Fifty years with Elders livestock agency

Reflecting upon his half century as a livestock agent with Elders, Brian Maher points to the three attributes he thinks beyond question when establishing and keeping a clientele - honesty, reliability and meeting deadlines.

Brian also added the pleasure of working outdoors with families on the land and helping them achieve their livestock goals.

"It was such an enjoyable job, attracting clients and building friendships," he said.

"Most of my clients became very good friends and they still are.

"There were only five days I didn't go to work in those fifty years but I don't remember what they were for."

Brian's family had a farm south of Wagga Wagga, which unfortunately his father had to sell.

"He was left with death duties, probate in those days was onerous and all Dad got out of the farm was a Holden motor car, by the time he had paid the probate," Brian said.

Brian was only a very young boy when he moved to Wagga Wagga, with his sister and parents.

He attended what is now called the Henschke Catholic Primary School before his secondary studies at the Christian Brothers High School, each in Wagga Wagga.

Upon graduation, Brian started his career in the stock agency industry as a booking clerk with Dalgety's in 1969, and operating out of the old saleyards which were then situated in Travers Street, Wagga Wagga.

"I started the day the man walked on the moon," he said.

When he joined Dalgety's, Brian was told he would be specialising with the livestock team, but they moved him to the merchandising section which didn't please him.

"I didn't want that so I joined Elders in their livestock team, and they doubled my pay to $64 a fortnight," he said.

"I wanted to stay with livestock and the money was better."

His interest in becoming an livestock agent had been formed when growing up and working during his school holidays alongside his cousins on their family farms.

"I would have loved to have gone on the land and I didn't have the opportunity, but I've been happy with what I have done," Brian said.

"I have bought a couple of little farms in the meantime and struggled through when interest rates went up to 18 percent."

Brian credits Sel Nicholls, who was manager of Elders and who gave him the job, as having an impact on his career during his formative years.

"Sel Nicholls used to say there are three things to remember in life - you won't see a ugly baby, the won't see an unhappy bride and you won't see an agent who made a bad sale.

"Any sale is a good sale, you might not like the price but you made the sale.

"He was such a great mentor, and another was Pat Grace when he was the area manager for Elders.

"In those days you knew where you stood, when you got a kick up the backside or was told to jump and you asked how high or how soon - kids today don't understand that, it is certainly different today."

Other mentors recalled were Athol Kanaley, Roger Honner and Tom Heffernan all from Junee.

What have been the biggest changes he has seen in fifty years with Elders?

"I started by booking a sale by hand and now it is all computerised," Brian said.

"I was also the first Level One sheep and cattle assessor with CALM (Computer Aided Livestock Marketing) before it became AuctionsPlus, and the only one in Australia for a fair while.

"I was pushed by Elders to do that but I thought I would become vulnerable, that I would lose all of my clients who were all over Australia."

Not wanting to do the national job, Brian instead concentrated on servicing his loyal clients across the Riverina.

"Forming the relationship with clients is the most critical part of your job," he said.

"I always ask the young people who come into the business, what are the three most important things of becoming a good livestock agent?

"And they all say they want to be a good judge of livestock, you've got to be this, you've got to be that - I say no, you've got to be honest, you've got to be reliable and you've got to be on time, and you have to listen."

A fond memory is attending Parliament House in Canberra when one of his clients, Bill Heffernan made is maiden speech after being elected to the Senate.

Brian was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to agriculture by then prime minister John Howard.

He had been recommended by Bill Heffernan, who had witnessed Brian supporting clients through the tough years of the 1980's.

"There were droughts, fires and low prices," Brian said.

"I was only doing my job, but it was tough, and I was helping my clients and friends as best I could."

Brian has judged led steers at the Melbourne Show, sold pigs at Junee for ten years when many farmers had a couple of sows, and exported train loads of wethers to Tailem Bend in SA destined for the Middle East.

"It was a good business and we were getting a guaranteed price for our wool," he recalled.

"For seven or eight years I would take a small bus load of buyers to the Omeo weaner sales in March where lines of beautiful Hereford weaners would be bought and finished on grass.

"That was before the rise of the feedlots."