THE beef industry is in shock today following the death of beef industry champion Zanda McDonald.
The death occurred in Townsville Hospital overnight and followed injuries suffered during a fall from a windmill on a property at Cloncurry more than a fortnight ago.
It is understood that Mr McDonald suffered a fractured skull and other internal injuries in the fall.
Following the accident Mr McDonald, 41, was flown to the Townsville Hospital.
The death has come as a major shock as it was understood Mr McDonald's condition was improving and was communicating with family members.
The McDonald family is Australia's largest private landholders runnning 175,000 head of cattle across 11 cattle stations covering an area of 3.36 million hectares in Queensland.
Cattle are bred in the Cape York Peninsula area, backgrounded in the Cloncurry/Winton/Central Highlands districts and then finished on grain at the family's feedlot on the Darling Downs.
Mr McDonald is survived by his wife Julie and their four daughters as well as the extended McDonald family.
MDH is one of Australia's largest beef cattle operations, unique in the fact that the company is both family owned and operated.
With a wide geographical spread of country in Australia's vast Queensland outback, MDH Pty Ltd finishes many animals at the company owned Wallumba feedlot at Condamine.
MDH is also a major shareholder in the Super Butcher retail outlets in South East Queensland.
