FEATURE
Currawong "The values we cherish most in agriculture are honesty, integrity, solid relationships, hard work, a good attitude and above all –family."
Photography: Edwina Robertson
Jill and Denis Conway walk the talk. Their property, Currawong, at Taroom in Queensland is very much a family business. The couple, together with daughters Olivia Martin (nee Conway) BB(Ag)’14, Sally Edwards (nee Conway) AssocDFBM’18, son Ben, and their spouses, have run their property and are now implementing the family succession plan, together. “The three children did the succession planning, choosing which property they would inherit, allowing them the certainty of expanding nearby if the opportunity presents. Our fundamental belief about providing for the future of the next generation is to multiply the pie, not divide it, and expand family ownership by parents retaining first mortgage. It is our lifelong ambition for our children to continue their farming heritage and pass that privilege on,” Denis said.
“Marcus equips its students with not only a deep theoretical understanding of primary production but, more importantly, with a set of business skills which ultimately governs the graduates’ way of thinking and approaching the real-world, post-Marcus. I was always attracted to this aspect prior to becoming a student of Marcus Oldham, however, it is now as a graduate that I truly value it,” she said. Sally cites the domestic and international tours as highlights, and credits her favourite lecturers, including Andrew Mackay, David Cornish and CJ (Campbell Jeffrey) - with opening her eyes and mind. Sally and Olivia agree on one lecturer’s impact in particular - Ian Farran.
With the next and fifth generation’s combined skill set of daughters as Marcus graduates in Farm Management and Agribusiness, son a diesel mechanic, and in-laws a helicopter pilot and social worker, they make for a complementary and effective team.
“Seeing Faz return, again, was a shared period of joy,” said Sally.
Sally, who happens to be married to another Marcus graduate, Charlie Edwards DipAgri’18, feels lucky to have lived the Marcus experience.
“Faz was an engineering genius,” agreed Olivia. Olivia found Marcus gave her an ability to understand
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