Matthew Barry is the owner of Kurrajong, a property situated in Booral, approximately 70km north of Newcastle, New South Wales. The property is a home, farm and wildlife-friendly sanctuary. Approximately 10% of the land is dedicated to a free-range poultry enterprise. The remainder of the property is grazed by a small herd of cattle and is comprised of a mixture of grassland and native woodland.
Matthew intends to maintain the property’s enterprises with a shift to more regenerative methods of farming. This includes the implementation of a holistic, whole-farm approach to water and vegetation management in order to increase biodiversity and improve soil health.
Kurrajong covers approximately 40 hectares and is largely comprised of native grassland and ironbark, eucalypt and paperbark woodland. The property features one large dam and the northern side is bounded by Alderley Creek. The property also provides a significant wildlife corridor to Ghin-Doo-Ee National Park.
An abundance of wildlife is present including swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), lace monitors (Varanus varius), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums and pythons.
A vast array of birdlife is also found on the property including wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax), white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), magpies (Cracticus tibicen), galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), eastern (Platycercus eximus) and crimson (P. elegans) rosellas, king parrots (Alisterus scapularis), mynas, crows (Corvus orru), willie wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) wrens, cranes, bower birds and friar birds.
