Russell Stanley Collins was born on December 29, 1951, in Warwick, south- east Queensland, to Stanley and Elizabeth Collins, and was a younger brother to Graeme and Roslyn.
He attended Warwick East State School and Warwick State High School.
Growing up in the city of Warwick, Russell first exposure to rural life came visiting a farm at Karara owned by family friends, on the outskirts of Warwick. A love of horses grew from there.
He quickly worked out that riding horses was far more enjoyable than school work and left home at the age of 15 to become the youngest inaugural student at Longreach Pastoral College.
After graduating from LPC Russell headed to Lansdowne Station, Tambo as a stockman and during his first year was appointed head stockmen.
After Lansdowne Station, Russell returned to LPC and became a junior assistant in horsemanship.
His work life was interrupted at this time when his date of birth was drawn in the lottery for National Service. During his posting in Townsville he met his future wife, Trish.
After fulfilling his commitment to National Service, Russell headed back out west to re-join LPC and was married in 1974.
As part of his return from national service, the army provided the opportunity to undertaken additional training and up -skilling to those transitioning back to the workforce. This was an opportunity that Russell seized and he completed a stock and meat inspector’s course at Gatton Agricultural College.
LPC agreed to let Russell head off for this study with a commitment of work at LPC at the conclusion of the course. Russell, however, saw an opportunity for his next adventure at the newly built Burdekin Rural Education Centre when instructor positions were called. It was at the Burdekin that Russell’s first son was born.
Five years of the politics and beaurocracy of an education institution was enough for Russell and he decided it was time to start understanding more about business and left the Burdekin for the metropolis of Boulia in far west Queensland to manage the local general store ‘Donohues’ for a number of business partners.
This was his first venture into business and allowed him to display some unknown marketing talents. Donohue’s specialised in bushmen’s gear but was jam packed with every article you could possibly want from ladies underwear to toys to saddles. “Name ten things that aren’t edible that you’d like to buy right now and I’ll bet you a beer we’d have it at Donohues’s Store”, Russell once quoted to the local paper.
During this time he co-designed the famous Boulia Hat. A large cowboy hat designed with a bigger brim and higher crown because the average hat just wasn’t giving enough protection to stockmen. The design was submitted to Akubra hatmakers, who took it on, and within 12 months there were around 1000 Boulia hats being worn around Australia.
When the drought set in and threatened the local Rodeo, Russell pulled out all the stops. He got in touch with a famous Indian rainmaker from America (“Chief Running Cloud”) to come to Boulia to dance and pray for rain for the town. Channel 9 came out and did a big story. The whole town got behind it with bookies (actually a couple of bushies dressed up like native Indians) taking bets on the outcome.
It was the perfect plan. Unfortunately, the American Indian Chief wasn’t in fact an Indian chief, nor was he an American - he was a Englishman from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, and he didn’t bring rain.
Although the rain didn’t come, it provided great publicly for Boulia and the whole town enjoyed the occasion. Russell liked to see others enjoy themselves.
In 1986 Russell moved the family to Mount Isa where he took on the role of managing a wholesale food business, Hammond and Pedwell, for his business partners.
Russell convinced his partners in the wholesale business that it was the right time to diversify and they purchased Flora Downs cattle Station, near Camooweal – an hour and a half drive west of Mount Isa. He took on the lead role to run the property and oversee its operations as well as continue the management of the Hammond and Pedwell, placing a station manager to live on property.
While living in town during the week Russell would take the family to Flora most weekends and he worked seven days a week for a number of years.
Russell didn’t do anything half-hearted. There was only one speed, flat out. The hardest worker during the week and life of the party when it was tools down.
Russell was an active member of Rotary during his time in Mount Isa. For many years he was the arena director for the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo and Mount Isa Campdraft.
Again his innovation came to the fore in these roles as he was responsible for bringing two big draw cards to the rodeo, The Big Screen and Channel Nine royalty Big Darryl Eastlake.
Big screens for instant replays were previously only seen at major sporting events in capital cities but are now a permanent fixture at the Rodeo.
The Rodeo and Campdraft roles were both voluntary and took up a significant portion of any free time Russell had between managing the wholesale depot and Flora Downs. To thank him for his service, Rotary awarded him a Paul Harris Fellow for outstanding commitment to the club and community.
Russell’s commitment to rodeo continued after he left Mount Isa and he held the position of Executive Chairman of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA) for a number of years.
Russell sold his business interests in Mount Isa in 1998 after twelve years, but not before studying for his auctioneer’s licence and starting Mount Isa Auction Centre, which he ran as a family business.
As a true entrepreneur, he sourced work from many different industries - from liquidating old hotel room furniture, to cleaning up deceased estates, to heavy machinery and antiques. He could turn his hand to anything, once he saw the opportunity.
Always looking for a new challenge Russell started looking at a few businesses throughout north Queensland before settling on Savage Barker and Backhouse, the Stock and Station agency in Rockhampton.
He realised he needed to work harder than ever in his new business, spending the time not only to get to know the people (given he wasn’t from Rockhampton) but also to gain the trust of his clients, a lot of whom have become good friends.
Under Russell’s ownership, SBB reputation for being the largest privately owned stock and station agency in Queensland flourished. The growth in both business and friendships was largely due to his focus on customer service and the time he dedicated to his clients at SBB.
It’s safe to say Russ worked hard during his time at SBB. With fat sales every Monday and stores sales every Friday. He would regularly be out at the sales yards drafting up until 10pm on Thursday night and back there at 4am Friday and not finishing up at the scales until 6pm or later. Regularly weekends involved holding clearing sales on properties, or at the very least – calling clients to thank them for the opportunity to sell or buy cattle on their behalf.
He loved nothing better than stopping and having a chat with people out at the Gracemere saleyards.
Following the sale of SBB to Ruralco in 2008, Russell was on the lookout for the next business opportunity. It was only because he wanted to get a clean bill of health before he started on his next adventure that he went to see his doctor. At this appointment, he was asked the last time he had a prostate check.
It was seven years ago when Russell was diagnosed with prostate cancer and given less than 18 months to live. They performed surgery to cut out the prostate, and he then spent the next three months in Brisbane undertaking radiation therapy. The doctors said they bought him another five years maximum.
Well, in true style, Russell gritted his teeth and battled on. There was no use sitting idle. That just wasn’t his style.
Instead he approached a local businessman and purchased into Anglestone Steel. Yet another new venture for him which involved importing steel from China for building cattle yards.
He also took up team roping as a hobby, and spent as many afternoons as he could roping with his mates. Soon he was entering roping competitions and just last year he returned to Mt Isa to compete in the Rodeo that he spent so many years running, and took out the over 55s team roping title.
He continued his love of all things equine by buying into a couple of racehorses. He always said it would be great to have a horse that won in the city. Well he was lucky enough to have a few of those winners and a few near misses. After being pipped at the post in the AJC Derby, Polish Knight was accepted into the Melbourne Cup only to be ruled out with injury in weeks prior.
You wouldn’t call that the standard response to being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Buy into a new business, start competitive rodeo and invest in race horses. And not bad for a bloke with deteriorating health undergoing continuous cancer treatment. That was Russell, don’t winge just get on with it.
Since he was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 he also managed to fight on to see both his sons get married and to get to know and spent time with four of his five grandchildren.
Cancer finally took its hold in the last few months of 2016, with Russell’s health deteriorating dramatically, but he was never one to say ‘pity me’. He always tried to lighten the mood whenever visitors were over and directed the conversation to find out what the other person was up to.
How do you sum up a man like Russell?
He does not fit into any one category. Bushie and Businessman, Gentleman and Larrakin, entrepreneur, mentor and family man. He was all these things, and more, yet when asked by a close friend how he would like to be remembered he simply replied “just as a good bloke”.
Hopefully that’s how most people will remember him.
Russell is survived by his wife Trish and sons Patrick and Daniel, and their families.