Bindawarra Merino stud doubles sale average in strong Gippsland auction

Pictures by Bryce Eishold

A Gippsland Merino stud has doubled its average year-on-year after selling its top-priced ram to a Tasmanian client.

The Giffard West stud sold 33 of 36 Merino rams on offer to a top price of $4800 and an average of $2309, an impressive $1189 higher compared to last year's sale.

The online-only sale attracted 15 registered buyers, several of whom were at the property during the sale.

Bindawarra Merino stud principal Steve Harrison said a 50 per cent jump in the wool price year-on-year helped lift prices and the clearance rate at the sale.

"Our average has doubled and that is a big surprise," Mr Harrison said.

"To double our average just proves how tough last year was but we are ecstatic with that result, and we were really pleased with the evenness of of rams this year.

"We had two key buyers from Beaufort and Flinders Island, Tas, return to our sale and buy rams this year and that certainly helped."

It comes a week after the Harrison family bought the top-priced ram at Kedleston Park, Calivil.

The top-priced ram, Lot 10, Bindawarra M38340, was knocked down to Stackhouse Pastoral, Flinders Island, for $4800, and was one of two rams purchased by the Stackhouse family.

The ram had wool measurements including a 16.9 micron, a standard deviation of 2.5, a coefficient variation of 14.9 and a comfort factor of 99.9pc.

Alan and Tracey Stackhouse, Flinders Island, made the flight across to Gippsland to join their son Mitchell, who also purchased Lot 13, Bindawarra M38357, for $3000.

Mitchell said his family had purchased rams from Bindawarra for more than 30 years, originally when the stud was owned by the late Murray Toland and his wife Janet when it was located at Cobungra.

The Stackhouse family owns 1650 hectares at Flinders Island, plus a backgrounding property at Yarram, and runs a herd of 1600 Angus breeders and 2000 Merino ewes.

"The top ram has a long staple on him, he has the body to go with it and he is just a beautiful ram who was a stand-out in the sale," Mitchell said.

"We sell all our cattle over here in Victoria while our sheep go to Launceston, Tas."

The Stackhouses have an average rainfall of 750 millimetres on Flinders Island and said the rams performed well in the wet environment.

The family shears three times every two years and has an average flock micron of 18 micron.

The two rams destined for Flinders Island will board a ship at Port Welshpool and take a 16-hour trip across Bass Strait.

Alan said Flinders Island has witnessed a major shift from sheep to cattle in recent years.

"About 30 years ago, Flinders Island, as small as it is - 50 miles by 20 miles - had about 350,000 Merino sheep on it and now there are probably 10,000 ewes and about 3800 black cows," he said.

"The island punches above its weight and it is a very reliable and productive place to farm."

The major buyer at the sale was father-son duo James and James Kirkpatrick, Glenayr, Beaufort, who bought five Merino rams to a top price of $2600 and an average of $1880.

The Kirkpatricks have bought Bindawarra rams for close to 30 years and run a 4000 Merino and Border Leicester ewe base, plus 325 hectares of cropping.

Another major buyer was Dan Boland and Julianne Peavy, Darriman, who bought six rams to a top price of $3200 (twice) and an average of $2934.

The rams were purchased by Nutrien district wool area manager Jarrod Demarco, Mansfield, who bought 17 rams for seven clients.

Among other regular return buyers was Gavin Missen, BM & GH Missen, Woodside, who bought two rams, including Lot 2, Bindawarra M38323, for $3400.

"We're happy with Bindwarra's sweet, nourished wools and the shape of the rams," Mr Demarco said.

"They consistently perform for my clients in the district and further afield."

Other rams were knocked down to clients at Stockdale, Longford, Giffard and north-east Victoria.

Nutrien stud stock southern region manager Peter Godbolt said the return of a few key buyers after a hiatus last year put a floor in the auction.

"Season-wise and market-wise, the job is red hot at the moment and mutton and wool prices are really strong, so it's good to see people are reinvesting in their flocks," Mr Godbolt said.