Ideally ARG is the kind of stock you want to buy and never sell....

Ideally ARG is the kind of stock you want to buy and never sell. The same applies to MLT, CHO, AUI, DUI etc.

Certainly with a few grand to invest, a LIC is a good option because it provides instant diversification at very low cost, with stable and reliable management and regular fully franked dividends, as well as the opportunity to invest off-market (usually at a small discount) through the share purchase plans.

That said, if you're looking to invest for only 1 year, the sharemarket might not be an appropriate place to do so, because the short-term fluctuations in share prices (even in LICs) can mean that you may lose a significant chunk of your capital. Investing over a longer period is certainly a safer bet when it comes to shares.

You may also wish to consider hybrid securities, which fit somewhere between equities and debt securities; these pay a 'dividend' which is effectively an interest payment on money you have loaned to a company; however, the price of these securities can fluctuate like share prices. I hold SEVPC which I still think is an attractive security despite what's going on with Seven at the moment, but others may be able to suggest other hybrids worth considering.