It certainly is rare for a property like the Mallee Research Station to come on the market.

This 1041-hectare site in Walpeup, 130 kilometres south of Mildura, boasts no less than 18 grain silos, glasshouses, a chemical store, a fumigation room, a laboratory, a cool room, an office building and conference facilities.

And if that is not enough to tempt you, how about the three, yes three, experimental barns? And a trial field of genetically-modified wheat.

Rare indeed.

If you are lucky enough to become the new owner of the Mallee Research Station you can revel in the property's long and esteemed history in grains research, dating back to 1932.

But it would be pertinent to point out that, as the new owner, the local community could bear you some ill-will.

The Department of Primary Industries has controversially put the research station on the market and locals believe the loss of the facility and its 14 staff will be a devastating blow for Walpeup.

The department insists much of the Mallee grains research can be carried out on private land, and it was having trouble attracting senior scientists to such a remote place.

But, aware of the sensitivities, the department has insisted on selling the place to someone or some group who will use the property to benefit "the residents of Walpeup and the broader region".

Walpeup (pronounced wol'pee'UP) is a locality situated on the section of the Mallee Highway between Ouyen and the South Australian border in the Sunraysia region.

The DPI site at Walpeup has considerable land resources, at just over 1,000 hectares, but only a small proportion of 10pc is being used routinely for research and development.

In a statement late last year, in answer to concerns arising from the proposed sale, the DPI said: "DPI intends to cease work at the Walpeup Research Station in favour of research in other locations, including private farms.