Presented at the NSW Branch luncheon celebration in Kyogle 6th June 2021

By Dr George Jacobs, Mogul Brahman Stud.

This presentation about NSW Brahmans is a separate story to the history of Australian Brahmans, incorporating elements of the larger story.

The Brahman breed is unique and so are its breeders.  This 75^th anniversary of the ABBA celebrates this camaraderie and the achievements of the breeders.

This event is being held in Kyogle, the name is an aboriginal word for brush turkey and there are brush turkey symbols everywhere.  The 50^th anniversary celebrations were held in Grafton in the northern Rivers region of NSW.  That event was organised by Bizzy and Michael Fahey, second generation Brahman breeders.  This event was organised by Jo and Grant Bulmer also second generation Brahman breeders.

It was hard to decide where to start but I thought the beginning was the best place.

There were many reports of zebu cattle coming to Australia from the First Fleet onwards.  There were hundreds of cows and many bulls imported from India to Sydney in the first fifteen years of the colony, especially by the Sydney merchant Robert Campbell, after whom the waterfront Campbell’s Stores are named.  In various descriptions the majority of cattle in both New South Wales and Tasmania were described as of Bengal type.  However, over the years these were dispersed.  A large number of cattle imported from India went to the Northern Territory in the 1800s and had an impact on the tick resistance of the British cattle in northern regions.  However, there were no serious imports until the 20^th century.

In 1900 a zebu cow was put on the ship in India bringing Lord Hopetoun, Australia’s first Governor-General, to Sydney.  He had been unwell and was prescribed cow’s milk for his journey.  After the Governor-General arrived here the cow went to a farm at Riverstone, which is now a western suburb of Sydney, owned by a Mr Pye.  From what I have been able to work out, it was probably within a few hundred metres of our Riverstone property where we began breeding Brahmans in 1960.  Apparently, in 1929 (1931 from another source), Mr Colin W Wright of Waverley Station bought six bulls descended from this cow.  The crossbred steers from Waverley which were placed second in the Rockhampton chiller competition of 1938 were by these bulls.  These Riverstone bulls had an influence on other properties in Queensland.

The first serious importations of zebu type cattle occurred in 1933 when a syndicate of breeders and the CSIR purchased 19 head of cattle.  Only 5 of the imports were 100% zebu, the rest were up-graded purebreds.  None of the cattle carried Manso blood – they were before his time.  They landed in Sydney and eventually went to Queensland to four breeding stations.  Many of the cattle ended up on Waverley Station.  After World War II, a group of private cattlemen imported 31 head of “Brahman” cattle.

 

-2-

On 7^th October 1946 the Australian Zebu Breeders’ Society was formed at the Strand Hotel in Cairns.  There were four people there.  Mr Ken Atkinson and his wife, from Wairuna, Kuranda, and Mr J Maurice de Tournouer and his wife, from Wetherby, Mt Molloy.  Mr Atkinson was the first president and Mr de Tournouer was the secretary-treasurer.  Mr CW Wright was patron.  In 1952 Mr Lionel de Landelles and Mr Hugh Innes were invited to become members.  By 1953 Frank Fraser, RM Atkinson and McCartney Brothers had become members.  In 1954 the society changed its name to the Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association (ABBA) with a new patron, Mr Edgar Hudgins of the famous Hudgins family.  Mr Wright had died in 1953.

In the late 1950s New South Wales cattlemen started to take an interest in Brahman cattle.  The first registered stud was established by Mr Jack Bye, Willoring, Goodooga, near Walgett.  His number was 19.  Volume one of the association’s herdbook recorded bulls sold over 150 guineas each to five buyers in NSW, namely Sydney Central Properties (a forerunner to our stud, Mogul), Jock Robertson of Scone, T. Nelson, Boorowa, Pee Dee Pastoral Company (Paddy O’Sullivan), Bullrock and Jack Bye.  Most of these bulls came from Mr Lionel DeLandelles’ stud, “Cherokee”.

Mr Jock Robertson probably had the first organised auction sale, selling crossbred Shorthorn and Murray Grey females by his Brahman bull Cherokee Silver by King de Manso.  I also believe that at one time he owned Duke de Manso.

Brahmans really took off in New South Wales in the 1960s, about 10 years later than Queensland.  Northern NSW saw the greatest concentration of new breeders, which has continued to this day.  Early users of Bos Indicus cattle included Jack and Barney Yates of Nirvana Stud, the Humphreys family from Mummulgum, the Hill family of Nundle, Shirley Green and her family, the Duffs and Haywards.  Grant Bulmer’s father, Earle Bulmer was an early exhibitor in the 1960s both here on the north coast and in Sydney. He established the Mountana stud.  Other names that come to mind in the 1960s and 1970s include Greta Rhodes, Colin Chevalley and Steven Cox.

Due to the explosion in new members the first state branch of the ABBA was established at a meeting at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney in 1969.  The first chairman was Mr John Park from Tamworth, where the first regular sale of Brahman cattle in NSW was held until the cattle recession in 1974.  Grafton then hosted a Bos Indicus Sale from 1977 for many years.  The sale committee was chaired by Ron Mitchell for many years.  Other sales of note were held by Mogul at the Grafton Sale Yards in the early 1990s.  In recent times the Bizzy Stud of Michael and Elizabeth Fahey have held a Brahman Invitational Sale in Grafton, which is ongoing.  The Casino All-Breeds Sale has had a Brahman section for many years.  There has been a Brahman Female Sale of purebreds and F1 crossbreds for the last three years also held in Casino.

The NSW Branch has been the strongest branch of the ABBA since its inception.  John Park was followed by Ian Armstrong, a former NSW Deputy Premier, as chairman of the branch.  Other notable chairpersons have included Peter Louden, David Roberts, Mike Fahey, and Spencer Spinaze.  Glen Pfeffer was the longest serving chairman and at other times secretary-treasurer.  Our current chairman, Grant Bulmer follows in his father’s footsteps of serving the NSW Branch.  I know I have left some names off this list but I wish to thank all of the people who have served the branch over the last 52 years.

-3-

The branch promotion of Brahmans through feature shows, field days and collaborations with the Department of Agriculture, in particular Dr Helen Hearnshaw, and Field Officers, namely Phil Doyle and Bill Hoffman, have enabled NSW Brahman breeders to survive and grow the breed.

The showing of Brahman cattle has been an integral part of the story about Brahmans in NSW.  The first showing of Brahmans in NSW occurred at the Royal Easter Show when Waverley Stud of the Estate of C.W. Wright and Cherokee Stud owned by Mr Lionel DeLandelles and family each exhibited two Brahman bulls.  This was the first time classes had been made available for Brahman cattle in Sydney.  In 1964 Mogul (then known as the Brahmin Society Pty Ltd) and P.A. Yeomans and company, best known for its irrigation and machinery business, were the first NSW breeders to exhibit Brahman cattle.  Unfortunately due to the sudden death of Mrs Yeomans who was the driving force behind their Brahman enterprise, this was their only show.  They exhibited both champions.   At that show I led the first NSW-bred Brahman to be exhibited, he was AS Prince Wilhelm.  Our manager at the time was a Dutchman, Bob Bruinsma, who named the cattle after members of the Dutch royal family.  We again exhibited in 1965 and in 1966. In 1966 a NSW-bred Brahman – AS Princess Julie-Ann – was Brahman champion female for the first time.

Brahmans have been exhibited at the Sydney Royal every year since 1963.  Some years have seen as few as one exhibitor, with other years having up to twenty or more exhibitors, with 130 head of cattle exhibited at the 2014 feature show.  Often major Queensland studs have exhibited in Sydney to promote their cattle in New South Wales.  Amongst the significant exhibitors from Queensland in the late 1960s and early 1970s was the Walla Stud of the Innes family.  It was where Mike and Bizzy Fahey of the successful Bizzy Brahman Stud at Copmanhurst near Grafton had their first experience with Brahman cattle in Sydney.  The Grampians and Amaroo Brahman Studs of Mr Ron Bauer senior and Graham and Roslyn Bauer were successful exhibitors in Sydney during this time, when Brahman exhibits were increasing to record numbers before the beef crash of mid-1974.  Lancefield and Tartrus Studs, belonging to Jeff and Graham McCamley respectively, and Wandarri Stud owned by Mick Delroy have all exhibited successfully on a number of occasions at the Sydney Royal Show.

The Apis Creek Stud owned by Mrs Maureen Olive and family at Marlborough, north of Rockhampton in Queensland, had a remarkable run from 1990-1992, winning the best exhibit award on three successive occasions, which enabled them to keep the Boothenba Trophy donated in 1969.  They returned in 2003 at the first Sydney Royal Feature Show and again won the best exhibit prize.

One of the most important early NSW exhibitors and promoters of Brahman cattle from 1967 was Mr Michael Lytton-Hitchins of Kyabra Stud.  At times Michael was the only exhibitor but when there was competition he was able to exhibit champions.  After he had to withdraw from showing due to an accident, many of his cattle won championships for other breeders.  We should also remember the contribution made by Mrs Trenerry’s Mundook Stud, Capricorn Estates and Doug Jennings’ Mornington Park Stud from Victoria.

The Kyabra Trophy was donated by Michael and Sue Lytton-Hitchins to encourage Brahman showing in New South Wales and is competed for each year.  Mogul Brahman Stud has won the trophy twenty-three times.  The current holder is Staben Brahman Stud of the Clark family from Casino.

-4-

Another successful early breeder was Mylora Stud near Yass, managed for many years by Mr Tony Crossing with cattle prepared by his stud groom Peter Powell.  One of the biggest Brahman bulls ever exhibited in Sydney came from this stud – Mylora Ironside – Grand Champion Bull in 1981 and 1982.  Other significant early NSW exhibitors included the Jesse family, the Battese family, Jill Shipway, Gale Dawson and David Roberts.  Earle Bulmer of Casino, who became the first NSW breeder to be awarded life-membership of the Australian Brahman Breeders Association, exhibited in Sydney in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The best known breeders to win a championship have been Jenny and Ian Armstrong, who won the Senior Champion Brahman Bull award in 1981 with Doonside Gillespie.   Jenny’s brother, Hamilton Barber, was an early exhibitor and then donated the Boothenba trophy.

In the 1990s and 2000s most cattle at Sydney Royal were being exhibited by breeders from the NSW north coast, where there is a very strong showing of Brahmans at local shows in spring and autumn.  These have included Bernie Schneider of Taree, the Bagnall family of Gloucester, Les Walsh of Wingham, Yvonne Richards of Tamworth, Max and Colin Johnson of Grafton and Peter and Brian Wright of Lawrence.  Kim and Penny Weller have been regular exhibitors for the last ten years in Sydney, with Kim being one of the few NSW exhibitors honoured by being asked to judge the Brahmans in Sydney.  In more recent times the Tink family of Dubbo have exhibited in Sydney and even had success at the World Brahman Congress in Rockhampton in 2016.

Mike and Bizzy Fahey exhibited their own cattle in Sydney very successfully from the mid-1980s.  Margaretta and Innes were the third generation to have exhibited cattle in Sydney.  Margaretta has also judged Brahmans in Sydney.

I am very proud to have been involved with Sydney Royal for most of my adult life.  We have been very successful there, having won about 150 championships and at least 14 best exhibits.  Brahman cattle have been exhibited 58 times at the show.  We have been there 52 times, the last 43 times in a row.  Glen Pfeffer my stud manager exhibited his 37th team in succession this year.  Glen has had the confidence of his fellow exhibitors for all of those years and was Breed Captain for 34 years.  The Brahman breed, under his leadership, has won the best exhibited breed on a number of occasions and Mogul has won the Premier Beef Breeder award of the Royal Easter Show three times, not equalled by any other breeder in any breed.

As I mentioned previously the strongest concentration of breeders in NSW has come from this region.  Many of you have been enthusiastic supporters of Brahman cattle and have learned the ropes of exhibiting at your local shows.  I am sure the ABBA welcomes your willingness to make sure the cattle are seen at as many shows as possible.  The Bos Indicus schools for young cattle breeders was an initiative of NSW Brahman breeders.  Many North Coast show societies have Brahman sections and have for many years.  I recall judging Brahmans at the North Coast National Show in Lismore in 1973, where Brahmans had been part of the show for several years.

Lismore has also been the site of a number of Feature Shows, with the next one programmed for 2022.  Casino, Bangalow, Bonalbo, Grafton, Maclean, Coffs Harbour, Tenterfield and Glen Innes have had Brahmans as regular entrants in their shows for many years.

-5-

Innovation has also been part of Brahman breeding.  The first embryo transfers in Brahmans took place in NSW.  The cow Mogul Miss Wittlesea produced 13 embryos with four of her male progeny averaging $10,000 each in the mid-1980s.  The first Brahmans exported to New Zealand from Australia came from NSW with Mogul Prince Richard being exported to Cambridge in the North Island in 1972.  NSW breeders have also exported to South Korea, New Caledonia and Thailand.

Brahmans have come a long way since the early days of their introduction to Australia.  They were so poorly regarded as beef cattle that, when they were taken to the Brisbane show initially in the early 1950s, they were exhibited with the dairy cattle.  In Sydney at the old showgrounds in the mid-1980s we were housed in a back lane opposite a wall.  We kept our dignity.  After the 2014 Feature Show in Sydney we were told it was the best feature show ever at the Royal Easter Show.  At this year’s show Mr Michael Milner, President of the RAS, made sure that he was present during the judging of the Brahmans and even presented one of the championships.

Finally, we are here because of the cattle.  They are versatile, productive and ideal for the Australian environment.

I want to finish with a few words by my late father, Mr Albert Scheinberg, in deciding to breed Brahmans in the late fifties who said it all: “Why would you breed any other type of cattle?  Brahmans are adapted to the Australian environment.  You would be silly to change the environment to suit the cattle.”

If you want to read more, “The Australian Brahman” published by the ABBA in 1983, written and edited by Wallace Skelsey of the Queensland Country Life, and Volume 1 of the ABBA Herd book are good reading.  Both gave me inspiration and valuable information for this presentation.