How this Tasmanian Angus stud is expanding its operations back to the mainland

Ten years after moving the 60-year-old stud to King Island, Tas, Raff Angus is expanding its operation back onto the mainland.

After finalising the purchase of Brooklyn West, a 302-hectare property at Book Book, NSW, late last year, the new arm of Raff Angus is already up and running.

"After a 10-year absence following our move to King Island, we felt it was the right time to reinstate a Raff Angus mainland presence," Raff stud principal Andrew Raff said.

With a storied history breeding in Queensland, and an established property on King Island, the new NSW presence serves to cement Raff Angus as a seedstock producer across the eastern states.

Mr Raff said the location of the new property was ideal to crack into the southern market further and continue to service their existing Victorian clients.

"We have sold bulls to every state, but predominantly, most of our bulls sell into Queensland and northern NSW, with some trickling into Victoria," he said.

"Having that block means they won't have to go all the way to Queensland or fly across to Tasmania to see our herd."

The stud has been primarily based on 1052ha at King Island since 2015, when Mr Raff relocated the established Angus operation thousands of kilometres south from their previous Drillham, Qld, property.

Formerly home to EJ Angus stud principals Des and Carol Grylls, who dispersed their stud last year, the new property already has a formidable history of breeding stud Angus cattle.

Located 40 kilometres south of Wagga Wagga, NSW, the property offers similar reliable grazing lands that Raff Angus has become accustomed to on King Island.

The new block will serve as the stud's 'bull depot' and will also be home to the Raff Angus mature stud females.

"Bulls will be shipped off the island earlier, which will decrease freight costs and allow more time for bulls to settle," Mr Raff said.

"In turn, it will allow us to run more breeders here on King Island."

Raff will continue to offer around 100-150 bulls at the annual sale each year, and most of the breeding cows will remain on King Island, totalling around 1800 head including weaner cattle and replacement females.

"King Island is ultimately the breeding and production farm," Mr Raff said.

He said the stud intended to hold an on-property female sale at Brooklyn West every three years.

"With such a major selling complex at Wagga so close to Brooklyn West, we would like to one day support the facility by holding Raff genetic commercial sales," he said.

Bulls destined for auction will be prepared on farm at Brooklyn West prior to heading north to the annual Raff Queensland bull sale at Drillham in August.

"Queensland is home for our bull sales as we have been selling bulls in Queensland for six decades," Mr Raff said.

Private bulls will also be available at the Brooklyn West property to service local southern and interstate markets.

Mr Raff said they were conscious of the "almost saturated" market for Angus bulls in every state.

"Our move back to the mainland is to streamline our seedstock bull business, not to move in and expect to sell large numbers of Raff Angus bulls," he said.

Mr Raff, along with his wife Anna Raff and children Harry, Charlie, Georgina and Olivia, will continue to live on and manage the King Island herd.

With their four kids heavily involved in the stud, Mr Raff said the new purchase allowed for their succession planning to make some early headway.

The Brooklyn West property will be managed by Ben Drain, who is originally from Dalby, Qld.

Raff Angus will be holding an open day for the new property on July 25 later this year.

The stud will also be participating in Stock & Land Beef Week for the first time this year, too.