The end of an era, historic Boloco Station at Dalgety to be sold, after five generations of farming on the Monaro.
AFTER 140 years of continuous farming by the Rose family, the historic Boloco Station at Dalgety is to be sold.
The long-established Rose farming dynasty of Boloco Station is going under the hammer after the death of Kitty Rose late last year.
However, some 800 hectares of the 1614 hectares (3988ac) will remain in the family, where they will run cattle in range country.
Listed with Dalgety agent Nick Kirshner, Boloco will be auctioned on March 4 with bidding expected in a range around $1.5 million.
It represents one of the more substantial offerings in the tightly held Dalgety district in recent years and according to Mr Kirshner, the listing has already generated strong local interest.
Kitty Rose had been running the property until a year ago since the death of her husband Reuben (Ben), in 2006.
After her husband died, their son - also called Reuben - returned from Sydney with his wife Kate to live and work at Boloco, sharing the workload before taking over the management of the property completely last year.
Reuben Rose was the Dean of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, before taking up an executive position with Meat and Livestock Australia.
It was Reuben's great-grandfather, Reuben Rose I, who bought the first land in 1872 from what was then Colman's Run that would become the present-day Boloco.
His son, Reuben II, took over the property upon the death of his father and added more country, before handing over to Ben (Reuben III) in 1954.
Boloco is open semi-timbered Monarotype granite grazing country, situated on Snowy River Way just out of Dalgety and about 17 kilometres south-east of Jindabyne.
The country is mostly undulating, rising to hilly, with alluvial flats along the creeks. About 80 per cent of the total area is arable.
Average rainfall is 550mm and the property is well-watered by the permanent Boloco Creek, another creek and 42 dams.
Monaro sheep and cattle bred in this challenging environment are renowned for their capacity to grow, thrive and fatten in more favoured locations.
Since their cattle were sold during the drought years, the Rose family has concentrated on refining their Merino flock, which will be dispersed, at an on-property auction of 5,500 ewes today, (Thursday) February 21.
The property has two houses, a four stand shearing shed, shearers' quarters, machinery sheds and workshop, four sets of sheepyards, cattle yards and silos.