By Judy Barnet, Farm Columnist
Gary and Georgina Brennand have recently purchased an 130-acre farm at Elbow Valley, but they are no strangers to the Southern Downs.
I first met the Brennands through Doug and Sandra Walker from whom I brought my property at Glenlyon – “Tilba Tilba”.
From that day on Gary and Georgie have lent a helping hand whenever needed on the farm.
To be brutally honest, I am not sure I would have stayed on the farm without their help in the early days.
As far as hard working, jill of all trades women go, they don’t come any better than Georgie! She can milk a cow, cook for 20 hungry station staff, ride a two-wheeler or a horse to muster sheep, there is not a lot she can’t turn her hand to.
Gary and Georgie were leasing a farm not too far from me but when the drought struck this was not viable and they accepted jobs with Stanbroke Pastoral’s property Fort Constantine at Cloncurry.
It was a great place to work and they thoroughly enjoyed their time there however I for one was absolutely delighted when they informed me they were settling in Warwick.
Both Gary and Georgie come from farming backgrounds. Although Gary is a qualified electrician, he much prefers farming.
They have worked in Queensland and New South Wales on both sheep and cattle farms, including a stint managing a Merino Stud in Orange.
Gary has a wool classers ticket. Their two offspring, Angus, 23, and Charlie, 21, were boarders at Scots College in Warwick and this played a part in Gary and Georgie’s decision to move to the area.
Both sons are currently at university but Charlie has worked for Frasers Livestock Transport before university and still helps out in holidays.
Both took gap years and worked as Jackeroos in remote areas.
Dorset Downs were the chosen breed for the farm as they ticked so many boxes.
The breed is a very old British breed – known as the King of prime lambs in their homeland and highly sought after as prime lamb sires in both Britain and New Zealand, however the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia has classified the breed as critically endangered with only four studs remaining in Australia.
Dorset Down ewes can rear a single lamb to an 18-kilogram carcasse weight in 10 to 12 weeks and twins to the same weight at 12 to 14 weeks.
The Downs type wool is very good quality – fleeces weighing around 2.4 kilograms and 26 micron – it is often used in the hosiery trade.
The stud aims to supply local produces with rams for terminal sires as well as prime lamb and specialised wool.
Along with the sheep the Brennands have 13 head of cattle, predominately traditional type Shorthorns.
