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Outback property Willowie sells prior to auction for first time since 1920
By Susie Brodie, Friday December 9, 2016 - 12:24 EDT
The drought in outback Queensland has forced a family to sell the sheep property they have called home for almost 100 years.
The 37,800-acre Willowie Station in outback Queensland sold earlier this week, prior to auction for an undisclosed sum.
The Forrest family has run the property, 50 kilometres east of Longreach, since 1920 when the late Bill Forrest drew the property in a ballot.
"My father was only 16 when he came here and that is nearly 97 years ago," current owner Martin Forrest said.
"He actually physically worked this place until he died [aged] 69 years after he came here."
Drought forced their hand
Increasing financial costs and the recent drought forced the family to destock and prompted the tough decision to sell.
"For the first time ever, we're totally destocked," Mr Forrest said.
"When we reflected on the overall position of having to restock â?? you know, a debt at the bank â?? at the end of the day it went in the 'too hard' basket."
Martin and Jenny Forrest have four children and said they would have dearly loved to come back and run Willowie but Mr Forrest said it just was not financially possible.
"I think it was becoming increasingly difficult to see them coming back here and getting set up," he said.
Sale before auction went live
The Forrests had intended to sell the station via an online auction over four days, however accepted an offer before the site went live earlier this week.
Mr Forrest said he had always been a cautious person.
"I wasn't prepared to necessarily say that we might do better at auction so that was the reason that we agreed prior to auction," he said.
The price and buyer of the property remains undisclosed until the settlement next year.
A bush community
Mr Forrest reflected fondly on his life spent working on the land.
He said he would always remember how lucky he had been to live in the bush and among a great community.
"We'll miss the people, it's been such a wonderful district," he said.
"I think there's a big advantage in living where people know your name and you know theirs and you can wave to anyone in town.
"I probably wont miss the droughts, and in the last few days I'm thinking maybe I wont miss the heat either."
Emotional last Christmas ahead
The Forrests, along with their children and grandchildren, will gather for one final Christmas together at Willowie.
"I think we realised for a little while that it was probably going to be our last Christmas here, so I guess those emotions are still to unravel really," Mr Forrest said.
"But we realise that we've had, in many ways, a charmed life and it'll probably take us some time to appreciate what we have had here, and what we won't get anywhere else."
The family will move out upon settlement in January.
- ABC
© ABC
2016
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