Portfolio Description

Beemery
Halfway between Bourke and Brewarrina is “Beemery” 128,000 acres (52,000 hectares).
It has double frontage to the Bogan River from the south, which joins the Barwon on
the property, just upstream of the Culgoa (which flows in from the north) junction. From
this point, the Barwon becomes the Darling. The Barwon forms the northern boundary.
“Beemery” is mostly black soil flood country and can be quite treacherous for sheep in
flood situations.

The Beemery aggregation includes an area of 12,000 acres utilised by the cotton farm
including a “conservation area” which is not grazed (by livestock). The property runs 11,000
Egelabra blood merino breeding ewes, 1,000 Hereford cows and 2,000 wethers. Depending
on seasonal conditions it may also fatten 500/1000 steers.

The property was purchased by Clyde at auction in Brisbane in December, 1993. The
attraction was the irrigation licenses and the prospect of upgrading the irrigation
development to a modern cotton farm and its reputation as one of Bourke’s best grazing
properties.

The then owners were the Russell Pastoral Company who had held the property since
1929. It was first selected by one James Evans before 1859. It was held by the Bogan River
Company until 1861 and by 1872 was held by Robert Towns and Co (after whom Townsville
was named). At that time it had an area of 289,000 acres and in that year put 100,000 sheep
across the shearing board. It is claimed that between 1869 and 1872 14,000 fat sheep were
consigned to Melbourne markets for sale.
Building the water storage for the new irrigated cotton farm on Beemery.
The present Beemery homestead was built in 1918 by Stanley Moxham, whose family held
the property from 1912 until 1929. It was at this time that what is now the Mullengudgery
Merino stud, was founded at Beemery.

The aggregation now includes the Yambacoona block of 20,000 acres purchased in 2001
to provide a house for the cotton farm manager and to scale up the grazing area; and the
Hastings block of 20,700 acres purchased in 2004 to further scale up the grazing area and
to provide some higher country south of the Bogan River. Yambacoona was one of the first
settled blocks on what was then called the Darling in 1839.

With the exception of a red hill on Yambacoona and the red country on Hastings, the rest of
Beemery is alluvial soil that grows great herbage in good seasons and is subject to flooding.

In addition to the Bogan, two cowals (watercourses) flow from east to west across Beemery
running water in flood times from the Barwon upstream of Beemery, across to the Bogan.

The Bogan River traverses Beemery from the south/east to the north/west.
 Portfolio Description

Beemery Station Manager Murray Bragg and Agronomist (later G.M.-Cotton Operations) Mitch Abbo.

Kelly’s Cowal carries floodwater from the Barwon across Beemery

 Portfolio Description

Brewon
Further east between Brewarrina and Walgett, a few miles south of the Barwon River, is
“Brewon” 105,000 acres (42,600 hectares), the highly-rated former A.A. Company and T.A.
Field property. It has double frontage to the Macquarie River, the Marthaguy Creek, and the
Castlereagh River, the three of which join on the station near the homestead. The combined
channels, adopting the Macquarie name, then flow into the Barwon a few kilometres to the
north/west.

Brewon is one of the Walgett district’s best-known holdings. It was first taken up in 1840
by one William Lawson, famous for his crossing of the Blue Mountains along with Blaxland
and Wentworth in 1913. It passed to the Mackay family in 1875 who held it for seventy
years before it was sold to the AA Company in 1946. AA sold to TA Field Estates in 1973
before it was bought by Clyde in 1997. The Field family have had a close relationship with
Clyde, and to some extent were used as a model for Clyde’s pastoral operations

As a consequence of the watercourses, much of the lower-lying northern end of Brewon

is subject to flooding. It carries some relatively light alluvial soils which are quite quick
responding to rain and grow some very palatable annuals, including annual saltbush, ideal
for sheep. The northern end of the property can be treacherous for sheep in times of flood
where experience of watercourses and previous flood flows can be invaluable. There is
higher ground south of the Macquarie/Marthaguy junction between the rivers.

Under Clyde ownership, the aim was to run 12,000 Haddon Rig blood breeding ewes and
800 breeding cows plus followers in each case. In good seasons it also has steer fattening
capacity. The cattle breeding herd are top quality Herefords purchased originally with the Swire Commercial Director (and subsequent CEO of Cathay Pacific) Rupert Hogg and Brewon Station Manager
property from T A Field. Bill Keene

At Brewon we got away to a good start with a great wheat crop. Will Shepherd, our first jackaroo, on the two-way during the Brewon wheat harvest.
 Portfolio Description

Brewon was purchased with a breeding flock of large-framed, strong wool merino ewes and a top-quality The Brewon cows were strong on milk, producing big calves.
cattle herd.

Within the Brewon boundary was the junction of the Macquarie and Castlereagh Rivers. Richard Turner, GM - Brewon Homestead.
Pastoral with Brewon Manager, Bill Keene.
 Portfolio Description

Pier Pier
About 50 km south, in the Coonamble district, is “Pier Pier” 73,000 acres (30,000 hectares).
Following a number of additions, it is a long narrow block that runs from the Northern
Nature Reserve of the Macquarie Marshes on the western end, all the way across to the
Coonamble/Carinda road. It has double frontage to the Marthaguy Creek and double
frontage to the Northern Macquarie Marshes By-pass Channel. The western country is low
lying and has frequent beneficial flooding from the Macquarie.

When first purchased by Clyde in 1991 it was recognised that at just under 22,000 acres
Pier Pier was really too small for a “corporate farm”. However, the desire to expand in the
Coonamble district and the absence of very few larger properties, encouraged the purchase
with a view to taking any opportunities to grow by way of neighbouring purchases. It
was believed that opportunities would arise to move eastwards towards Wingadee and
perhaps link the properties. What was unexpected was that the much larger “Woorilla”
(44,000 acres) on the western boundary would become available, due to the death of the
owner’s son in a car accident.

Woorilla was an aggregation of five properties – Woorilla itself, part of Quabathoo, Loughrea,
Dynong and Bloomsbury. Clyde added it to Pier Pier in 1992 and then added Eden on the
western end of Dynong in 2002. So under Clyde ownership, the Pier Pier aggregation has
grown more than threefold to 73,000 acres. From west to east is some 65km.

Steer fattening on a Pier Pier fodder crop.

 Portfolio Description

Pier Pier focused on merino sheep breeding with spring drop wether lambs usually sold before year-end.

Pier Pier homestead complex.

 Portfolio Description

Oxley
Another 50 odd km further south is the largest property in the Macquarie Marshes, “Oxley”
86,900 acres (35,000 hectares), 96 kilometres north of Warren. This is exclusively a cattle
breeding and fattening property, being too dangerous in flooding terms for sheep. The
entire property can be inundated with shallow water in a big Macquarie River flood and
the western side, with a single frontage to the Macquarie, gets frequent flooding. The
Gum Cowal runs along the eastern side, and the Bulgeraga Creek, which breaks out of the
Macquarie in the southwest corner, runs through the middle. It is a magnificent property
for cattle and can safely run 4,000 breeding cows taking steer progeny through to Jap Ox
weights in some years.

Oxley probably has more flood country than any other station in NSW.

It has an average annual rainfall of only 17 inches, but benefits handsomely from floodwaters
when the Macquarie River floods the Macquarie Marshes. In line with Australia’s notoriously
variable rainfall, this can happen several times in one year or only once over several years.
In a big flood, almost 90% of the property can be inundated. The water is mostly shallow
and presents little problem for cattle and, of course, produces tremendous feed growth.
Birdlife is prolific, with floods bringing on some unique breeding events.

For many years it was known as “Ringorah” and was held by the Hill family. It was
subsequently held by an English company who subdivided it into three, with the western
portion being called “Oxley”(after the explorer) and held by J.J. Leahy, then the Berawinnia After a great start, Oxley turned dry. A testing challenge for young station Manager, Phil Woodhill.
Pastoral Company. That Company sold several of its holdings to Naroo Pastoral Company
(British Tobacco) who repurchased “Ringorah” in 1972 from the Fisher family, retaining
the name “Oxley”. Naroo sold to Twynam Pastoral Co (Kahlbetzer Family) in 1978, who in
turn purchased Ringorah South from Keith Leahy in 1984, thus putting back together the
original “Ringorah”, but under the name “Oxley”. It was purchased by Clyde in 1998.

During the ownership of Twynam, the pure Santa Gertrudis herd had other breed bulls
introduced. Herefords, Angus, and Simmentals (amongst others) were all used and
there was a spurt of hybrid vigour evident in the cattle when the property and herd were
purchased by Clyde. Since then the aim of Clyde has been to maintain the hybrid vigour by
using Santa bulls over Shorthorn types and Shorthorn bulls over Santa types.

With many of the Company bred steers going to Wingadee for fattening, the outstanding
performance of the Oxley cattle has been very obvious.

Oxley Homestead complex.

 Portfolio Description

Clyde invested heavily in infrastructure - new cattle yards on the western side of Oxley. A Government built water spreading bank in the northwest corner of Oxley.

Located entirely within the designated “Marsh area”,Oxley benefits from widespread shallow flooding, making it a Oxley came with a herd of crossbred breeding cows, showing the benefit of hybrid vigour.
great cattle place.
 Portfolio Description

Exploring the marshes on Oxley.

Thriving cross-bred steers bred on Oxley.

Phill Woodhill, Oxley Manager with children Georgia, Alice and Tom

A feature of Oxley was frequent, widespread flooding with plenty of high spots for the cattle. Reedbeds on Oxley