Australia's largest contiguous sheep station sold to Adelaide businessman
Billionaire Charlie Shahin has acquired three sheep stations totaling nearly 1.3 million hectares from Jumbuck Pastoral.
Australia's largest contiguous sheep station has been sold to Adelaide billionaire Charlie Shahin. The transaction covers three major South Australian properties—Commonwealth Hill, Mobella, and Bulgunnia—which were previously owned by the MacLachlan family under the Jumbuck Pastoral banner. The combined landholding spans approximately 1.29 million hectares in the far north-west of the state.
The sale was managed by Elders Real Estate after the assets spent roughly two months on the market. While the specific sale price remains confidential, experts describe the deal as one of the most significant sheep production acquisitions in recent history. Tom Russo, Chief Executive of Elders, noted that the assets attracted intense scrutiny from both domestic and international corporate investors, alongside major local pastoral families.
Charlie Shahin, whose family founded and later sold the OTR petrol and convenience network for $1.2 billion in 2023, intends to maintain the properties as active sheep stations. Mr. Shahin, who possesses a background in agronomy, plans to continue the existing operations while potentially introducing new production strategies, including the integration of Dorper sheep into the current mix.
This acquisition marks a major step in the Shahin family’s diversification strategy through their investment group, ATAYF. Following the 2024 purchase of the 408,000-hectare Aileron cattle station in the Northern Territory, the family continues to expand their agricultural footprint. Mr. Shahin has publicly stated that working with agricultural assets has been a long-held ambition and expressed strong confidence in the global demand for premium Australian protein and wool.
For the Jumbuck Pastoral company, the sale represents a planned transition after 140 years of family ownership. The dynastic farming company is now divesting its major assets to allow siblings to pursue independent legacies. The sold stations, which have the capacity to run over 83,300 sheep, are now under new management focused on long-term productivity and enterprise resilience for future generations.