I grew up in the 1950’s on a small dairy and pig farm at Scott’s Creek, just north of Timboon in the South West of Victoria.  We milked up to 20 cows with up to 20 sows.  The cows were primarily Jersey and Jersey cross and included two Illawarras purchased from a family friend, plus their two Illawarra-Jersey cross heifers.  This was my first exposure to Illawarras.

My parents sold the farm and the cows in 1960.  I went on to University in Australia and in the USA, and pursued a career as an Economist in the public sector in Washington DC and in Canberra.  For over 50 years I have maintained a passionate interest in dairy farming.  While I was a senior public servant in Canberra, I helped milk the cows on Sundays at the last operating dairy farm at Fyschwick.  Following my move to Sydney to take up the position as Commissioner at ASIC, I met the Downes family (Waterside) at Jamberoo which rekindled an interest in Illawarras.  I drive down to Waterside roughly every second Sunday to do the afternoon milking.

In February 2011 I purchased three young cows at the Athelglow Stud dispersal sale and I have registered my stud prefix, Ruber.  I run the cows with the Waterside herd and I plan to build up the numbers slowly before purchasing or leasing my own dairy farm in about five years time when my current contract expires.  (I have just been appointed as Chair of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal with the NSW Government.)

I would of course like to get my own farm and build up my stud much earlier, but I have school age daughters and a wife with a career in the finance industry and 2016/17 was the earliest I could negotiate.

I am very excited at the prospect of getting into the dairy industry and I appreciate very much the support of the Downes family.  The more I learn about Illawarras the more I am attracted to the breed as the viable third option to Holsteins and Jerseys for the Australian dairy industry.