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VALE
Keith Hawkins
Keith Hawkins served as Australian Poll Hereford Society president during the 1964 World Congress in Sydney.
HEREFORDS AUSTRALIA
Keith Hawkins devoted much of his life to fostering the whiteface breed in Australia. Born in 1932 at Finley, NSW, Keith was one of five children raised at “Springfield” by Stanley and Elsie Hawkins. Born and bred into Poll Herefords, Keith was showing the cattle breed by the time he left school. Springfield, one of Australia’s most successful Poll Hereford studs during the 1960s, was established at Finley in 1952 by Stan Hawkins. Keith took home his first major grand champion ribbon just two years after the stud was founded. Under his father’s guidance, Springfield won 66 bull and female championships at Sydney and Melbourne royal shows. The stud was moved to Tumbarumba, NSW, in 1983 by Keith and his son Dallas. Springfield was one of the first Poll Hereford studs in Australia to import semen in 1973, paying $30,000 for sire, Justamere Tru-Duke 628A. The following year the stud grossed $282,400 and topped at $20,000 at its annual on-property sale.
The stud paraded champion and grand champion bulls at Sydney during 1958 and 1959, 1961-65, and was the most successful exhibitor for nine years. At Melbourne, Springfield exhibited seven grand champion bulls in successive years. While serving as Poll Hereford Society president in 1964, Keith helped stage the World Poll Hereford Congress in Sydney. He served as the society treasurer and sat on the Poll Hereford Council for 10 years. As a judge, Keith assessed Herefords, Poll Herefords, Angus, Charolais, Simmentals and Limousin cattle at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand royal shows, along with the Dubbo National Show. Keith was also a keen sheep breeder and at one time had four different sheep studs, breeding Dorset Horns and Poll Dorsets. Keith died on July 21 aged 87 and is survived by his wife Anne, and children Dallas, Shelley, Amanda and Kim. Contributed by the Hawkins family
Phyllis Isabel Webb purchasing genetics in the Holbrook district from Ohio, Dunoon and Wirruna Phyllis Isabel Webb, the Hereford breed’s studs. oldest living commercial breeder, passed With the introduction of performance data, away on September 7 at the age of 101. she bought Hereford bulls to improve her Isabel, as she was preferred to be known, herd’s genetics and temperament. was born to Mr and Mrs PJ Webb, “Moredi Isabel was proud of her cattle. Where Yallock’’, Traralgon, Victoria, in 1917. possible she attended the January weaner Her grandfather, Sydney Webb, was the sales and sales of her surplus stock editor of The Age and an agriculturalist throughout the year. running the largest Shropshire sheep stud Her weaner steers in recent times were of the time. often near market toppers on a cents per Her maternal grandfather, PT Heywood, kilogram basis. trained at Flemington the 1919 Melbourne Isabel Webb had an In her 100th year she was acknowledged Cup winner, Artilleryman, interest in Hereford cattle as possibly the oldest living commercial spanning almost a century. Isabel maintained Shropshire sheep on her Hereford breeder. property until the late 1980s and always had a keen interest in horses including polocrosse, pony Isabel was a member of her local church council, an active member of the Liberal Party, NSW Farmers Association club and equestrian events. The family moved to the property “Woorinyan” at Morven, and Landcare. NSW, when she was three and they ran sheep and cattle. She was awarded a long service medal and life After completing school, Isabel returned home to work membership of the Cookardinia Fire Brigade for over 70 on the family property carrying out farming duties, years of membership. mustering sheep and cattle on horseback, book keeping, Isabel retained her driver’s and gun licences well into her 90s and caused great surprise when at 99 she was and did her own book work well into her elderly years. In 1974 at the age of 57, Isabel took on the ownership of assisted into the Services NSW office to have her gun licence renewed. a portion of the family’s property known as “Boongarra”. As well as running Merino sheep, she also took over and Isabel was able to live on at the farm with assistance from managed the Shropshire sheep stud her grandfather had family, particularly her niece Cecily and the Lutheran originally established at “Holly Green’’, Narre Warren, Aged Care, until 99 years old. She spent her last couple of years at the nursing home Victoria. Isabel continued the family’s strong interest in Hereford section at the Culcairn Hospital. Contributed by Cecily Trickett cattle, founded on the Wright family bloodlines and