Committee Details
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Name: Belinda Rowbotham Role: Coordinator & Producer “Kateroy” Longreach Phone: 0488 410 976 admin@kateroy.au |
Belinda has been in the pastoral industry since the late 80s, developing an appreciation for the durable sheep. Belinda believes through continual education the sheep industry has an important part to play in our rural economy and environment. Having experienced the wool floor price crash to increasing wild dog numbers, and now increasing awareness of the natural fibre, Belinda is excited for the future, seeing ongoing industry resilience matched with innovations such data utilisation, livestock handling and environmental management.
While living on the family property ‘Kateroy’, Belinda and her partner raised their 3 children. Being a part of the Longreach community, Belinda has enjoyed and valued learning and collaborating, and the opportunities this has given the region and her children to thrive. Realising we are stronger together, Belinda has contributed to our industry by staying active in GroWQ, Show Society and Agforce, also working part time at the local DAF office. Belinda looks forward to contributing to these opportunities as the North and Central West Leading Sheep Coordinator, for our region’s prosperity. |
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Name: Millie Sheales Role: Extension Officer DPI Longreach Phone: 0428 102 841 millie.sheales@daf.qld.gov.au |
Millie’s experience with the wool industry started with wearing scratchy woollen jumpers to keep warm camping in the Snowy Mountains and has evolved to a deep love of the superfine products that exist today. Having been knitting woollen socks since the age of 12 and evolving into jumpers for her nephews, Millie’s love of the product continues to grow. Family ties brought Millie to the region in 2022 and her admiration of western Queensland woolgrowers who are committed to learning and improving their practices and what they produce has grown since then.
Millie initially studied marine science at JCU Townsville and took away great enthusiasm for managing water in the landscape. This love of water and managing catchments eventually flowed into an interest in working with those who manage the land, which led her to complete her masters degree in agricultural science at Gatton, with a specific interest in pasture management and soil carbon. Millie’s projects within the DPI include Grazing Futures Livestock Business Resilience, Leading Sheep and supporting the Making Maidens Weight Producer Demonstration Site. |
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Name: David Counsell Role: Producer “Dunblane” Barcaldine Phone: 07 4651 2498 davidjcounsell@bigpond.com |
David, with his wife Genevieve manage and operate Dunblane, a grazing property predominantly running a wool or merino self replacing sheep flock on the eastern edge of the Mitchell Grasslands of western QLD at Barcaldine. Current focus is on improving the fertility of the properties merino sheep flock. The Dunblane flock is currently one of the demonstration flocks involved in a MLA PDS focused on adopting new management technique that will lift lamb marking rates, particularly in maiden ewes. |
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Name: Amy Ownes Role: Producer “Somerset” Longreach Phone: 0428 867 812 amyelmac@outlook.com |
Amy grew up on her family’s sheep and cattle property north of Longreach and has been involved with livestock and the running of the property for most of her life. Amy completed a Bachelor of Applied Science at UQ in 2011, following which she was employed as a livestock nutritionist at Stocklick Trading in Roma. After a year of travelling and working in USA and Canada, Amy returned to the Longreach district where she spent the next few years working at home and for other graziers as well as a further 2 years remotely for Stocklick Trading.
Amy and her husband Dave are based on “Somerset” south of Longreach and run a self-replacing merino flock and crossbred goat operation. They are data-driven producers with a keen focus on benchmarking the business through financial KPIs, managing flock productivity through individual fleece values and reproduction so that any animal remaining on the place is profitable. An exclusion fence erected in 2017 has made a vast difference to ease of management, productivity and land recovery with much more control over predators, grass retention, stock numbers, land condition to list a few. |
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Name: Greg Hunt Role: Australian Wool Network Longreach Phone: 07 4658 2842 ghunt@woolnetwork.com.au |
Greg has spent around 35 years working in the sheep and wool industry as a woolclasser, shearer and sheep and wool training. He currently lives in Longreach and has done for 22 years and present role is working for Australian Wool Network in the North Queensland sheep production area as a sheep and wool advisor and livestock salesperson. |
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Name: Alison Krieg Role: Producer”Benalla” Blackall Phone: 07 4657 5069 kr1eg@bigpond.com |
Alison runs a merino sheep and beef cattle operation at “Benalla” in the Blackall district. She completed a Certificate of Woolclassing at Warwick TAFE under the tutelage of Des Humphries and was greatly influenced by his passion for merino wool. Alison believes that wool has a bright future but is concerned by the mounting challenges of wild dog predation and lack of young people entering the industry. |
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Name: Jim King Role: Producer”Willowen” Longreach Phone: 07 4658 9122 jaraa@bigpond.com |
Jim and his wife, Lou, live on Willowen, south of Longreach, which they purchased in 1988. They have 3 adult children.
Since purchasing Willowen, Jim has focused his efforts on sheep and wool production. He also runs some beef cattle. Jim attended an SRS workshop in 1995, and in 2000 changed his sheep breeding practices. In 2006 mulesing was stopped. In 2010 he added ASBV’s to his criteria when selecting rams. A dog fence was erected during 2017/18 and Willowen is now completely fenced. With these changes over the years productivity is increasing. Jim believes that the control of predators and pests must be a priority for everyone, not only in the district, but state as well. He also believes that, for the sheep and wool industry to advance, we must evolve and change with technology. |
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Name: Samantha Brownlie Role: Producer “Arno Station” Yaraka Phone: 0447 043 669 mjsmbrownlie@gmail.com |
For the last 3 years, Samantha and her family (which now includes four children) have been managing a Merino breeding opportunity near Yaraka, enjoying the transition back into wool sheep after some time in the gulf.
Samantha loves the wool industry and the final product, getting excited by the prospects of improving the flock’s fleeces, genetics and reproduction rates. Improvements in lamb making rates since becoming nearly 100% exclusion fenced has been gratifying, making a significant difference to managing predation and total grazing pressure. Samantha’s business is part of the RWS program for holistic management practises and they are excited to be exploring regenerative methods. They will look at implementing the ecological outcome verification (EOV) methodology with the plan to increase resilience in the landscapes as well as value add and increase returns for their wool product. Merinos are a great fit for Samantha’s family-based operation, which allows the kids to be involved and learn valuable livestock handling skills in a safe environment. |