David Blackmore of Blackmore Wagyu awarded Australia Day honour

A leading Victorian beef farmer whose steaks grace the menu of some of the world’s best restaurants has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours. See who else made the list.

A leading Victorian beef farmer whose steaks grace the menu of some of the world’s best restaurants has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Wagyu king David Blackmore, from Alexandra in central Victoria, was recognised with an OAM for services to the beef cattle industry. Blackmore Wagyu is widely regarded among Australia’s best-tasting beef and is served in top-tier Melbourne restaurants including Rockpool, Vue de monde and Gimlet as well as being exported to 14 countries. At leading Melbourne butcher Peter Bouchier, a 200g Blackmore porterhouse steak will set shoppers back $55 — or $275/kg. David, a fifth-generation farmer, said it was “satisfying that our longevity, our achievements have been recognised”.

His long and storied career began when was given a lame cow by his grandfather to look after at the age of 10, at his family’s farm at Mt Schank in South Australia.

“I hadn’t even left school but I had a little herd going, and my grandfather said I better start renting a paddock off of him,” he said.

“It cost me $1 an acre, and that was the start of the journey.”

David Blackmore on his farm at Alexandra. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

After working as a stock agent and dairy farmer, it was during a trip to Texas A & M University in 1988 that he first encountered Wagyu cattle, and set about bringing back the genetics back to Australia.

Since then, David and wife Julie have set about producing the best cattle “that we could”.

While he has handed over the reins of the Wagyu business to his son, Ben, 74-year-old David said his new hobby was tending to his Rubia Gallega cattle, a grass-fed breed that he imported from Spain 10 years ago.

“All the restaurants we sell our beef to want a grass-fed product on the menu as well, so it gets us into those.”

“I don’t want to retire, but if I did, I knew that if I sat under my wife’s feet it might be the quickest divorce you’ve ever seen,” he joked.

Blackmore Wagyu rump with anchovy butter at Margaret restaurant in Double Bay.

Other notable contributors to the Australian farming industry were recognised in today’s honours including wine industry legends Ross Brown and Alister Purbrick.

Ross is the executive director and former chief executive of the Brown Family Wine Group while Alister is the former chief executive of Tahbilk Wine at Nagambie.

Norm Alexander from Wagga Wagga was awarded an OAM for service to agriculture and his community, while the late Neil Donaldson, former chief executive of Droughtmaster Australia, was also awarded an OAM for service to the livestock industry.

In Tasmania, former chairman of TasFarmers David Gatenby received an OAM for service to the community of Tasmania while in the Northern Territory Barry Lemcke received an OAM for service to the livestock industry. In Queensland, founder of Drought Angels Natasha Johnston received an OAM.

Other notable honorees this year include:

ALISON MACGREGOR, MILDURA VIC
For service to music, and to horticulture.

JOHN HAWKINS, MERREDIN WA

For service to the community of Western Australia, and to primary industry.

BARRY LEMCKE, HERBERT NT

For service to the livestock industry.

GEOFFREY MCFARLANE, ARMSTRONG CREEK VIC

For service to conservation and the environment.

DAVID FITZGERALD, WEMBLEY WA

For service to the wool industry, and to the community of Leonora.

DAVID BOTTING, MILLICENT SA

For service to agriculture, and to the community of Millicent.

GEOFFREY BAKER, COWRA NSW

For significant service to primary industry, and to the community.

DR MICHAEL EWING, COTTESLOE WA

For service to conservation and the environment, and to primary industry.

DR ROSS CUTLER, OCEAN GROVE VIC

For significant service to veterinary medicine, and to the pork industry.

MARION WOODWARD, HOWRAH TAS

For service to the community, and to agriculture.