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Property profile: Rewan

This profile contains interesting details of the RFF owned Rewan. These include the property’s initial development by RFM, lease with Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer, as well as natural and historical significance.

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Property profile: Rewan
Cattle grazing on developed cultivation area with Carnarvon National Park in the background, Rewan central Queensland, August 2023.

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Rewan is a large-scale cattle breeding and backgrounding property located approximately 60km south of Rolleston in central Queensland. Rewan has improved pastures and seasonal forage cropping to support high quality beef production.

Acquisition, development and lease

After the acquisition of Rewan in August 2016, developments were undertaken to improve productivity. These included increasing the area of forage crops, planting oats and legumes, as well as improving permanent pastures. Other improvements included additional water infrastructure and road upgrades. These developments have enabled the use of previously under-utilised pasture and have increased the property’s carrying capacity. As such, this has increased the income-generating potential of Rewan.

In July 2019, Australian Agricultural Company (ASX: AAC), Australia’s oldest continuously operated company, entered into a 10-year lease of Rewan. AAC is Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer, including a portfolio of wagyu brands. AAC lease three cattle properties from RFF in total.

Natural and historical significance

Located next to Rewan is the Carnarvon Gorge, which is nationally recognised for its natural and cultural significance. The gorge features sandstone cliffs, coloured side gorges, diverse flora and fauna and Aboriginal rock art. The gorge is accessed via a road which runs through Rewan itself.

In the early 20th century, Rewan was owned and operated by the Queensland Police Service. The property served as a stud farm for breeding police horses. By 1912, 69 Rewan remounts had been bred for police work. The stud farm was closed in 1933. However, some of the original buildings remain on the property, including the Police Hut, which is now heritage listed.

The horse "Brisbane" from Rewan, was sent to London in the charge of Constable Fenwick Wilson (astride the horse) as a gift from the Queensland Government to King George V, July 1911 (source: Queensland Police myPolice Museum).
The stallion "Libertine" sent to Rewan as one of the initial breeding stock, 1910 (source: Queensland Police myPolice Museum).

During the Second World War (November 1943), a Dakota C-47 aircraft, en route from Darwin to Brisbane, crashed on Rewan during a storm. Nineteen United States and Australian military personnel were killed. A memorial (pictured), which consists of the aircraft’s engines, wings and undercarriage was erected near the crash site, in 2004.

Dakota C-47 Air Crash Memorial, Rewan central Queensland, December 2020.

Notes:

LocationLocationCentral Queensland
SizeSize17,479 ha
LesseeLesseeAustralian Agricultural Company (ASX: AAC)
Acquisition dateAcquisition dateAugust 2016
Adjusted property value Adjusted property value $72.5m (31 December 2023)

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