After almost two decades, Egelabra Merino Stud has paid tribute to long-term farm manager Rob Job, who retired recently.
Rob, who's commonly described as "one of the nicest people you'll ever meet", grew up on his family farm near Tullamore.
After his schooling years, Rob returned home to the family farm, where his dad taught him to get out of bed early, work hard, and drink a glass of milk every day.
He then worked throughout the district, including as a builder in Narromine and earth mover in Nyngan, before finding his true passion back on the farm.
Rob spent 12 years at the Shepherd family's, Baroona, Narromine, as the farm foreman in an intensive, large-scale irrigated vegetable production operation.
It was during this time he also married Chris, and had two children - Nicole and Robbie.
After the Shepherds sold their farm in 1989, Rob continued to grow his career as a farm manager working for Agricultural Investments Australia (AIA) on their properties, Wirrigai, Nundah, Kianga and Nigawalla in the Narromine district and at Gunnadilly at Quirindi.
In 2000, the family moved to New Merrigal at Collie where they spent eight years before Rob joined Egelabra as the farm manager in March 2008.
During his time at Egelabra, Rob cropped 6000 to 7000 hectares of dryland annually, growing wheat, barley, canola, faba beans and chickpeas.
He also managed the irrigation of pasture in the earlier days and cashed in more crops on irrigation in the later years.
Rob formed a great team with agronomist Glen Orman, and together, they grew some outstanding crops.
Egelabra general manager Cam Munro remembered Glen saying to him: "Don't let this fella go, sign him up" when he mentioned Rob had applied for the farm manager position.
Rob and H E Kater and Son Pastoral Company (HEK) director, Malcolm Kater, would share many kilometres together driving around the HEK farms, planning the year ahead during his years at Egelabra.
He also had a very good eye for livestock, Cam said.
"On many of his trips around the farms, he would have great input into management, in his kind way, he would let me know which mob he thought should be moved," Cam said.
"Rob is an excellent communicator, which flowed through from the director right through to first-year jackaroos."
He was a seven-days-a week worker who made sure that chemicals, seed, and fuel, did not hold anyone up.
"He is a kind and caring person who would never say 'no' to helping anyone," Cam said.
"We wish Rob and his family all the best in his well-deserved retirement".
Never to keep a good man down, Rob will now continue his association with Egelabra on a casual basis.
"With their son Robbie, they now reside in Nevertire; keeping busy with house renovations.
"He has come full circle," Cam said, referring to his first job as a chippy.
For a very busy man, he enjoys a recreation that is both relaxing and reflective.
"When Rob has some downtime, he loves to throw a fishing line in; on his resume, he wrote 'when time permits'," Cam said.
"Rob, we hope you have plenty of time now to enjoy reeling in."
