Newcomen Herefords: 21st anniversary of first bull sale next month

Long-time cattle breeder Barry Newcomen has turned a “slightly hairbrained idea” into a rapidly evolving successful operation. All at the age of 85.

Twenty-three years ago, Ensay’s Barry Newcomen could have easily been making retirement plans.

He was aged 63, but a “slightly hairbrained idea” took flight — expanding his Hereford cattle commercial operation into a stud.

To establish the stud in 2001, Mr Newcomen bought seven cows and eight heifer calves from the now-dispersed Dunoon Hereford stud at Holbrook in NSW.

A year later, with an eye firmly on the future, he purchased stud sire Kaludah Monopoly for $24,000 at the Wodonga National Hereford Show and Sale.

Newcomen Herefords is now celebrating its 21st birthday this year with 60 bulls to be offered for sale on March 13.

Newcomen Herefords founder Barry Newcomen at the 2022 Ensay calf sales. Picture: Zoe Phillips

It will again be hot on the heels of the Mountain Calf Sales including a sale in his hometown of Ensay where he has regularly offered some of the best pens.

“Most people start to think about winding down in their 60s,” Mr Newcomen said.

“But I love farming now as much as I did when I was 25.

“I don’t always love it when drought hits, and you have to think outside the box to keep the weight on your animals.

“I’ve always believed you have to feed your cattle so that they are ready to bounce back once the drought breaks.

“So, we’ve spent a lot of money on fodder over the years.

“I remember one particularly tough year, I’d lop limbs off the willow trees to give the animals the green leaves to eat.”

Mr Newcomen has also called on a lifetime of contacts for agistment in South Gippsland, central and western Victoria, the North-East and Wimmera when required.

He grew up in Ensay, but first worked as a stock agent in Melbourne before returning to the high country and going into partnership with his brother, Evan.

Their initial purchase together was a 178ha property and continued to buy more land in a partnership that lasted more than three decades.

Barry Newcomen at the Hereford National Sale and Show in 2018. Picture: Zoe Phillips

They also grew Merino sheep until Ovine Johne’s disease hit the district in the early 1990s.

The partnership dissolved around this time with Mr Newcomen and his wife Topsy going it alone with the aim of improving their commercial cattle herd until the launch of the stud located on their farm Kanangra north of Ensay.

The stud has added three more bulls this year including a $30,000 Yarram Park Hereford bull at the Yavenvale sale at Adelong in NSW last week.

Mr Newcomen was also the underbidder on the top-priced bull at the sale that went for $96,000.

He employs full-time a farm and stud manager, Tom King, and Tim Wilson part-time.

Mr Newcomen will sell 220 calves at the Ensay leg of the mountain sales after a season that started poorly, but turned the corner with big spring and summer rains including 175mm in January and a further 50mm this month.