Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Thursday 21 May 1931, page 39


STOCK AND STATION.

(By "Barunah.")

Th« Flock Ram Trade.

Since last writing on tins subject a little move has been done to alleviate the posi-tion of local breeders of stud Meiïno sheep, for deliveries of further rams to back country pastoralists totalling some 419 head have been made. The bulk of these, some 265. went north to the Onslow and Derby districts last week by the Koo-linda. Outstanding among the three drafts which made up this total, was a particularly bulky and attractive line of 100 well grown 1930 drop rams going from the estate of the late Mr. 0. P. Richard-son, of Mianelup, Gnowangerup, to the Bobe River Pastoral Co.. of Yarraloola station, Onslow. Another draft which evoked favourable comment was one of 85 two-year-old rams from Mr. Cliff Ander-son, of Narrawong, Katanning, going for-ward to Messrs. B. H. Sharpe and Co., of Mardie and Balmoral stations. The third consignment, one of 80 two-year-old "flock rams came from Mr. Preston. Mr. Hamer«ley's well known Haseley Bungaree stud at Culham in the Toodyay district. These were sent forward to Messrs. A. G. -and P. Hose, of Quanbun station out from Derby. Two other deliveries have been made this season of which previous mention has not been made. One of these comprised 100 flock rams selected from Mr. H. O. Timms's well known Telyarup stud at Gnowangerup for the Murchison DOWUB Pastoral Co., of Murchison Downs station near Nannine. The other draft was one of SO flock rams from Messrs. Gaze Bros. of Yarrawee, Gnowangerup, which went forward to Messrs. Lawson, Gull and Co., of Fraser Range station, Norseman. These deliveries bring the total number of locally bred rams sold and delivered this season to the 1,600 mark out of a total delivered altogether, including Eastern States rams, of less than 2,000. -

Local Rams for the East.

It is interesting to note that although some 300 rams have come into this State from Eastern Australia this season, th« "ledger'* is to be "squared" during the next few days by the shipment -of some 300 West Australian bred rams to the East-ern States. On not more than two occasions in the past have Merino rams bred in this State been purchased by Eastern States studmen or pastoralists, for shipment from the State, During the next week or BO the Hew Zealand and Australian Land Co^ of the well known Tootra stud in the Wale-bing district! east of Moora, will ship a consignment of 300 selected rams from this State to Eastern Australia. Many yean ago a draft of Tootra rama was sent East to do service on one of the company's pas-toral holdings and so successful were the results and so favourably did those rams compare with those which the company had been using that it has been consider-ed advisable, despite the heavy expense, to make the shipment referred to above. This is certainly a "feather in the cap" of West Australian stud Merino sheep-breed-ers as a* whole and the Tootra stud in par-ticular. Those who have had the opportun-ity of watching the progress made in the Tootra stud during the past six years were not at all surprised at the sweeping vic-tory associated with the company's initial bid at the Perth Royal Show last year. Nor will they now be surprised at the news contained in this paragraph. The rams which' will be sent away will assured* ly be a great advertisement for ^the styi Merino sheep-breédîng mdusfry in this State and it is hoped that they will give

the results so confidently expected of them.

The l-atè Mr. A. R. Richardson.

There are few people associated with primary production, in this State who do not deplore the passing away of one of the now very few "grand old men" of the Îiastoral industry of Wèstéru Australia, the ate Mr, A, R; Richardson. The late Mr. Richardson's' associations with the pastor* al and agricultural development of this State dates back to 1866 and the 66 years of his life spent here were busily employed. His was a life of great service and Western .Australia has not failed to give due recog-nition and appreciation to the fact as has been evident from the eulogistic .writings which have appeared _in almost all sec-tions of tha loca) Press during the ¿past fortnight. The late Mr. Richardson came from England originally with , his father, the Rev. T. E. Richardson, M.A., settling first at Portland,' Victoria. After leaving school in Victoria, at the age bf 17, he journeyed to. North-West Australia as a member <>t the Portland Squatting Com-pany. He had a long experience of the

North-West, and during his lifetime was associated {with such now well-known sta-tions as Pyramid, Mardie, Boodarrie, and, in more recent years,. Dalgaranga and Mur-chison Downs. He still detained an in-terest in these two latter Murchison sta-tions at the time of his death. His in-terest in the Gnowangerup district shows clearly to-day in the excellence of the family holdings there, including Telyarup, owned by Mr, H. 0. Timms (son-in-law); Miane-lup, owned by his. daughter-in-law (Mrs. O. P. Richardson) and her sons; Strath-aven, owned by Mr. R. G. N. Richardson (son); Gidgie, owned by Mr. E. H. Rich-ardson (son), and an adjoining property owned by his nephew, Mr. G. E. P. Wellard

After leaving the Pyramid station in 1876, the late Mr. Richardson made bis home at The Lowlands at Serpentine, where another of his sons. Mr. Rupert Richardson, lives to-day. In addition to a valuable life in the pastoral and agricul-tural areas, he further served the State in a practical manner in politics, and was a member of the late Lord Forrest's second Cabinet, of which only one member sur-vives him. His office was Minister for Lands from 1894 to 1897. as a member for the Northern District in the Legislative Council. Of his family of 12 sons and

daughters, nine survive him, these inclue ing Mesdames W. L. Dartnall (Soutl Perth). T. O. Marchant (Wickepin), H O. Timms (Gnowangerup), the Misses N and L, Richardson, and Mr, Lennox Rich ardson, in addition to those mentionei

above.

Fat Sheep Market.

Despite a yarding of 8,958 sheep ani 2,795 lambs, ' representing an increase o some 2.600 head on the previous week': offering, values for sheep and lambs showec a firm, all-round improvement of about 2; per head at Midland Junction on Wednes day last. A feature of the sale was ai exceptionally attractive draft of 1,000 Me rino wethere from the Eastern Goldfields sent in by the .Yundamindera Pastoral Co. of yundamindera'' station, Murrin Murrin These returned the owners a 20/8 average Also from the pastoral areas came a good consignment of 280 wethers from Mrs. F P. Mitchell's Wondinong Station, neal Payneville, these .selling up to 19/. and i draft of 330 wethers from Messrs. A. Goerling and Sons,, of .Marloo Station, Wuraga. The choicest local sheep, though rathei too weighty £o bring their true worth, were included in the consignment sent in by Messrs, T. and J. H. Lavender, of Wil-liams. These were outstanding, and real-ised up to 22/7, averaging 22/S for 7C

head.

It was interesting t& see the first of thu season's consignments from Messrs. J. C. Butcher's Nangetty station, at Mingenew. There were 400 in the line, and were a splendid draft; bringing up to. 22/1 and averaging 21/5. The New Zealand and Australian Laád Co.'s -consignments oí Corriedale cross lambs and hoggets from Tootra station were much admired. \ The i5é5 lambs made up to 22/,-and.averaged 19/«, while the 192 hoggets madeup to 22/4 Land averaged- 22/3. rMr. Levi îutçbèr, oï Kallaroo;' Berkshire Valley, further adver-tised the Moora district with another draft of his Border Leicester cross hoggets, which made up to 22/, as did a draft of English Leicester-cross hoggets from Mr. D. E. Grant, of Moonyoonooka, Geraldton. It Was an interesting -yarding, ¿nd one out-standing for the quality of the sheep and

lambs offered.

The Late Mr. James Munro.

The pastoral industry suffered another loss, during last week when the death oc-curred of Mr. James Munro, at Hove, Sussex, England. Though he spent most of his time after 1922 in England, the late Mr. Munro was closely associated with the

development of the northern pastoral areas of this State. He first visited the north-west in 1888, and in 1890 secured an interest in Doorawarrah station, now owned by Mr. R. J. G. Burt. After many years spent in developing Doorawarrah, the late Mr. Munro secured the well-known Pallinup Estate at Gnowangerup, but sold, it to Slr. David Stewart, from whom it was purchased as a soldiers' settlement area. After selling Pallinup, deceased purchased Balmoral station in the Fortes-cue district, but later sold this to the late Mr. S. P.. Mackay, from whom the present owners, Messrs. B. H. Sharpe and Co., obtained it. He next confined his in-terest to Doorawarrah until 1922, when he sold out to Mr. Burt and retired to England. He returned again about three years ago and acquired an interest in the well-known Carnarvon station, Lyndon, the erstwhile property of the late Mr. Henry Twitcher!.-Returning to England then, he remained there until his death. His widow, a son and two daughters sur-

vive him.