The Farrer Angus Stud was established in 1975 by the donation of heifers from leading northern studs including Bald Blair, Ben Nevis, Calleen, N’goora, Tia Walla, Lianillo and Booroomooka. The Ben Nevis Heifer, Ben Nevis Kiwi T51 by Coomooroo Q Crusader has had the greatest influence on the herd and has given rise to the more prolific family line within the herd. The Bald Blair stud provided bulls for use by the fledgling stud in the mid seventies with Bald Blair Tasman and Bald Blair Husk having particular influence. Artificial Insemination was also extensively used from the beginning years with sires coming from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and North America.

 Likewise Objective Measurement and performance recording have been used from the start. Farrer Prefix cattle appear regularly in Angus Group Breedplan trait leader lists and as ribbon winners at regional shows and Sydney Royal. They have regularly brought some of the highest prices at the National Show and Sale at Wodonga and New England Angus Breeders sale at Tamworth. Since 1990 Farrer bulls have been purchased by breeders from all Australian states. Farrer Angus is a signatory of the Angus Breedplan code of practice and was a certificate of excellence Awardee in the 1995 NSW Seedstock Producer of the Year competition.

Farrer’s breeding objectives target needs of the commercial sector with selection based on Fertility, Growth, Scrotal Size, Eye Muscle area, Intra Muscular Fat, frame size and structural soundness. Farrer continues to extensively utilise Artificial Insemination to access the worlds leading Angus genetics, however the stud avoids using extreme or high Birth weight sires and is now starting to make greater use of Australian bred sire lines to help achieve these objectives.

The Farrer Angus Stud continues as an ‘educational stud’ and plays a major role in the delivery of our vocational program. In particular, the herd is now managed in conjunction with the Certificate III Beef Production course offered at this school. Farrer is the only school in NSW accredited to offer this course. Students enrolled across Years 11 and 12 are actively involved in all aspects of the herd’s operation and management.

Farrer currently leases 450ha, running 150 Herd Book Registered cows and we host our own ‘on property’ Bull Sale. The stud is managed as a commercial herd with the bull sale being hosted by our Year 12 Beef students as part of their course assessment.

The Farrer Angus Stud also has direct links with industry and is able to offer scholarships and employment prospect to our students through these contacts.  From the original donated cattle, the Farrer Angus Stud continues to make a significant contribution to the Beef industry, through the breeding and supply of competitive seed stock and equally as important, through the skills based training of students seeking future employment and involvement in our livestock industries. Farrer was named winner of the VET in schools Excellence Award at the 2007 NSW training awards in recognition of its innovative training programs including Primary Industries, ‘Cotton Seeds’ and the Certificate III Beef course.