history
1931
Mr Walter Carter established Corriedale Flock 239. He purchased 26 Corriedale stud ewes and 1 Corriedale ram from T Bowling, Flock 8 and from then on using stud rams from CE and HF Prell, Flock 18. By 1952 the stud was registered as the Lake Edward Pastoral Company.
1960s
Richard Carter took over the stud expanding the bloodlines by buying 10 ewes from Stanbury, Flock 1500 and 10 ewes from Richavon, Flock 1540. Further addition of 31 ewes from Flock 18, 20 ewes from JWD Ward, Flock 377. We were now showing in Sydney and Albury. Richard visited USA, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Kenya and South Africa – visiting the major Corriedale studs. Lake Edward at that time was selling sheep to Ecuador, Peru and China.
1970 - 2008
Forty years of breeding and trading commercial sheep at Billigaboo, Hanworth Station, Brisbane Meadows and Charlton. Buying for and servicing 3 major abattoirs and running a livestock haulage business. 50 years of listening, asking and observing the millions of sheep close hand, as they were loaded off our trucks. Richard purchased about 750,000 sheep and lambs for these companies and ourselves during this time – a long apprenticeship.
2009
The dream was not forgotten. The time was right to take up the original challenge. Jane’s first published book, ‘A Dream of Something More’ said it all.
We purchased the pick of the female drop at Flock 18 and Flock 1. They were soon joined by ewes from Flock 2174 and Flock 2137. Game on – to reignite the characteristics of the Corriedale that had emerged in the early 1900’s. Flock 239 was reborn. We took on the challenge to breed true dual purpose, and the same time highly commercial sheep like those that had led the explosion around the world. A time of enormous change in the industry had taken it’s toll on the breed over the last 50 years.
2010 - 2014
The stud grew to stud 150 ewes. At Sydney, Canberra and Dubbo shows we were awarded 17 Grand Champions and 8 Reserve Champions in 6 years of showing. E.T.C was created. We grew wool – the company designed, produced and marketed the product – beautiful woollen throws and hats.
Strong demand saw the door open for our bold, lustrous and soft 28 micron wool. The aim was to cut 7 kilos or more and this was proved to be possible in Goulburn. Fertility was assured by the old studs we had used in the beginning.
2015
We sold our Goulburn property, livestock haulage business and our truck took the stud sheep on its last trip to 17 kms west of Narrandera, just over the Yanco Creek, 500 metres from the Murrumbidgee River. 524 acres, a balance of loam sand and grey soil river flats with huge red gum and yellow box for the sheep to take shade. On the farm was a commercial flock of Corriedales, direct descendants of C R Rawlins Flock 62. The previous owner’s father, E J L Mills, Flock 121 who also used rams from Cam Nixon’s Flock 165.
The history of the place tells of Corriedales all around us for the last 100 years. So now we are ‘Billigaboo West’, the home of ‘Billigaboo Corriedales’.
2017
Saw the introduction of an Embryo Transfer and Artificial Insemination program, in conjunction with Ballyvaughan Pastoral Stud. Semen from Stanbury Jim (pictured) was used.
Altogether this year we’ve mated 220 ewes. The results of the 2016 lambing to flock sheep was spectacular.
Today
In the Riverina breeding big, long bodied sheep with constitution.