“It’s Australia’s own beef breed, and we’re really proud of that title,” Giorgi Boucher on her beloved Murray Greys.
For the past four decades, the Gippsland Murray Grey stall has taken pride of place at the Lardner Park field days (now Farm World) at the top of the property, just off Burnt Store Road. But that’s all about to change, with a new set-up planned moving forward as RUSSELL BENNETT discovered recently…
Since 1979, the Murray Grey stall has been home to generations of breeders who’ve metaphorically taken ownership of their own small parcel of land during what is now the iconic Farm World weekend.
But now, a new layout is planned – one that would see the Murray Grey breeders relocated elsewhere on the site from where they consider to be their traditional home, alongside a host of other cattle breeders.
It’s a significant move, as Giorgi Boucher explains.
The Gazette first spoke with Giorgi just over four years ago when she was then a vital part of Mike and Vicky Keane’s Ungulla Murray Grey stud at Athlone.
Despite then being a Marist-Sion school student, it was clear that life on the land suited her perfectly.
Taken under the Keanes’ wing, she led Ungulla’s competition program.
“Mum as always been into her horses and she expected me to be into horses as well, but I turned to the dark side – as she says,” Giorgi explained at the time.
“I’ve just found cattle more enjoyable.
“Mum has tried to make me ride all the way through – I’ve been riding since I was two – but I’ve just never really clung to it.
“When I came out here and did this with Mike and Vicky and experienced the atmosphere of everything, I clung to this even more.”
Ungulla was, and still is, heavily involved with societies such as the Murray Grey Beef Cattle Society and Gippsland Murray Grey Breeders with a view to furthering the breed.
And Giorgi is no different.
Now with her own stud, she plays a vital role in the breed at a local level.
Since joining the steer team at Marist-Sion in 2010 and making constant Farm World appearances since, he’s also served as the Murry Grey youth ambassador and been involved with a wide range of local agricultural shows.
She’s been a member of the Parklea Pakenham and District Agricultural and Horticultural Show society since 2014, playing a key role with the Hoof and Hook competition and putting in countless hours behind the scenes to make the show what it is.
Now 20, not only does she breed Murray Grey cattle but she has real aspirations for the future of the agricultural and horticultural society in Pakenham – including welcoming in more young voices to help build the show for the future.
Her involvement with the Murray Grey breed follows the same path.
As part of the group involved in managing the stall at Farm World every year, she’s part of a unique collective that has decades of history and knowledge behind it.
Though she’s only been involved there for five years, herself, she was hoping to have many more at the iconic stall off Burnt Store Road.
But a new era is about to begin elsewhere on the property, and though it’s one of opportunity for growth, it’s also one that comes with a tinge of sadness for Giorgi.
“Being able to display our animals and being able to show the public what we have in our herds, and being able to introduce more people to the Murray Grey breed – that’s always been really special and a big highlight for me,” she said at Farm World earlier this year.
“It’s Australia’s own beef breed, and we’re really proud of that title.”
But that’s not all she loves about the Farm World stall – far from it. That list is almost endless.
“There’s being able to spend time with fellow beef cattle breeders (in the same area of the property) and making memories with them,” she said.
“There’s real team work involved too.”
The Murray Grey group isn’t a large one in numbers, but it’s enormous in its spirit and endeavour.
“We hear people walk past and they say how they used to have Murray Greys as kids and that they loved their heifers,” Giorgi said.
“It’s really nice to hear that Murray Greys have such a rich history and we’re still keeping it strong.
“Everyone in the Murray Greys supports everyone they know, and one of the reasons I was so intrigued and got involved in it was the support they have for the Murray Grey youth. They have a show every year where they give a scholarship away to Texas for six weeks and very lucky people get to go over and represent the breed. It’s just great there’s so much support out there.”
For the past six months or so, Giorgi’s cows have called Melinda Kent’s ‘Kentsie Murray Greys’ at Labertouche home.
She’ll forever be grateful for that opportunity, as she continues saving for her own farm.
“Melinda has given me her bull to service my cow free of charge,” Giorgi said.
“It’s just amazing the support I’ve had, and everyone (involved with the breed) is willing to lend their support.”
Regardless of where the Murray Grey stall calls home next year, and in the years to come, that support will remain.
“I know there are a few people who don’t want to exhibit without their stalls, but yes we’ll definitely all still support each other and be there, and hopefully make it a bit better than what it is now even though it’s pretty good as it is,” she said.
And as for the breed, itself, Giorgi will never stop singing its praises.
“A lot of people are realising the benefits of having Murray Greys in their herd,” she said.
“They’re Australia’s own breed, so they’re built for our country.
“They cope with all the different conditions Australia could throw at them, and a lot of people are realising that now and bringing them in (to their herds) so that’s great.
“There’s a lot of carcass ability in them.
“They’ve got incredible structure to them as well so they’re really good at crossing over with European breeds. They provide the structure and European breeds provide the muscle, so they provide an absolute powerhouse of an animal for your steaks at dinner.”
Moving forward, Giorgi is working on continually developing her own herd and looking for new ways to further the breed.
“I haven’t got my own farm yet, but I’m working towards it as much as I can and just giving as much as I can,” she said.
“I really want to be able to get involved with the youth a lot more than what I am currently, and be able to provide what I’ve had given to me back to them. That’d be great.”
Next year Giorgi will take part in Beef Week as part of the Murray Grey breeders group, and of course she’ll return to Farm World.
But that tinge of sadness will be there.
“I’ve only been here for five years but I love to make the stall here presentable – and to make it the way it is now we’ve certainly come a long way in the time I’ve been here, so I can’t imagine the lengths we’ve gone to in the past 40 years,” she said.
“That’s something I’m really proud of – I’m proud to be able to represent the breed here to people who come and go throughout Farm World, and hopefully we’re able to do that in the new facility and keep it going.”
