Charbray pioneer couldn`t quit - Burnett Charbrays... South Burnett

Charbray pioneer couldn’t quit
By MALCOLM McCOSKER
to grow out and prepare cows and
heifers.
ONG-TIME stock and station
When heifers reach about two years
agent and businessman Jim
they go to the Goomeri country to be
Connolly had been in enough
mated.
saleyards and cattle paddocks to
During the widespread drought,
recognise when a new breed cross
sales of Emjay Charbray bulls, along
was offering a distinct weight and
with most other bulls suppliers, slowed
extra profit advantage.
down.
Lean, intuitive and with a haltThe upside of this is that the
ing vocal delivery that masks
Connollys now have on offer up to 40
scalpel sharp commercial cattle
magnificent Charbray bulls aged from
sense, Jim was among the earliest
18 to 24 months. Following them will
in the country to foresee how the
be another draft of around 60 weaner
use of Charolais bulls over the
bulls, so the opportunity to utilise this
growing Brahman herd in
highly productive bloodline is easily
Queensland would deliver more
accessible.
dollars faster into producers’ pockEmjay also will offer three Charbray
ets.
bulls, two by Gobongo Sumo and one
With his early vision of
by Fernvale Xtra Tough, at the D & G
Charbray cattle derived from these
Livestock 4th annual South Burnett
two great breeds, he set about
Charolais and Charbray bull sale at
using these cattle on a large scale
Emjay Charbray Stud principal Jim Connolly looks over some of his top cows on the Goomeri district property.
Coolabunia saleyards, Kingaroy, on
to attract a wide spectrum of espeThursday, July 31.
sale for five or six years, with many
cially northern Australian cattle
These will be followed by an offerbuyers in that region seeking “Euro
producers who were looking for
ing of five bulls and six heifers at the
content” in their sale cattle, especially
another quality improver in their
Rockhampton Charbray sale in
weaners at centres like Murgon and
well-established Brahman herds.
September.
Toogoolawah.
Before Jim and others sought
Jim lists good temperament as a
With the practical value of Emjay
to use the new Charolais,
major priority in his Charbray cattle.
Charbray bulls gaining wider recogniBrahmans had been around in
“I have been put out of the yards by
tion, big clients in the top end started
Australia for a considerable time,
most breeds and after a few close calls
ordering lines of bulls. These clients
multiplied from a Zebu importation
you get to recognise when a certain
included the Heytsbury group and
in the mid-1930s, followed by
animal might be ready to have a go,”
Western Grazing at Wave Hill.
larger imports of Brahmans from
he said.
Now operating from properties in
the US in the mid-1950s.
“So by selecting for quietness
the Goomeri and Gympie districts, the
When the first Charolais arrived
throughout the breeding program and
Connollys’
home
base
in
Roselea
here at the start of the 1970s, the
These outstanding Charbrays typify the type achieved by the Connolly family’s program.
getting rid of any bad temperament
Avenue on the western outskirts of
Charbray breed took off quickly,
cattle, you can be confident of marketGympie utilises an intensive cell grazWith this new beginning, Jim,
far in one direction.
driven by a registration system of
ing system using 23 separate paddocks ing cattle that you or any client
his wife Mary and sons Michael
Early marketing of the Emjay
recognising the breed as such after
can handle safely.”
on a rotation system and used mainly
and Jamie started marketing their
weaner bull was through a Nanango
the first cross. This was a faster
cattle under the Emjay Stud prefix.
process than the well-meaning but
Now firmly committed to
often complex process of slower
Herd
marketing both high Brahman and
upgrading that developed many
Established
high Charolais content bulls, Jim
other breeds from a meld of
1972
admits he has to keep his wits
Brahman and Bos Taurus strains.
about him to prevent the cattle
Staking his cattle ambitions on
falling too far in either direction.
the Charbray breed, Jim teamed
So it’s necessary to bring back
up with Bill Bishop in the developMonday, 18 August at 11am
high Charolais
ment of Charbray
“Glen
Laurel” Guluguba Qld
content with a high
Farms in Gympie
Brahman percentdistrict, starting with
ET BULLS BY LOPEZ
We had
age bull and vice
a bull from
E Grade Females
Rising 2 years & older
versa.
Narundah Holdings.
decided
not
COMPLETE
DISPERSAL
inc stud sires many by ET
“We now do it all
They later
Cows with calves, cows PTIC, heifers,
to own a cow
with Charbray cows
imported a top
HORNED, POLLED, REDS
HORNED, POLLED, REDS, the lot.
from both end of the
Charolais bull from
Blooded, 3 day, Botulism, 7 in 1
again,
but
by
ANC will then be a totally full French herd
content spectrum,”
New Zealand in
Jim explained. “We
1978 and built up a
BOTSWANA B546F BRUSSELS B534F
1987 or ’88
have only two
large Charbray herd,
we had
Charolais cows and
offering bull buyers a
no Brahman cows
choice of both high
started
up.
so control the
Brahman content
percentages by criss
and high Charolais
crossing. For the
content cattle to suit
past four or five years we have
different environments.
used mainly Charbray bulls after
Seeking a change of direction,
ANC BOWEN B531F ET SIRE EPSOM
using some Charolais and
Jim sold his stock and station
PADDOCK SALE BULLS
Brahman bulls before that.”
agency business to Dalgety (now
ANC
BENDIGO B537F ET
With this method the Connollys
Landmark) in 1985 and the herd
can regularly offer between threewas dispersed.
quarters and one-quarter
“We had decided not to own a
Charolais/Brahman content
cow again, but by 1987 or ’88 we
Charbrays. At times they use a
had started up again and after
SOLD
seven-eighth Brahman bull to go
some time were supplying
TO AYR
Charbray bulls to larger cattle hold- back to higher Brahman content.
CHAROLAIS
Andrew & Norah CASS
It’s a matter of skill in knowing
ings in the northern part of
ANC BELGIUM B412F ET SIRE IMPAIR
FIRST RELIEF son 14mths $22,500
PH (07) 4628 2109
which way to go without falling too
Australia,” Jim said.
L
■
ANC
CHAROLAIS ON PROPERTY SALE
BULLS 120
‘
FEMALES
100
1446446
’
EMJAY PERFORMANCE CHARBRAYS
One of the first, still serving modern needs
Selling: 3 Bulls South Burnett
Charolais/Charbray sale, Coolabunia, July 31
1446892
5 Bulls, 6 Heifers, Rocky Charbray sale, Sept 24
40 Bulls (18-24mths) 60 yearling bulls for immediate paddock sale
Jim Connolly, 49 Roselea Av, MS 183, Gympie • (07) 5482 3429
BEEF ANNUAL 2008 QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE
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