ABOUT YARRAWONGA

Dave Bassingthwaighte lays the foundations of the stud and introduces Brahmans into Shorthorn females. The first Santa Gertrudis bull (KRAR Associate) purchased for 800 guineas enters the herd followed by Risdon Banjo purchased at the King Ranch Sale.

Late in the decade Dave Bassingthwaighte draws the 13,634ha, Muldoon Station north of Mungallala. At the same time the family stages its first Yarrawonga Sale, in the Wallumbilla yards where 34 first-cross bulls averaged 212 guineas selling to a top of 405 guineas

Alastair Bassingthwaighte draws the 4371ha Brigalow block, Waco just 95kms from Yarrawonga. This was a significant milestone as it was in close proximity to Yarrawonga and lent itself to a stud cattle operation. The name Waco was chosen for the property and the prefix for the Taroom district property and Alastair moved into his tent ‘homestead’ and began clearing Brigalow.

Alastair marries Louise Cameron and they set up the newly formed Waco Stud. In this period, the operations commenced purchasing top line sires like the $27,000 King Ranch Poseidon and the $23,000 Pampoola K141. Another important selection was the purchase of the immortal, Elgin Downs A25 by Dave and Alastair Bassingthwaighte.

During this period of great change Dave and Mary retired to Brisbane and the two studs were then managed by Alastair and Louise.

Alastair and Louise welcomed their three children, Wendy, David and Andrew into the world, all born within three years.  This decade saw the beef depression where many descriptions of livestock were worthless. Even in these lean times the Yarrawonga and Waco cattle were still able to be sold. To give you an idea, in the depression time 140 bulls grossed $379,850 for an average of $2,713. Showing faith in the industry the family purchased the Taroom district aggregation, ‘Kiah’, neighbouring ‘Waco’.

Huge steps were taken in the profiles of the two studs in both the show and sale arenas.

For two years in succession Elgin Downs A25 was named Santa Gertrudis Sire of The Year.

Alastair and Louise undertook overseas trips to familiarise themselves with global breeding trends.

With the effects of the beef depression well and truly behind the industry and recovery evident in many sectors, the 1988 annual Yarrawonga and Waco bull sale broke through the $1 million barrier, a first for an Australian Santa Gertrudis Breeder.

Breed stalwart and founder, David Bassingthwaighte passes away at age 76.

Further breed confidence was highly apparent when at the 1989 anniversary sale, Yarrawonga Zupert sells for the then breed record $70,000.

Bold moves were undertaken in the early part of the decade and international attention swung the way of the two prefixes when Yarrawonga Xmas collected the World Championship Trophy at the World Santa Gertrudis Congress, Johannesburg, South Africa.

During this decade two of the children, Wendy and David both married.  

Wendy married Scott Ferguson and made ‘Glenview’ Nobby their home and at the latter stage of the decade and early years of the next, welcomed their children, Phoebe, Sophie and Lilly.

David married Suzanne Nobbs and settled at 'Kiah' Taroom. Olivia was born in the last year of this decade followed very closely by 4 siblings, Howy, Tom and twins, Drew and Pip in the early 2000s. 

Confidence in the operations seedstock continued to climb.

At the 2001 sale 184 bulls plus two semen packages grossed $1,223,000 to average $6,575.

In 2008, Andrew married Fiona Edwards and settled at ‘Yarrawonga’ Wallumbilla.  Andrew and Fiona assume the running of the Yarrawonga stud.

The Yarrawonga stud cows are run on properties ‘Waco’, Taroom and ‘Stockade’, Tambo. ‘Dulacca West’ Jackson is utilised for the growing of forage for hay and silage.

This decade also saw Andrew and Fiona welcome their three children, Addison, Jack and Raffaelle. In 2020 the purchase of ‘Lennox Station’ Jericho was purchased to further expand the commercial operation.