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Twelve different families, mothering almost 1000 stud ewes annually, to produce true medium wool sheep. |
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Collinsville is run on a commercial basis comprising of 22,000 merino ewes producing 10,000 merino wether lambs |
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Collinsville’s cropping program consists of 3,500 hectares. This consists of wheat, barley, oats, canola, peas and lupins. |
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Irrigation program is run at North Booborowie and is mainly used to background wether lambs coming into the feedlot |
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Expanding operations in agricultural and station areas, and establishing lamb feedlotting for the domestic market |
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Peter has been the manager at Collinsville since the beginning of 2004. Peter began his farming career on leaving school and working on his family property at Cooke Plains in South Australia which was a commercial base operation. In the late 1980's his family expanded and bought land north of Bordertown at Telopea Downs. Peter worked with his family until hard times hit in the early 1990's and decided to begin a career in Farm Management. On leaving his family property Peter took up an Assistant Manager position at Jerilderie in NSW for a two year period. When he was given the opportunity to become Manager on a commercial property at Wangaratta in Victoria. It was here that he really blossomed as a Manager. Peter grew the operation considerably over the 7 year period that he was there and during this time he also managed to complete his Diploma in Farm Management and has also completed courses in Holistic and Leadership management. Peter has an excellent knowlege in commercial farming and this appears to blend in well with our stud classer, Paul Cousins and Stud Adviser David Jones to give a complete team at Collinsville.
As head of the stud’s breeding program, Tim will focus heavily on producing the big, plain sheep with excellent constitution and premium quality, heavycutting medium wools that have made Collinsville a household name across Australia. He said the sheep’s ability to survive and reproduce was the platform to Collinsville’s breeding aims. Tim comes to the position after six years working for Roger and Donna Polkinghorne’s St Arnaud-based Charinga Merino stud, which in recent years has been among the top in national ram sales. While working for the Polkinghornes, Tim was also responsible for the family’s 20,000 head of stud and commercial sheep (both at Charinga and at Banavie Merino stud, Marnoo). Tim said it was a challenge looking after such large numbers of sheep, which had given him the confidence to take on the position at Collinsville, Australia’s most influential Merino stud. “Roger has given me a great insight into breeding quality wools and marketing,” he said. Tim’s passion for stud Merino sheep was ignited as a youngster, growing-up on Orrie Cowie Merino stud, and working alongside his parents Dennis and Heather Dalla and randfather Vic Murdoch, who passed away on January 7. While most of his time was spent on the YP property, at Warooka, he also spent some time on his grandfather’s property at Broomehill, Western Australia. “I was always interested and involved in the Merino stud at home, and got a very good grounding in sheep breeding from my father and grandfather,” Tim said. Schooling finished with two years at Narrogin Agricultural College in WA, followed by two years as a jackeroo, and later stud groom at Uardry Merino stud (under the guidance of manager Chris Bowman), before moving to St Arnaud, Victoria. Tim is recently engaged to Jade Ellen, who has been working in grain research. With Collinsville general manager Peter Whittlesea, coach of the BBH (Burra Booborowie Hallett) A-Grade, there’s no question of where Tim will be playing football.
Paul Cousins began classing at Collinsville in 2003. Paul has brought with him a wealth of knowledge within the Merino Industry and is widely used as a classer throughout South Australia. Paul was raised on a merino stud in the Booborowie district. On leaving school he began work at Collinsville under the watchful eye of Tom Padbury. Between Tom and the well known David Jones, who is now Collinsville’s Stud Adviser, Paul has learnt some wonderful methods on Sheep classing. Paul went from Collinsville to his home property where he managed the merino stud “Oakbrae” with his father until the sale of their property in 1990. It was here that he went onto Assistant Stud Manager at East Bungaree until he formed his own business at the end of 2000. David Jones has been recognised over the years and still is today as one of the leading stud-masters at Collinsville. Beginning his training in 1953 under the close eye of Art Collins it was here that David worked closely with Mr. Collins learning his methods and the art of stud-breeding and stock handling. David is also known for the start of the Star Affair family. Having picked out a ram that was considered to be ‘just a flock ram’ became one of the leading sires in the Collinsville Stud. His progeny still lives on today with his progeny up in this years up coming sale. David is now working closely with Paul Cousins and Peter Whittlesea as “Stud Adviser”. He is the one that asks Paul and Peter all the questions as to how, why, when and where about all the rams that are possible up coming Sires for Collinsville breeding and also the rams that are selected for sale. David is extremely well respected and highly regard at Collinsville, his quiet natural nature with the stock shows the quality that this person holds. |
Tim Dalla – Stud Manager:
