A 216-acre farmland estate that’s almost entirely surrounded by water in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales has hit the market for the first time in more than a century.
Located at 160 Swan Bay School Road, Swan Bay, the expansive property is surrounded by the Richmond River except for a small sliver of land.
It's been held by the same family for five generations - since at least 1860 - and is being taken to auction on February 20.
The property has an original four-bedroom homestead, 20 well-watered paddocks, original dairy, multiple machinery sheds, four-bay carport, fencing and established water systems.
The 160 Swan Bay School Road, Swan Bay property spans 216 acres. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Luke Bodley, real estate agent and principal at Realo Group, said the property was special due to its island-like shape and ideal farming features.
“You don’t see properties like this often,” he said.
The charming homestead has four bedrooms and riverfront views. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“It’s 99% river frontage, so it’s basically an island. You don’t share a boundary with any neighbours, so you don’t have to worry as much about pests and wild animals.”
He said the property had versatile land uses, ideal for cattle, cropping, cultivation or regenerative farming.
It comes with 20 paddocks for cattle farming and other uses. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“It has fine alluvial soils that grass just thrives in, so it’s a place where you could bring cattle and put weight on them quite quickly,” he said.
Mr Bodley said the homestead had been affected by the 2022 floods, with water entering the home for the first time under the current ownership.
The Swan Bay property has been owned by the same family for five generations. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
"A lot of properties on the river were affected by the big flood event in 2022,” he said.
He said the current owners, who weren’t farmers, had inherited the property and had been renting out the homestead to tenants for about $600 per week, as well as leasing out the farmland to cattle farmers.
The property is almost entirely surrounded by water, offering direct access for boating, fishing and recreation. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“The owners aren’t utilising the farm for themselves, so they’ve made the decision to do other things with the money,” he said.
The property is a 15-minute drive to Evans Head beaches, 30 minutes away from Ballina Airport, and a one-hour drive to Byron Bay.
The property goes to auction on February 20. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“Your closest coastal village is Evans Head, which is one of the most beautiful little towns you'll ever see,” he said.
"Ballina Airport is only about 30 minutes away, so you can catch a flight from Sydney and land there, hire a car and drive out to your farm if you want to buy it from Sydney.”
Mr Bodley said they didn’t have a price guide, but were sharing recent sales of riverfront properties that had been flooded to help prospective buyers understand price expectations.
Reference sales included 840 Tomki Tatham Road, Tatham, which last sold for $2 million, or about $19,000 per acre, and 3400 Casino-coraki Road, Tatham, which sold for $1.8 million, or about $14,000 per acre.
Swan Bay’s median house price increased 2.3% to $665,000 during the year to December, according to PropTrack.
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