Patrick Noakes – Fairdale Stud
Jim English began showing AIS cattle at the Malanda Show in 1945 when he was fifteen years old. 2010 marks the milestone of 65 years of showing dairy cattle.
1945 was the first showing after the Second World War and in partnership with his brother Kevin, won Champion Cow with Eachamvale Gentle.
During this period up until 1981, the partnership of Jim and Kevin won many championships at Malanda. They milked up to 80 cows on their property with Blacklands and Tabbagong sires being used.
In 1981, Jim and his wife Claire, sons Frank and James and daughter Kathleen, moved to a new property at Wondai in the South Burnett forming the Eacham Park Illawarra Stud. They made the 1500 klm journey by train bringing 19 females and 1 bull along with 4 of Kathleen’s jumping horses.
Success continued for the family winning country show championships as well as exhibiting at Brisbane where they won Junior Champion Heifer as well as numerous other awards. In the late 1980s the stud won the coveted Top Ten Production Award for the highest producing ten Illawarra cows in one herd.
The family continues to milk up to eighty cows with Panorama and Allen Vale sires being used in recent times.
Unfortunately on Christmas Eve 2011, Jim and James passed away in a car accident not far from home. Kathleen and her husband Shaun and their four boys, Bryan, Patrick and twins Tony and Liam, are keen to carry on the traditions established by Jim and James. Up until his death Jim was still very active in the management of the dairy herd and selection of show teams. He had many fond memories of the many judges who he has exhibited cattle under during his many years of showing and still enjoyed exhibiting at the Brisbane Royal Show.
