Noll selling farm
From Sydney Confidential
16jun06
IT'S the final goodbye for the farm that put Condoblin on the map - Shannon Noll's family property.
Almost a century of Noll family history is to end with the singer's mother Sharyn offering her estate, including the farm business, to creditors to settle her debts.
Mrs Noll, whose husband Neil died tragically in a farming accident in 2001, was made bankrupt two years ago.
The singer's manager David Champion said yesterday it was a difficult time for the Noll clan.
"It's quite a sad situation," Champion said.
Noll's parents were business partners in the farm and two years after his death the farm itself was sold and Mrs Noll moved into Condobolin.
"(Neil's) death and their farm debts, because they had no insurance, meant the business had to be wound up. This is the finalisation of the estate so Sharyn can move her life forward," he said.
"It's probably representative of what many Australian battlers and farmers are facing at the moment as a by-product of the drought."
Noll grew up on the 1800ha property - in the family for 94 years - running sheep, cattle, oats and barley with the expectation he would continue the family tradition.
The property has been a staple feature in a swag of his songs, of which Noll has sold more successfully than any other Australian Idol products with four No.1 singles and more than 600,000 in album sales clocked up since he finished second in the original 2003 series.
Noll now lives in Sydney with his wife Rochelle and kids Cody and Blake.
