3. Let me introduce you to team Bowler.
The Bowlers
L to R . Just peaking out of the big wombat hole is
Pip, then my eldest sister Katherine, Nick in the other
wombat hole and me.
Whilst we don’t see the
wombats too often. Its
pretty hazardous driving a
• The Bowlers picture
tractor where they dig their
burrows especially if they
are hidden in the grass.
Lots of good info on wombats here:
www.sherryfelix.com/Creatures/wombat/wombat
4. My Hobbies
• I play hockey in Albury. I have played since I was 10 years
old. Last season I started playing in senior division and won
the Coaches’ Award for my club which was exciting.
• I breed and show Muscovy Ducks, and a few other types of
poultry, at Sydney Royal and Canberra National Poultry
Show
• I have competed in a number of junior judging and junior
handler competitions for poultry, waterfowl, merino sheep,
meat sheep, grain, fleeces and beef cattle.
• I also like to make things out of metal and have been
studying Metals & Engineering at TAFE as part of my HSC.
5. My Show Successes
2009
• Qualified for the NSW
State Finals in merino sheep,
merino fleece and beef
cattle junior judging and in
beef cattle parading.
• Competed in the NSW State
Junior Poultry Judging.
• Reserve Champion in the
RAS Junior Waterfowl
Judging.
6. Its pretty nerve Sheep judging is a
wracking speaking on popular activity for
the mike during students. The state
judging competitions finals are held at the
but it’s a great skill to Royal Shows in each
learn and gives you capital city. The
confidence purpose is to judge the
appearance of
animals and then to
place (rank) them
based on how they
look. Judging activities
help young people
learn to make sound
decisions and to
defend them by an
oral presentation of
their reasons.
7. Where is Holbrook
• Holbrook is a small town located
in Southern New South Wales
• It is located on the Hume Highway,
356km NE of Melbourne and
491km SW of Sydney between
Tarcutta and Albury.
• In 2006 Holbrook had a
population of 1,336 people.
• The district around Holbrook is
renowned for local produce
including merino wool, wheat and
other grains, lucerne, fat cattle and
lamb.
Source: Wikipedia
8. Where did Holbrook get its name?
• The area was originally inhabited by the Wiradjuri people.
• The explorers Hume and Hovell were the first known Europeans in the area.
They travelled through in 1824 when looking for new grazing country in the
south of the colony of New South Wales.
• The town was originally called Ten Mile Creek and the first buildings
erected in 1836. A German immigrant, John Christopher Pabst, became the
publican of the Woolpack Hotel on 29 July 1840 and the area became
known as "the Germans". By 1858 the name had evolved in to the official
name of Germanton
• Ten Mile Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1857, and was renamed
Germanton in 1875 and Holbrook in 1915.
• During World War I, the town name was deemed unpatriotic. On 24 August
1915 the town was renamed Holbrook in honour of Lt. Norman Douglas
Holbrook, a decorated wartime submarine captain and winner of the
Victoria Cross. Lt. Holbrook commanded the submarine HMS B11.
Source Wikipedia
10. The Story of the Submarine
• To honour Lt. Holbrook the town's namesake, the Holbrook council
acquired a portion of the hull of HMAS Otway, when it was
decommissioned by the Royal Australian Navy in 1995.
• The Navy gifted the fin from the submarine to the town. This resulted
in a drive by the town and district to bid on the whole submarine.
This drive for the purchase of the submarine, was successful in raising
$100,000, almost all a gift from Lt Holbrook's widow Gundula
Holbrook.
• However, this amount was insufficient to purchase all of the Otway.
Through negotiations with the scrap yard in Sydney, the town did
succeed in purchasing all of the outside skin of the Otway above the
waterline.
• This part of the Otway is now displayed in Germanton Park in the
heart of Holbrook, having being dedicated on 7-8 June 1997.
11. Why Young Farmers are so Important.
It is very important for Australia to attract young
people into agribusiness careers as the world
faces complex challenges such as:
• Feeding an ever-increasing world population.
• Farming with less resources that will become
more and more expensive.
• Maintaining and improving the environment in
which we live.
12. Did you Know?
• Over 3 billion people now
rely on food grown
somewhere else and
transported to cities, a
number likely to grow to
around 7 billion by 2050.
• In the next 50 years we will
need to produce as much
food as has been consumed
over our entire human
history.
ww.csiro.au
13. Do you know how many people go
hungry?
• It is estimated that 854 million people in the
world suffer from chronic hunger and
malnutrition. This means that 1 in nearly 7
people do not get enough food to be healthy
and lead an active life, making hunger and
malnutrition the number one risk to health
worldwide.
• About 24,000 people die every day from
hunger or hunger-related causes. Three-
fourths of the deaths are children under the
age of 5.
www.globalissues.org
14.
15. Do you know how scarce water is
becoming?
• Logically most freshwater is used to grow food
and other agricultural crops.
• Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 80% of
global water consumption, and in Africa and
Asia it accounts for 90%.
• To feed a growing world population, it is
estimated that 14-17% more fresh water will
be needed for irrigation by 2030.
http://whyfiles.org
16. •Today, 31 countries face chronic
freshwater shortages.
• In 2025, 48 countries are
expected to face shortages
affecting more than 2.8 billion
people,
•Countries likely to run short of
water in the next 25 years are
Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria,
and Peru.
• Other large countries such as
China, face chronic water
problems.
www.Overpopulation.org
17. And there is more!!!
Add to this the world faces increasing pressure
from
• Population growth.
o currently the world population is 6.8 billion. It is
predicted to be 9 billion in 2040 - a 33% increase
• Rapid urbanisation.
o It is predicted up to 60% of people will live in
urban areas by 2040 compared to 13% in 1900
http://en.wikipedia.org
18. The challenges.
• Firstly we will need to achieve this where
carbon and water have a price.
• And we can no longer simply clear more
forest and farm even more marginally.
• Secondly this is happening at a time when
we are seeing the greatest migration of
people to urban centres.
19. Scary stuff indeed.
“An estimated 4.3 people are born every second
around the world.”
Population Reference Bureau's 2006 World Population Data Sheet
20. So on top of feeding the world we have
the challenge of housing the world.
• Population growth means houses now occupy
prime agricultural land
and as I said before
• Over 3 billion people now rely on food grown
somewhere else and transported to cities, a
number likely to grow to around 7 billion by
2050.
21. Challenging and Complex.
• All of these influences - not to mention
shortages of irrigation water, oil prices, poverty
and civil unrest
22. Agriculture not only feeds us
• Australian agriculture not
only provides food and
materials for domestic
consumption, it also
provides significant
export revenue.
• The agricultural and
mining sectors (10% of
GDP combined)[1]
account for 57% of the
nation's exports.[2]
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/
23. Farmers can make a difference and this
is why I study agriculture at school
• Let me share with you why it’s important and
the opportunities I have had at Billabong High
School to prepare me for a career in
agriculture.
25. It is the continuing teaching of
agriculture that is vital to the future of
Australia.
Our school farm provides a hands-on environment where
we are able to observe and actively participate in its
running.
My studies include
• Understanding how a basic farm operates and how a
small sheep stud works.
• 70 hours of work placement in the agricultural industry
of my choice.
• preparing sheep and cattle for shows.
• Showing school cattle and sheep as well as working with
sheep studs.
26. Our school farm.
• The farm is about 1.5ha in size, with a feed lot
system that can hold up to 10 steers.
• The school runs a small South Suffolk sheep stud
with 15 ewes and 5 breeding rams.
• We grow oats to be used as greenfeed for the
sheep.
• The sheep also have the use of a number of
small paddocks and sometimes the school oval
for grazing.
27. Our school farm
cont..
The school farm also
supplies
opportunities for us
to grow and
harvest our own
crops and to
conduct
experimental trials.
28. Lets talk about sheep
Showing Sheep
• We show South
Suffolk Sheep.
• I am Team Leader for
the Billabong School
show sheep team.
• I am in charge of
feeding and general
care of the sheep.
29. South Suffolk Sheep
The South Suffolk
breed was created by
crossing a Suffolk with
a Southdown.
The South Suffolk first
appeared in New
Zealand during the
1930s in response to
an overseas demand
for leaner meat.
www.nzsheep.co.nz/southsuffolk
31. So where did original Suffolk Sheep
come from? - Suffolk off course
Norfolk Horn Southdown Suffolk
•The Suffolk was developed in England by crossing a variety of horned sheep,
the Norfolk Horn, with Southdown sheep.
•The Southdown gave the breed conformation (its shape and build) and its quiet
temperament, while the Norfolk Horn gave taste and quality to the meat.
32. Time line of Suffolk Sheep
Origins
• 4500BC Neolithic farmers take their livestock, including the
Soay breed, to Britain
• 43AD Romans occupied Britain and took with them their
livestock, including some large, long-woolled sheep
• 1300's Brought another new breed - the Norfolk Horn, a
descendant of the Soay
• 1600's Norfolk's were crossed with Southdowns and originally
known as Southdown Norfolks or Blackfaces.
• 1810 Accepted as purebreds. The name Suffolk was used for
the first time in the early 1800's
www.suffolks.com.au/breedinfo
33. Important dates for Suffolks in Australia
• 1886 The first Suffolks were bought to Australia by Rev.
Samuel Marsden.
• 1887 The breed recognised by the English Royal Society.
• 1903 Suffolks imported from England by Albury sheep
breeder Mr GR Jackson.
• 1904 Flock imported from England by Mr FE Thorneman of
Yarra Junction, Victoria.
• 1914 No 1 Registration was held by "Victoria Stud" of the
Dept of Agriculture Research Farm at Werribee Victoria.
• 1959 Classes introduced at the Suffolk Agricultural
Association Show.
www.suffolks.com.au
35. Catch up on your sheep lingo
• Lambs are young sheep which still have their baby teeth.
• Ewe - a female sheep is called a ewe.
• Ram - a male sheep is called a ram.
• Wether - a castrated male sheep is called a wether. Wethers
are less aggressive than rams.
• Hogget - a young sheep which has cut its 2nd teeth but is not
yet mature.
• A group of sheep is called a flock or a mob.
36. Catch up on your sheep lingo cont..
• Lamb and mutton
Lamb is also the term for the flesh of a young domestic sheep eaten
as food. The meat from a sheep that is older than 12 months is called
mutton.
• Wool
The fibre that most sheep grow is called wool. The wool from one
sheep is called a fleece. Many fleeces from the same farm, wool
pool, region, or state are called a clip.
• Lambing
The process of giving birth to lambs is called lambing. Another word
for birthing is parturition. Another word for pregnancy is gestation.
37. Sheep are smarter than you think.
•New research is suggesting that sick sheep could
actually be smart enough to cure themselves.
•Australian researchers believe that sick sheep may
actually seek out plants that make them feel
better.
•There has been previous evidence to suggest that
animals can detect what nutrients they are
deficient in and can develop knowledge about
which foods are beneficial or toxic.
38. Some fast
facts about
the Australian
Sheepmeat
industry
courtesy of
MLA.
39. Some more
fast facts
about the
Australian
Sheepmeat
industry
courtesy of
MLA.
40. The school shows beef cattle as well.
The school show team attends Sydney, Melbourne
and Canberra Royal Shows, as well as a
number of local shows, each year for stud
cattle and steers.
44. More success at Melbourne Royal Show
Mandayen Limousin and Billabong High School joined forces to
win the prestigious Borthwick Trophy at the 2008 Melbourne
Royal.
The three limousin steers bred at Mandayen were prepared by
the school students and they dominated the steer showing.
The steers were awarded:
• Grand Champion Steer on hoof.
• First place Borthwick team on the hoof and hook.
• 2008 Borthwick Trophy winning team for three purebred
steers.
www.mandayen.com.au
46. Limousin Cattle
Origins of the Breed:
• The Limousin breed originated in a region of central France - rugged,
granite country - where the summers are hot and winters are severe.
• The documented history of Limousin goes back more than 15,000 years to
an area surrounding the French city of Limoges where rough cave paintings
showing the characteristics of the breed have been discovered and carbon
dated. The Limousin herd book was established in 1886.
• Today the Limousin breed can be found in seventy countries from the
northern-most herds of Finland and the Commonwealth of Soviet States to
countries such as Cuba, South Africa and China.
• The Limousin breed is:
o the largest breed in the UK
o the third largest breed in the USA
o the fifth largest breed in Canada
o the seventh largest breed in Australia
www.limousin.com.au
47. Billabong High School at Canberra Show
in 2008. We won grand
champion pure
bred steer.
Not a bad effort!!!
Learn more about judging beef cattle here:
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/beef/breeding/general/objective-measurement-showing
48. Lets talk about ducks.
Remember I also said I breed and show Muscovy Ducks
Here is some info on the breed:
• Breed: The Muscovy
Temperament: females make the best pets
Cost: $15 - 25 for adult female, $30 for drakes, $100 for stud
Muscovies .
• Lifespan: 7 to 8 years.
Recommended for: anyone wishing to keep ducks.
Maintenance: low.
• Muscovies are easily distinguished from other breeds by their
faces which are devoid of feathers, bright red, flashy and
carnunculated (lumpy).
Source www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2000/archives/2000/roadtests/birds/muscovy
50. My sister Katherine is studying
Agricultural Science at Charles Sturt Uni.
Katherine will be going into station
management when she finishes.
51. Farmers are VIP’s
So as you can see:
o Farmers will play an increasingly important role
in ensuring world food security in the future.
o Studying agriculture at school opens lots of
doors and takes you lots of places.
So why not consider an agriculture education
pathway like Katherine
52. Acknowledgements
• School show photos supplied by Mr. Stephen Trickett
Billabong High School Agriculture Teacher
• Dr John Williams, NSW Natural Resources
Commissioner “Our Landscapes, Our Future:
foundations for a democratic civil society”
HUNTER VALLEY RESEARCH FOUNDATION September 2009 LECTURE SERIES
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