Weebollabolla Shorthorns reflect on their history to achieving success

THIS BRANDED CONTENT FOR WEEBOLLABOLLA SHORTHORNS

The Munro family's 150-year association with the cattle industry has proudly been Australia-wide, due to the enduring and ever-evolving genetic program the family focuses on at Weebollabolla Shorthorns.

This is something Weebollabolla managing director Jen Jeffreys, nee Munro, puts down to the foresight of her grandfather, Wallace Munro, who introduced the on-farm Weebollabolla annual bull sale in 1968 - a legacy that still stands today.

It all started in the 1880s when clients were offered on-farm appointments to inspect bulls.

This model became very inefficient and controversial as inspections became disruptive throughout the year, and clients rushed to secure the earliest appointment to source the most superior bulls.

Today, about 50 per cent of bull sales head north into Queensland as seasons dictate.

The bulls are finished and sold on Weebollabolla.

Being located so close to the border, up until recent years, many bulls were bred on Goodar Station, located north west of Goondiwindi.

Today, the bulls are bred on Boonal Station located southeast of Goondiwindi on the Dumaresq and Macintyre rivers.

"During Wally (third generation) and Sandy's (fourth generation) tenures, land acquisitions included Mittiebah Station in the Northern Territory with many wild plane, truck, and road trip tales across the sunny state of Queensland, along with Tobermorey near Boulia," Mrs Jeffreys said.

"Lucknow Downs and Bendboi near Surat, Pipersleigh near Texas, and Bryanunga near Tulloona were other properties bought and sold.

"However, the greatest love affair with Qld was Goodar Station, a property held in the family since 1898 and (neighbouring property Rugby that was purchased in 1901 and subsequently sold to the Clark family) for well over a century. "In 2015, my father, Sandy's, heart was broken when the decision to sell was made."

Previous generations were also not without challenges.

"Alec, AGF (fi rst generation) suffered the crippling drought in the early 1900s, which was compounded by the purchase of heavily stocked Tomo in Bollon, Qld.

"At 60 years old, Alec finally cleared his debt, but took two bottle trees from Tomo upon its sale as a reminder.

"These trees are still thriving at Weebollabolla today, and their size reflects their age of well over 100 years old.

" In the early 2000s, the Munros were involved in endorsing one of the first Meat Standards Australia-approved branded beef programs with Bluegum Beef alongside eight other Queensland graziers.

"This was initiated from the days of bringing cattle that did not meet the live export job due to their heavier weight, hair type, or tiger stripes.

"These cattle were brought down from Mittiebah to be finished at Aronui feedlot near Dalby run by industry pioneer Dugald Cameron during the 1990s (when freight was more affordable).

"This process really highlighted the importance of meat quality, a trait at the heart of breeding shorthorns, which endorsed the genetic path we were on."

In 1988, the Mittiebah Reds breeding program commenced in order to lift fertility and meat quality through their Shorthorn herd over a Brahman base cow herd, while remaining conscious of maintaining the ability to walk long distances to water and withstand the heat, a must with their location.

Over the years, crossbreeding with other breeds and herds from QLD was dabbled in, such as Red Wagyu from 1998 to 2000.

"Genetics from 5 Star Senepols and Palgrove Charolais saw some of the fi rst crossbred bulls sold from 2003 to 2006 at a vendor-bred annual bull sale.

In 2017, a partnership with NH Foods to supply the exclusive beef brand 'Australian Shorthorn Weebollabolla est 1873' was forged.

"We purchased progeny from Shorthorn clients in Qld and NSW as backgrounders or feeders and finished them in our feedlot, and NH Foods Sandy Munro, Ben Hiscox, and Gavin Oneil are proud of Australian Shorthorn meat. took ownership of the meat from their Wingham plant."

This relationship was a genuine supply chain collaboration, allowing both parties to retain the focus of their respective core strengths. It enabled Weebollabolla to gauge feedback on how genetics were in the paddock to their performance in the feedlot through to the meat-eating experience firsthand.

"Unfortunately, $500 a tonne and a crippling drought that lasted years put an abrupt end to that market in late 2020, but we continue to live and learn."

This year marks the 58th Weebollabolla annual bull sale, for which 58 bulls will be available for consideration, and semen enquiries will be welcome after the sale, on Friday, September 12.

THIS BRANDED CONTENT FOR WEEBOLLABOLLA SHORTHORNS