Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) has been appointed to offer the Illawarra & Koonunga Hill Aggregation to market, a highly regarded mixed farming holding located in South Australia’s Mid North, which has been held by the Shannon family across multiple generations for almost 150 years.
The Shannon Family
The Shannon family is a prominent and historic pastoral and pioneering family with a deep history in the Mid North region of South Australia.
Their Australia pioneering story began in 1839 when Abraham (“Big Abe”) Shannon emigrated from Derry and settled in Gumeracha, aged 19. He was soon followed by his brother, David, who arrived at Port Adelaide and found his way, on foot, to where his brother had settled. The two got to work clearing their land and building the first Shannon family farm in Australia.
The family first arrived in the Kapunda district in 1844, purchasing a 1,237-acre property named Yatara. The brothers farmed adjoining land and successfully grew their enterprise. Illawarra itself was established in 1878 by Mr William Moore Shannon (David’s eldest son), who farmed sheep and raised a family there until 1911.
The family has since expanded their agricultural interests throughout Australia and have ultimately decided to divest the Illawarra and Koonunga Hill aggregation in order to focus on, and consolidate, their asset base in Tasmania.
The opportunity
Situated between Kapunda and Eudunda, only 95 kilometres from Adelaide, the Illawarra and Koonunga Hill aggregation comprises 42 individual titles spanning approximately 6,511 acres. It represents one of the most significant and tightly held family-owned holdings to be offered to the South Australian market in recent history.
The sale marks a rare transition of a property that has remained in continuous family ownership since the mid-19th century. At its core, Illawarra is not simply a large-scale mixed farming asset, but a property shaped over generations through consistent investment, disciplined management and a deeply embedded connection to the land.
“This is a genuine generational offering in every sense,” said Elders Real Estate CEO, Tom Russo.
“The Shannon family has held and developed this aggregation for 150 years, which is an extraordinary period of stewardship.”
“The continuation of ownership across multiple generations has allowed for a long-term approach to decision-making, with a clear focus on maintaining and improving the productive capacity of the land over time. That is evident throughout the property.”
Over successive generations, the Shannon family has progressively consolidated and refined the aggregation into a highly efficient and well-balanced mixed farming enterprise. The holding today reflects both its historical foundations and the evolution of modern agricultural practices, combining precision broadacre cropping with a well-established sheep enterprise capable of supporting up to 5,000 ewes (subject to enterprise mix). Sitting in a highly productive cropping region that receives over 450mm in average rainfall, the aggregation also boasts mains water connection and River Light frontage, providing year-round water security.
Other modern improvements include extensive livestock handling infrastructure, significant grain and fertiliser storage capacity and a well-developed central operational hub that supports efficient large-scale farming. The property also retains strong physical links to its heritage, including a renovated circa 1850s homestead that provides a direct connection to its early establishment.
“The improvements across Illawarra have not been developed in a single phase or through short-term capital injection,” Mr Russo said.
“They have been built over time, reflecting a pattern of reinvestment that is typical of high-quality family farming operations — practical, considered and aligned to long-term productivity.”
Located within the highly productive Kapunda–Eudunda corridor, the aggregation benefits from a strong reputation as reliable grain-and-grazing country, with the ability to support flexible farming systems responsive to seasonal and commodity conditions.
The asset’s scale, proximity to Adelaide and connection to established agricultural supply chains further enhance its appeal, however it is the continuity of ownership and quality of stewardship that distinguishes it within the market.
“Opportunities of this nature are exceptionally rare,” said Elders Real Estate State Manager, Adam Chilcott.
“It is not often that a property of this quality, with this level of history and family continuity, is brought to market. For many buyers, that provenance will be just as compelling as the underlying production capability.”
The aggregation is being offered via a flexible expressions of interest process, allowing for acquisition as a whole or in components and accommodating a broad range of potential purchasers. The sale can also include a high-quality flock and portfolio of plant and equipment.
The sale is expected to attract interest from neighbouring producers, established family farming businesses and larger-scale investors seeking exposure to high-quality Australian agricultural land with a proven history of performance and long-term custodianship.
“The Shannon family has created something of enduring value, and the opportunity now exists for a new owner to continue that story into its next chapter”, concluded Mr Chilcott.