Dalby saleyards staff remember trailblazer and friend

Vale Marilyn Brazier.

VALE: Marilyn Brazier (centre) is being remembered for her work at the saleyards.

MARILYN Brazier was the first person to arrive at the Dalby Saleyards every Wednesday morning, sitting on the same chair in the same spot for 44 of her 62 years of life.

But since her passing at the end of March, the staff at Dalby Saleyards have been left with a Marilyn-shaped hole in the tight-knit community.

Marilyn began work as a livestock agent for Tom Knox and Co in a time where the saleyards were dominated by male agents and auctioneers.

But Dalby Livestock Agents Association president Brock Simpkins knew she was a force to be reckoned with from the very beginning.

“It was unusual to see a woman in that role,” Mr Simpkins said.

“In a very short amount of time it became obvious to me that even with her being a woman she was more than capable of doing the role of a local livestock agent and she worked there every Tuesday afternoon right up until her passing.

“Her ability was a credit to her and her cattle handling skills were very, very good.

“I soon learnt to have a fair amount of appreciation and respect for her. She did a really good job and had a really loyal clientele.”

Mr Simpkins said Marilyn earned the respect she gained over years of working with Tom Knox and Co with her professionalism and strong will.

She became a major shareholder in the company in the 1990s, and was a prominent presence in the saleyards up until just days before she passed.

She was also the secretary of the Livestock Agents Association.

“She certainly proved that women within the agency business are and should be well and truly accepted,” Mr Simpkins said.

“She was always very strong-minded and willed in respect to that. Her general professional opinion was always very well-regarded.”

Mr Simpkins said the staff at the saleyards paid tribute to her on the first Wednesday after her passing, and they had missed her tenacious presence at the saleyards since.

“I never saw anyone try and stand her up, they knew not to get on the wrong side of her,” he said.

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