No bull: Queensland’s toughest cattle on the move again

The Droughtmaster, one of the toughest breeds of cattle ever seen in Queensland, is set to be seen on more dinner plates in the years ahead amid a push for sustainability from consumers.

Oasis A Long John recenty set a new Droughtmaster breed record selling for $220,000.

The Droughtmaster, one of the hardiest breed of cattle ever seen in Queensland, is set to be seen on more dinner plates in the years ahead.

Droughtmaster was the name originally coined by a group of cattlemen in North Queensland for the animal they developed to overcome the perennial problems of drought, cattle tick, heat and illnessess seen in other breeds. With the arrival of cattleticks into North Queensland in 1896, it became apparent that maintaining herds of British breed cattle such as Shorthorns,Herefords and Angus in the harsh tropical environment was unviable.

While the Droughtmaster breed, which has been listed by the National Trust as a Queensland icon, has had a tough couple ofyears, things are looking up.

The Droughtmaster society, a non-profit firm that has promoted the breed since 1962, is eyeing an expansion after a recentrestructuring aimed at meeting changing consumer demand and a growing focus on sustainability.

The Ipswich-based organisation was recently crowned the nation’s best exponent of excellence in business transformation atthe Australian Business Awards.

Droughtmaster chief executive Simon Gleeson says the award is an endorsement of the organisation’s efforts to re-energise re-invigorate the brand.

The breed is the biggest beef type in Queensland and is now expanding across NSW and Western Australia. He stresses that while the actual breed was tough, the meat from the animal was anything but and has a big share of the domestic market, particuarly in quality pubs and clubs. “It takes less water and labour to produce a box of Droughtmaster compared to Angus or Wagyu andwith the focus on ESG that is part of the attraction,” says Gleeson.

Gleeson, who was in Rockhampton this week for the annual Droughmaster auction of bulls, says there are now 600 registeredbreeders, numbers not seen in more than 12 years. “Last year, one of the bulls sold for a record $220,000,” says Gleeson. “Droughtmaster cattle are arguably best suited to thrive in a world that is changing, where versatility and sustainability are essential. They have a great adaptability to the Queensland climate.

“They do well on country that doesn’t get high rainfall,they use pasture and water efficiently, they don’t need to be sprayed with lots of chemicals to protect them from pests and they don’t need a lot of grain feeding.”

Droughtmasters owners Shane and Sarah Hauschildt with their winning Droughtmaster bull junior bull at the Gatton Show. Picture: Peta McEachern

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Merger news

Brisbane-based boutique investment funds firm McMahon Clarke is joining with national law shop Hall & Wilcox as part of an expansion of its real estate and litigation services.

Hall & Wilcox managing partner Tony Macvean says the combined firms have the ambition to become the undisputed market leader in investment funds nationally.

“It allows us to expand our Brisbane commercial practice, and position ourselves as a leading firm in the Brisbane and Queensland market,” says Macevean. McMahon Clarke managing partner Sean McMahon says the Hall & Wilcox tie up offered the best cultural fit and the best opportunities for its people and our clients.

“We can now offer added depth and expertise, a broader service offering, plus an expanded geographical footprint which will benefit our clients,” says McMahon.

The McMahon Clarke partners joining Hall & Wilcox are Langton Clarke, Emma Donaghue, Kristy Dorney, Mark Lyons, Sean McMahon, Selina Nutley and Elliot Stumm.  In total, approximately 30 McMahon Clarke partners, lawyers and other professionals will be joining from November.

Tony Macvean