Fostering a future in sheep

The Kater family (HE Kater & Son Pastoral Co) have helped the education of generations of school-leavers as jackaroos on their properties in NSW’s Central West, including Egelabra Merino stud, Eenaweena, Colane, Belaringar and Yanganbil.

Under general manager Cam Munro’s leadership the HE Kater & Son operation has defied the industry trend and has increased trainee placements.

Mr Munro has an affinity for fostering young entrants to the sheep and wool industry. He was a jackaroo during the wool boom at FS Falkiner’s Boonoke Station, near Conargo in 1988, at a time when the company had 16 jackaroos working on its four neighbouring properties.

ABOVE: "Belaringar", Nevertire, jackaroo Lachlan Gregory, 18, Gladesville, Sydney, and his dog Scout, and "Eenaweena", Nevertire, and head jackaroo Max Cameron, 21, Chudleigh, Tasmania, with his dogs Sam and Basil at the "Colane", Nyngan, working dog training day. Click this photo to see more pics in our online gallery.

And after 26 years at Egelabra, Mr Munro operates a finely-tuned jackaroo program. Each year they balance their trainee program with four or five first-years and four or five second-years, as well as a place for a student from Marcus Oldham College, Geelong, in their second year of studies.

“We like to have an older jackaroo with more experience as they can take on more responsibility,” Mr Munro said.

Mr Munro said HE Kater & Son was one of the few places that had increased jackaroo numbers. “We used to have about six or seven but now we have more jackaroos and fewer stationhands,” he said.

“Our policy is to invest in and train the youth because we will need that next generation to invest in agriculture.”

Mr Munro said 50 per cent of the jackaroos that came through the program had family properties to return to, and 25pc were career sheep people and eventually managed properties, while the other 25pc pursued professional careers in agencies or banks.

Mr Munro said he operated by a simple ethos of hard work and respect, two things he hoped the jackaroos left with as he believed it would set them up for life.

“We don’t get too over-complicated with our training; we want it to be enjoyable and a networking experience that will help them for life wherever they go.”

Possibly a future jillaroo Alice Munro, 15, and daughter of "Egelabra" general manager Cam Munro, Warren, who helped out at shearing while the working dog training day was also on at "Colane", Nyngan. Click this photo to see more pics in our online gallery.

Heading up this year’s drop of jackaroos is Max Cameron, 21, Chudleigh, Tasmania, who hails from “Wesley Dale”, a mixed farming property.

Max has already done his time in the top end and a year of study at Marcus Oldham College, but is keen to clock up experience on one of country’s most renowned sheep stations.

Max spent his first 18 months after high school on S. Kidman & Co cattle property Brunchilly Station, north of Tenant Creek in the Northern Territory, where he worked with 55,000 breeders.

He then headed back to Tasmania to work on the family property for a year, which Max said helped him refocus his career direction.

“What you get from the Territory is a strong work ethic, while working at home made me see what I want to get from what I do from here in,” he said.

Last year Max completed a year of a farm management course, with his time at Egelabra to count towards his year-long practical placement.

However, he planned to extend his time at Egelabra to two or three years before completing his third and final year at college.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to take on some responsibility and I want to show my commitment, career-wise.”

Max is based at Eenaweena, where the ram depot for Egelabra Merino stud is located. Work hours at Eenaweena can run from 5.30am to 7pm, dependent on their schedule.

Along with the two jackaroos he works with, Max is kept busy with ram shed duties, with 37 rams in the shed until the Egelabra Merino stud ram sale in October. They also take care of 10,000 Merino sheep across Egelabra and Yanganbil under Kieran McHugh’s management.

Long-term, Max would like to get into farm and business management and eventually return to the family farm.

“From my perspective it’s not just a piece paper, as I feel it’s necessary to have the business skills I am learning for my career in the industry,” he said.

As part of his jackaroo training Max is undertaking his certificate II in agriculture through TAFE, which Egelabra facilitated on property. Studies for the course include butchery, animal health, small motors, dog training and fencing.

Max says he believes the Merino industry is still sustainable in the long term.

“It’s about changing direction to meet the market. Egelabra sheep are already growing heavier, fleeces around the 19 micron mark and cutting seven-odd kilograms, but there is still a lot of superfine wool in Tasmania and that’s not what is making the money,” he said.

Max said one of the best things about working for the company was the ability to go and work on other properties.

“Change is as good as a holiday and it’s good to get, together with all the boys working at the different properties, like we did recently for crutching,” he said.

Lachlan Gregory is the first to admit he was green and "not match fit" when he started working at Belaringar near Nevertire and at Colane near Nyngan under the management of Scott Empringham.

The 18-year-old, who completed year 12 at The Kings School last year and came from the Sydney suburb of Gladesville, has taken the plunge into what is a traditional rite of passage for many city boys for generations.

“Any property, whether it be stud or commercial, was going to be a steep learning curve for me coming from the city,” he said.

“When I first started it was pretty hard going – I definitely wasn’t up to standard at first in terms of fitness for the physical labour straight out of school.

“Nothing was said, I just battled on through it and I got fit pretty quickly.”

Watching Lachlan work his dogs and banter with fellow jackaroos, no one would doubt he wasn’t just another boy from the bush – but his move to the NSW Central West was no rash decision.

Lachlan was interviewed for the position by Mr Munro in mid-2014 and, as part of his primary industries studies at school, he did a week of work placement at Newcastle Waters in the Northern Territory.

He also had family friends on a property at Wellington, NSW, where he had completed work experience during school holidays, which sparked his interest in agriculture.

Lachlan said he was keen to stay in the agricultural industry; however, he was unsure what avenue he would take.

“I’m not sure if I want to go up the top end; there is nothing really there that has got me that keen,” he said.

“The reason I came here over going up north was because there’s variety – with sheep, cattle and farming.

“The jackaroo program here is set up really well, especially for me being quite green.”

Lachlan is studying certificate III in agriculture through the Egelabra and TAFE NSW partnership because he completed the two prior certificates at high school.