The late George Crowe is being remembered for being a very astute operator in his profession as a sheep buyer and a nice fellow.
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Mr Crowe was born in Deniliquin, NSW, on June 4, 1934, and died in Brisbane on April 10 earlier this year.
He was best known in Queensland dressed in his khaki overalls and buying sheep at Cannon Hill (Brisbane), Dalby and Warwick Saleyards.
His father Murgha Crowe was a land valuer and ran a stock and station agency in Deniliquin.
After first working as a drover, Mr Crowe worked in the office of his father's business.
He then joined Thomas Borthwick and Sons to work as their main sheep buyer in Melbourne.
Mr Crowe married Pauline Newton at Mary Immaculate Church, Hawthorn, in 1961 and was in his element in Victoria supporting Collingwood, his AFL club, from the age of seven.
He was sent to Launceston in Tasmania as manager of the company and in charge of exporting.
At the start of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, he was transferred to Cooma and managed an abattoir which had been bought by Borthwicks to supply meat to the scheme workers at the time.
In Cooma, Mr Crowe joined the local Lions Club and spent many Saturdays selling chook raffles to support charities in the area.
His sporting interest had no bounds and he competed as a sporting shooter in Deniliquin. He loved the races and went to the Melbourne Cup at a time he and Pauline lived in Victoria.
After spending the first two decades on his working life in Victoria and Tasmania, Mr Crowe and wife Pauline and daughters Georgia and Cassandra moved to Coorparoo in Brisbane where he became the chief sheep buyer for Borthwicks.
Later Mr Crowe joined Barry Greenup who operated Associated Buyers in Queensland and was a buyer at sales at Cannon Hill, Dalby and Warwick.
During the school holidays, his daughters often headed west or south west with their father for weekly sheep and lamb sales and loved the experience.
Frasers Livestock Transport director Ross Fraser said Mr Crowe was an astute operator during his time as a buyer.
"He was very particular with his sheep numbers and a nice fellow," Mr Fraser said.
"George was a great friend of my father, the late Charlie Fraser, and we transported a lot of sheep for George."
Former Warwick stock and station agent Denis Ryan said Mr Crowe was an identity at the sheep sales and went about his business in a methodical way.
"He mainly bought boner export type sheep and was always competitive in the market," Mr Ryan said.
"He was very business like at the sale without much small chat but would say good-day at the yards."
Mr Crow is survived by his wife Pauline and immediate family Georgia, Paul and Paris Jones, Cassandra Crowe and Nick Gardiner.
