A family calling brings Portarlington breeder back to Euroa's yards

The daughter of one of Victoria's most prominent Liberal politicians, Vasey Houghton, Ms Machin inherited his beloved Tarrawarra breeding herd in the late 1980s.

Mr Houghton spent 18 years in the Legislative Council, nine of them as Health and Social Welfare minister, as well as holding the portfolios of conservation and lands.

"His passion was breeding cattle, he started as a farmer before he went into Parliament," he said.

"He came back from the second world war and went onto a property (at Tarrawarra) breeding sheep and cattle and he was a great horseman and very good with animals," Ms Machin said.

"Hopefully I have inherited a bit of that.

"They say, 'like father, like son", I guess it's 'like father, like daughter."

She said she liked breeding cattle, which was of great interest to her.

"There is nothing better than looking at a good mob of cattle in a paddock, they are a very pleasing sight," she said.

Mr Houghton started the Tarrawara herd in 1950, near Yarra Glen with Bongongo Angus, Coolac, NSW, and Barwidgee, Caramut, stock.

She, and husband Val, took over Tarrawarra in about 1992, moving the herd to Violet Town and now to the Bellarine Peninsula

"We knew we had to downsize at some stage, and we were looking around and found a property on the Bellarine, which suited us well," she said.

"We were able to keep some of the Tarrawarra Angus herd, which was great."

The couple now have just over 100 hectares, near Portarlington.

Ms Machin said she and husband Val had spent 34 years at Violet Town and the cattle were well known in the area.

"I had them booked into Euroa because the cattle are well know up there - I am perfectly happy with that," she said.

Tarrawarra Angus cows were now nearly all Pathfinder blood, with some Landfall.

"We have been purchasing bulls from Pathfinder for a good 10-12 years now and they have proven to be very reliable, quiet, productive cattle," she said.

The seasons would dictate where cattle would be turned off, in future - "but I am certainly not averse to sending them to Euroa."

The Machins turned off 26 steers to Euroa's December store sale, keeping the heifers as replacements.

The steers, averaging 337 kilograms, sold for $1130 or 335 cents a kilogram.

Ms Machin said it was nice to start with "good cattle", but the responsibility was to continue that on.

"You want to put the heifers back into the herd, as replacements, so we look for easy 'doiing' cattle, that will put on weight, and I seem to be able to do that," she said.

"As long as your pastures are good and you look after them, the kilograms are easy to put on."

She said she also sought out easy-calvers - "I do like to rest easy at calving time, I can't tell you when I last pulled a calf, not in the last three years, that's for sure."

Steers were turned off at 350-380kg at eight or nine months.

"They people who buy them have generally been able to get them up to 600-650kg in the next twelve months," she said.

Val had renovated pastures at Portlaington, "which is always they key".

"We have very good, black volcanic soil, where we are and gee, it's productive," she said.

The paddocks had been sown down to clover, phalaris and ryegrass.

"The cattle have adapted perfectly well, down here," she said.

The steers may have been a little lighter, this year, due to a dry winter and spring.

"Mind you, the weights are still fine," Ms Machin said.