Drought Management—The Australian Way

Item Type text; Article

Authors McCartney, Duane

Citation McCartney, D. (2000). Drought management—the Australian way. Rangelands, 22(3), 3-6.

DOI 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v22i3_mccartney

Publisher Society for Range Management

Journal Rangelands

Rights Copyright © Society for Range Management.

Download date 29/09/2021 18:59:49

Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Version Final published version

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/639218 June 2000

oger and Semy Landsberg have been instrumental in initiating the formatian of the new and exciting I_., Drought Management- I FtAustralian Land Care Movement-a producer driven organization that promotes sustainable range management in 1 .. . Australian Way the harsh environment of the Australian outback. The :.:b '- ;# ;# ?i' Landsberg's operate an 80.000 acre cattle station-that's ;&~otosby Duane McCartney Australian for a really big ranch-in the outback of Queensland, Australia. During the past few years Roger and Jenny have been practicing conservation grazing management while maintaining a profitable and sustainable cattle operation during their 10 years of drought. My wife and I are part of a group of range scientists and Iand managers from Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Nepal, Britain and North America, who were invited to stay on the Landsberg's Trafalgar Station for two days to experience life in the Australian outback. Roger and Jenny's Trafalgar Station has been in the family for over 80 years. Roger's grandfather bought it fully stocked in 1913 with 3,000 cattle and 300 horses, one man-made water facility and one divisional fence which virtually halved the prope~ty.Thy Trafalgar Station is an excellent example of how an Ausualian outback sration can be managed as a sus- tainable enterprise even after 10 years of the worst drought in the history of the region. Our group heads inland! from Charter Towers, an old gold mining town, about a six bow drive south of Cairns, Australia. As we head into the outback, the pavement narrows to one lane. Vehicles pull over to the duz shoulder as the big cattle trains go roaring by. That's three 40 foot double decker cattle liners all hoohd together and pulled by one tractor--and they really move! We are traveling in the eucalyptus savanna graz- ing lands. Grassy understory dominates the region with pock- ets of open grassland. The area is predominantly tussock grasses with a wide range of surnmer annual grasses, forbs and native legumes. Soils are poor and severely deficient in phosphorus. When it rains, as it has during he past two yean. the region can receive 500 to 700 mm. However. rainfall is extremely variable between years and 80% falls between December and April (AusuaIia' s summer). Our bus now turns onto a narrow gravel road. The only indi- cation of civilization is a simple 'Trafalgd sign at the road junction. Hdf-an-hour passes and we find ourselves at a lone- ly cattle gate. Once through, the road leads to an open grazing area and in the distance we can see the windmill and yard site of the Landsberg's TrafaIgar Station. After formal introductions are made, our hosts and their three young cbildren show us to our tent accommodation with large air mattresses and heavy sleeping bags. It is winter in Australia and temperarures can get down to freezing. Jenny E and Roger, besides operating a grazing operation, are also part of the American "People to People" program, where American students spend two nights on a "real" Australian cartle station during their three week journey from Sydney to Cairn. This year they have already hasted.500 students-a tour bus load at a time. The Landsberg family has greatly improved Trafalgar Station since 1913 when one fence divided the property in half. Today there are I50 miIes of fence, 50 grazing paddocks, many developed water sites, working cmlsind an electronic RANGELANDS 22(3) scale and electric cattle identification confessed, that Roger and Jenny's station herd. Thy 15 to 20% of Roger's sta- system. Apparently Roger is one of a experience was the best part of their entire tion is spelled each year on a rotational very few innovators in all of Queensland Australtan trip. basis. With the many divisional fences using electronics and computers to man- In th~early days the station was in this is relatively easy. Through the com- age a station. open forest country. This allowed for bined benefsts of conservation stocking We all pile into two Cwheel drive easy "mustering" (that's Australian for and resting paddocks. there is a notice- Toyota land cruisers and head to the roundup). Now pan of the region is in able change in the density of prennial grazing paddocks-the biggest being dense shrub cover. This is the legacy of grasses on Tmfalgar compared to the rest 18,000 acres. Roger checks his watering "no fire" for brush control program of of the *n. sites once a week. It's a S@rnile circuit the 1970s and 1980s. Roger has re-intro- In the pat, Roger has cleared eucalyp- for him and I thought that I had a lot of duced fire as an important management tus regrowth using a 600 ft. off shore oil pasture to watch back home in Canada! tool on Ttafalgar. Opponents of "burning rig anchor chain pulled between two We head down a dirt trail, through the off' argue that it is a waste of grazing re- large caterpillar bulldozers. The process eucalyptus woodlands and gazing area. source to "spell" (that's Australian for proved to be too expensive as the con- Rere is plenty of dried grass under the resting a paddock for a year] and the trol of tbe sucker regrowth had to be eucalyptus tree canopy. Australia has grass could be better utilized by gazing done every six to eight years. Roger over 300 different kinds of eucaIyptus stock. This is true in the short term but now maintains about 20% of the total trees and some types are the sole food Roger is managing for the long term and area of Trafalgar as cleared grazing source for the famous Koala bears. is willing to accept these "perceived" land. The balance remains in the native Roger brings the American students out sacrifices. Roger tells our pupthat fire state. to this area on the station to demonstrate has the added advantage of promoting Our tour continues but suddenly the his love of the land. He explains that by green pick, thus increasing animaI pro- lead vehicIe stops. A group of kanga- using land care or conservation manage- duction. Fire can be used to manipulate roos have been sighted. These are the ment through the drought years, he has native pasmes by creating a more desir- first our group bas ever seen in the wild. been able to keep Trafdgar Station a vi- able composition and controlling the There are many different types and able d sustainabIe operation. Most of wdyweeds which overtake the land- species of kangaroos in Australia and the students come from the big scape. "Locking up" paddocks or we had seen several different types in American cities and have never been on "spelIing" paddocks for a year improves the game park back in Sydney. We carry a farm, let done a real Australian out- the fuel loads for fire. It also allows on and finally arrive at the river cross- back cattle station. Cattle management Roger to use these areas of extra grass ing. During the wet season, this river is and land care are completely foreign to for grazing in years of drought rather a torrent of water. Now in the dry sea- them. Roger telIs us about two teenage than being forced to self off parts of the son (July-August) the dry riverbed is American girls threatening to have their parents sue the "People to People" pro- gram organizers if they had to sleep in 'tents" on a cattle station. The girls Iater

llw Intmwtbnal tour group af rmtge m~agersfrom amidthe world listening to Roger chin his cattle munagensent PW- A iypical scccaiyptus woodland md grazing rn on TelgarStanon. June 2000

started with British doesn't rain he grazes the extra grass cattle but they rather than relying on feeding supple- couIdn' t survive the ments and stored feed. His rnottos are: many droughts. The Managing always for drought and family introduced Always bwer your risks. Brahman cattle in A stringent culling program is used 1958 and now the along with a well managed heifer breed- herd consists of ing and pregnancy testing program. The about 3,000 head. A bulls remain with the commercial herd large portion of the year round due to lack of breeding pad- core herd are docks. All cows are pregnancy checked Brahman-Limousin in AugustlSeptember (spring) and open cows mated to cows are sold. Cows have access to a Brangus bulls. The phosphomslurea lick. This has resulted steer and heifer in weaning percentages around the ac- calves are ideal for ceptable 75% range. Weaning weights the local butcher range from 300 to 450 Ibs. CuIl COWS This Brahman (cow) is typical of fhe qualiiy of the cattle herd trade. There is only are spayed and fattened on grass for sev- at Trafalgar Station. one major meat pro- eral months before selling. In good con- cessing facility in dition, they are sold for fair market covered in huge boulders. There is no the area and international markets are of value. Roger uses electronic identifica- obvious path to follow and in '%u11" low utmost importance. Cattle are marketed tion tags on his cattle but he needs better the twheel drive ktcks into action and at 2 1R to 3 112 years of age to produce feedback on carcass grades from the we proceed m bounce and groan our a 660 Ib. carcass with 6-13 mm (114-112 meat processor. In order to get feedback way through the boulders and up the inch) of bacHat. Twenty percent of the on the quality of his cattle. Roger per- steep embankment. Our son back home beef market is in Japan with other mar- sonally follows them through the kiIl in Saskatoon would have given anything kets in Korea and America. However, floor. Lack of suitable integrated com- to bring his rusted out 1978 Toyota with the significant down turn in these puter prograrns for keeping track of ani- Land Cruiser here to bounce through export markets. Roger has diversified mal weights and electronic ear tag infor- this course! into the Asian live export trade for mation is a major constraint to the oper- F-dywe arrive at the water hole and young feedlot type cattle. This young ation. As Roger states: "It's very diffi- cattle camp. In earlier days the cattle cattle market has the added benefit of cult to get an elecmnic scale or comput- hands would stay out here. It consisted being abIe to relieve grazing pressure er rep to come out to an outback cattle of a shed roof with no walls, wood during drought. With global hef trade station for a service call" ,...... and cookstove. bunk bds, a table and a cou- and changing economics in traditional Roger's nearest neighbor is 25 miles and ple of chairs. It was a simple existence importing countries. Roger and the 25 gates away. in those days. Now two people operate Australian red the station. Two extra casual cow hands meat industry do are brought on at mustering time. Roger not put all their rents a helicopter for the roundup and in faith in any one three hours they can accomplish what market. used to take 5 people two days. Roger's key aim The sun sinks quickly as our group of cattle manage- 4 starts the long trek back to the house. ment is to increase With numerous gates to open and close the productivity of along the way. we inevitably let one of the herd and im- i the young saddle horses escape through prove profitability the gate to roam in the 18,000 acre pad- while maintaining i dock. a herd size that is I Jenny and a helper have been busily sustainable during preparing the evening meal. Drinks are the drought peri- served on a large patio in front of the ods. Only 40% of 1 open kitchen and outdoor eating area. the available for- Roger recently built the new kitchen fa- age is grazed in 1 -- cility to accommodate the bas loads of any one year. The American students. Over supper, Roger balance is left for Roger demmms his dftripping rabk shares more of his love and enthusiasm next year and if it for Trafalgar Station. His grandfather RANGELANDS 22(3)

They then go to a boarding schooI in Charter Towers where her oldest son is presently attending. Many station kids in the past have been encouraged to come straight home after schooling but Jenny and Roger will be encouraging their cil- dmto get different educational and job expknces before thinking of returning to life on an outback cattle station. The evening continues, a camp fire is lit, and Roger fetches his guitar and be- gins to sing some old folk songs. Our multi-national group joins him in Australia's most popular song, "Waltzing Matilda". Many songs later the members of our group slowly rnake their way to their respective tents. The of Some Roger Landsberg's bdls that are forpriva& sale. night is crisp and there are a thousand stars in the southern sky. The Southern The station dso produces Brahman and the teacher in Charter Towers. In Cross-the equivalent constellation to our Big Dipper--can be easily identi- crossed breeding bults for sale to other some remote areas some of these lessons fied. As I drift off to sleep I recall commercial breeders. Roger's stud bull might take place in the truck while the Roger's comment of why anyone in cost him $30,000 and, along with some father is out tending the cattle. Years their right mind would calve cows in a AI (artificial insemination) breeding ago a traveling teacher would come and Canadian winter. And I wonder, why from off shore bulIs, he is able to pri- stay on the stations for a week at a time. vately sell herd sires in the $1,500 to However, this is not the case any more. anyone would ranch in an area where three of the most deadly snakes in the $5,W range. biggest is world come info your fmnt yard+ Cattle diseases are relatively small the gifted child without upsetting the with botulism being the most prevalent other siblings. The home school pre- Good night from Trafalgar Station in and fad. It occurs when cattfe eat dirt pared lesson program is designed far the Queensland, Australia. or old bones in an effort to consume average child wrth little em&asis on the phosphorus. The disease can be easily gifted chiId that needs a challenge or the prevented through a yearly vaccination. one that is having difficulty learning. Canada, 6000 C & E Tiail Lacornkie, Alberta. Jenny now joins us in the after dinner Both Jenny and Roger want their chil- conversation and shares the trials and dren to have lots of social contact with joys of home schooling. This is distance their peers. There are planned sporting education in the truest sense. Roger, like events at the public schools in Charter most other station kids, was home Towers several times each year. schooled with his four sisters until Through e-mail, and the radio tele- Grade 9. In those days there was very phone, their children are able to keep in little opportunity for socialization touch with others in the region. The amongst other boys. As a result. Roger radio phone is the main link with the quit boarding school in Grade 10 due to outside world and the daily mothers' social classroom pressures, For many chat lines are of utmost importance to station families in the past, home the isolated women. Jenny h@ to impro- schooling was not an option and mothex vise and develop most of the additional and children had to move to town for the teaching materials on her own as very school year. little additional educationaI or testing Jenny has worked very hard to edu- material is provided. In the past, Jenny's cate her four children. Roger built a other challenge was @achingthree chil- small cfassroom faciIity adjacent to the dren in different grades whiIe nursing a house. Regular school hours are from baby at the same time, 7:30 am.to 3:O p.m. and each child is The exposure of their chiIdren to the taught to learn independence. Every day visits of the American students through each child has a 30 minute teaching ses- the 'People to People" program has been sion on the two-way radio with about 10 of great benefit. Children stay in home other neighbor children in the district school until Grade 7 or 12 ye* of age.