16th May, 2022
VICTORIA RIVER DOWNS (VRD)
The 2022 season is well underway! With lots of new faces joining the team we are all looking forward to a great year ahead at Victoria River Downs and our outstation, Humbert River (HBR).
We kicked off in early March with our staff inductions. Staff were taught a wide variety of station aspects including starting and running a bore motor, operating machinery and vehicles, handling and riding horses plus helicopter safety.
Our Head Stock Person, Tylah, Leading Hand, Sam, and Assistant Manager, Joe, attended the Heytesbury Cattle Co. 2IC Conference held in Katherine during March where they learnt some very valuable skills for the upcoming season. It also presented a great opportunity to meet and learn from our other 2IC's in the group.
Our annual first aid course followed shortly after, with staff learning very important skills and knowledge relevant to living and working remotely. A massive thank you goes out to our instructor, Jodie, who made the course very engaging and relevant to our everyday lives living on a cattle station.
We were also fortunate to have Bruce O’Dell visit VRD at the beginning of April to conduct a Horsemanship School. Staff from our Moolooloo and Pigeon Hole Stations also joined the school with their horses. It was a great couple of days where staff were able to learn valuable shoeing and horsemanship skills, as well as have a thoroughly enjoyable time.
In between all that, the VRD and Humbert River crews had been working hard to prepare for the first round of mustering to begin, plus completing lots of fencing.
Over the Easter break our staff attended the Moolooloo Easter Party which was a lot of fun. Thank you to the Moolooloo crew for hosting us.
First round has now begun at VRD with everyone very eager to get into some cattle work. The crew have been camped out at 36 yards, which was timed perfectly for our cooler weather to begin settling in.
Farrcombe Contracting have also arrived at Humbert River where they have been working to complete first round with our our crew, Tim, Summer and Jonty.
Despite the lack of rain, cattle are in good condition across the two leases. In between breeder paddocks, we have commenced selling cull cows as they come to hand, along with a shipment of steers, with more paddock up to be sold this week.
Lauren Kelly
Lucy Sheehan
Mandy Willis
Tylah Bonisch Sam Wilms looks like a joe place to be
3rd May, 2022
MT SANFORD STATION (MSF)
With our last update way back in January, a lot has happened in the time since!
The wet has come and gone (albeit it was mostly gone..... some more rain would have been appreciated), the staff have gone and come, with several new members joining the team.
Holidays came and went, Emily (the Station Managers' eldest daughter) went off to boarding school for the first time, sheds were cleaned, saddles oiled, gear sorted, vehicles and plant serviced and ready to go, bores were run, gear repaired, weeds sprayed, aerial graslan completed, new inventions created, painting done, equine dental complete and a new bathroom installed in the Head Stockman house.... phew, that's a lot!!!
We also had new Senior Staff Quarters built at the end of 2021, but due to the wet season, delivery was held up. The old building has been demolished and is eagerly awaiting replacement.
February saw Daniel, our newly arrived Head Stockman, attend a 2IC course in Katherine. He was able to meet all the other Head Stock people and Assistant Managers within the Heytesbury Cattle Co. group and had an enjoyable learning experience. This was followed up by a First Aid course held at our neighbouring station, Pigeon Hole.
The remainder of February and March was all about barbed wire! Fencing, fencing, and some more fencing (plus a fair dash of sweat).
In late March a Horsemanship school was delivered by Bruce O'Dell at Mt Sanford. Attending horses and extras for the plant were shod up ready to roll. Flora Valley staff also attended and it was a great opportunity to not only meet some other crew in the group but to gain confidence and knowledge when working with all levels of horses.
The crew got to spend some very hot days and nights camped out at Kelly Yard in March to send off some early sale cattle. They were very excited for an air-conditioned, mozzie-free room when they returned. The cook also lashed out with a crew favourite, crumbed steak.
Station Manager, Kate, also attended the ICPA (Isolated Children's Parents' Assoc) State Conference held in Darwin, which was a good opportunity to meet like-minded people in the same isolated living situations who struggle with similar issues.
The crew has worked really hard through the heat and got to have a nice 4-day break over Easter, attending the Moolooloo BBQ, catching up on sleep, washing, and some general R&R.
Hello, my name is Mohamed, I am 33 years old, from Morocco, I am looking for a job in a farm. Thank you
19th April, 2022
Due to a late withdrawal (for a personal injury) the position of Overseer Nicholson Outstation has become available. Please contact Gary or Tinkey if you have any questions (08) 9168 8920
Chelsea Dodds let’s go .!! It’s so beautiful on this station 😍
12th April, 2022
PIGEON HOLE STATION (PGH)
Things have really ramped up a gear here at Pigeon Hole since our last update. Our first round of mustering has started with our first calf heifers, before going onto breeders. Our first mob of weaners for the season will then be processed and turned out into their new paddocks.
We've had 262mm of rainfall in January and February, which was a good start to the season, but with not much rain since things have really started to dry out. Most of the natural waterways have dried up, or are drying up quickly with the hot conditions.
Training has commenced with first aid and a Bruce O’Dell Horsemanship course - both important learning experiences for the team.
A number of our maintenance jobs have been completed, with a just few of the decks still to be done, and some troughs to be installed.
The team is looking forward to their Easter break before continuing on with first round.
8th April, 2022
During March staff from across our stations had the opportunity to attend the Bruce O’Dell Horsemanship Schools that were held at our Mt Sanford & Victoria River Downs Stations.
A great learning experience for all those that attended.
Picture 1: Mt Sanford Horse School (Mt Sanford & Flora Valley attendees)
Picture 2: Victoria River Downs Horse School (VRD, Pigeon Hole & Moolooloo attendees)
#horses #bruceodellhorsemanshipschool #training #cattlestation #stationlife #mtsanfordstation #victoriariverdownsstation #northernterritory #westernaustralia #heytesburypastoral
Welcome to Heytesbury Cattle Co. North Australia’s leading family owned cattle company, proudly supplying Asian markets with quality export cattle for over thirty years.
