwest of Alice Springs.
Kadlunga was offloaded two years later, in an off-market transaction believed to be worth $40m.
Since then, Mr Edmunds has continued to trade cattle stations, purchasing three adjoining Alice Springs properties in 2020 for $38.5m (which, along with Napperby Station, were resold for a combined $96m in 2022) and Henbury Station for $32m in 2022.
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Tim and Emily Edmunds with their children Georgia, Harrison, and Jackson in 2017. Picture: Matt Turner.
Tim Edmunds is a well-known identity in Australia’s beef farming industry.
The Edmunds are selling their historic Mintaro property.
However, he has retained an interest in the Clare Valley, with a 1400-cattle feedlot facility and the family-owned Hale River Transport business both based in the region.
The family have also owned two old Methodist churches and a parsonage at Mintaro since 2018.
The manse has been extensively renovated and converted to luxury Airbnb accommodation but an attempt to turn the larger of the two churches into a wedding and function centre was thwarted by locals, said Elders Real Estate – Clare Valley/Barossa selling agent Rob Calaby, who is now selling all three heritage-listed buildings at 4 Stein Street on the Edmunds family’s behalf.
Mr Calaby said the Edmunds, who have three teenage children, were selling the church property to focus on another project in the Clare Valley, believed to be the purchase of land to build a family home.
“Emily’s a bit reluctant to sell it (the church property),’’ Mr Calaby said.
“It’s only (being sold because) they have got this other project.’’
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The Manse, built in 1859, encompasses two churches and a main home.
The main home has been renovated as serves as a popular Airbnb.
One of the home’s main living spaces.
According to the Mintaro Progress Association website, the small, original church was built in 1854 for £150.
The parsonage, or manse, was built five years later.
As the town’s population outgrew the church, a larger facility was built next door in 1867.
The manse sold to a private owner in 1972, followed by both churches in 1993. All three heritage-listed buildings feature on the Mintaro Heritage Trail.
Mr Calaby said the two-bedroom manse had been extensively renovated and restored and, with a semi-detached cottage and additional living area-cum-bedroom with a separate bathroom, could operate as three distinct accommodation spaces.
The smaller church had been reroofed, while the other still required new roofing and repairs to the flooring, he said.
Mr Calaby said the property had significant potential for tourist accommodation but noted the Edmunds “haven’t pushed it very much and it’s probably sitting at 50 per cent occupancy’’.
The churches and surrounding garden made the property ideally suited as a wedding venue, which Mr Calaby said “would still be possible but you would have to have everyone (the wider community) on board’’.
Expressions of interest for the property, which is listed without a price guide, close on Monday, April 28.
– By Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 