September 2001
'George Stockdale - Traralgon Stock & Station Agent from 1950 to 1997'
Speaker: George Stockdale
Report by: Margaret Fullard
George was born in Traralgon and started his working life when he became a milkman on the midnight run for the late Val Plant's family business. He left school when he was 15 and did casual work for Thos. Standing & Co. and here he worked from 9am to 9pm for £1 a day. He said that men often became stock agents when they couldn't afford to be farmers. He obtained his auctioneer's licence when he was 19 and still holds a current licence.
He worked for 8 companies over his working career: A.M. Mclean & Co., who were sited where the Council Offices are today. They sold out to Australian Mercantile Land & Finance Co. Ltd. who were wool brokers. He then worked for Thos. Standing & Co. Pty. Ltd. and Standing Livestock for 26 years. Later he worked for Gippsland & Northem - Standing, Dalgety G&N, Wesfarmers and Stockdale Livestock Marketing Services.
In the early days there were saleyards, even in small rural settlements. Little & Co. were behind Ryan's Hotel. Saleyards were often beside a pub for farmers to refresh themselves on market day, which was a big social event. On market day the women came to town, did their shopping and met friends and relatives.
Theo Little's Saleyards in Kay Street - 1905 |
After the sale, pigs were driven at full speed from the present fire station down Hotham Street into Church or Deakin Streets and across the Princes Highway to the trucking yards, then situated at the present Shell Service Station. They were also driven down Seymour Street, across Franklin Street to the Bacon Factory at the end of Seymour Street. Cattle were driven down the Highway to the trucking yards. Every Tuesday cattle were driven down the Highway to Morwell. The charge was I/- per head. Sales were held at Traralgon on Monday, Morwell on Tuesday, Trafalgar on Wednesday and Warragul on Thursday. In 1950 there were 8 sale yards, 2 were in Traralgon, and there were others at Morwell, Rosedale, Gormandale, Glengarry, Toongabbie and Cowwarr.
Today many abattoirs have closed because they have not been able to meet the costly and stringent conditions of the Environment Protection Authority.
There were many changes over the years. Decimal currency took a long time to adjust to, as did cattle being weighed on electronic scales and sold by live weight at cents per kilogram. Previously cattle were sold in the ring and sales lasted all day, now they are sold in an hour or two.
In 1989 the Traralgon Regional Saleyards were opened, and were built by Gippsland & Northern - Standing. George , our guest speaker was the Manager at the time.
The Saleyard is situated in Rocla Road on 55 acres with 15 acres of holding paddocks. There are 2 walkways to the scales and selling is by live weight; it is modem, very functional and cost $l.6 million.
Some well known drovers were Tom Downey, who weighed about 20 stone and drove a jinker, Stumpy O'Doherty, Jimmy Connors who had 2 kelpies, one was named "Satan", Paddy O'Doherty who was a butcher, Reg Clark, and Jack Burton who was a manager at McGaurans.
Long serving auctioneers were J.J. McMillan who rode a big chestnut in "The Overlanders", Jack Morgan who was the best auctioneer in the country, Tom Standing who was honest and the best of fellows, Kevin Morgan, Jack's son, Lindsay Cameron and Colin Stockdale.
Some of the buyers were Simon and Peter Stoddart, Les Budge, Roy and Les Marsh, Fred McPherson, Norm Whateley, Jim Carey who boarded at Ryan's Hotel and Lindsay Paynter.
Ron Hore thanked George Stockdale for his excellent address about his experiences as a Stock and Station Agent and Auctioneer and he presented him with a copy of our publication, "Traralgon A Tableau through Time".
