North Queensland stock and station agent and auctioneer Ron McDougall has died at the age of 94.
Mr McDougall passed away on the Sunshine Coast on April 26.
He forged a career in the livestock industry that led him to become a well-known and respected agent across the state.
Schooled at Toowoomba Grammar, Mr McDougall began his career at Dalgety in the late 40s in Brisbane, before moving across to Australian Estates based in Rockhampton in the early 1950s.
He was the Australian Estates manager for six years at Wallumbilla and conducted auctions at Injune, Mitchell, Charleville, Quilpie, Goondiwindi and Dirranbandi.
In 1962, Mr McDougall conducted a sale of 7223 head of Hereford weaners, an Australian record for a one-agent, one-day sale.
He was promoted to Townsville in 1963 and later became the North Queensland manager.
Mr McDougall left his role in the early 1970s to start his independent Ron McDougall Agencies and conduct his own stud cattle and store sales.
Ian McDougall, his son, said his father was regarded for his honest dealings.
"He was the only agent that Sir James Walker of Cumberland Stud, Longreach, would allow to sell his Santa Gertrudis cattle," he said.
"He was involved early in exporting live breeding cattle, with stock drawn from across northern and western Queensland for shipments departing from Townsville for Malaysia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Sumatra."
Mr McDougall travelled extensively across the north gathering stock for sale and conducted the first on-property stud sale in North Queensland on behalf of the Atkinson family at Mungalla.
He was heavily involved with the Townsville Amateur Turf Club and other amateur country race meetings across North Queensland.
Mr McDougall retired in 1994.
"He was active in various charities and loved catching up for Friday beers with his mates at Townsville's Great Northern Hotel," Ian said.
"He was a keen fisherman, and swapped surfing for snow-skiing in his late 50s, travelling the world to pursue his new passion."
Mr McDougall came from a long line of pastoralists dating back to free settler Andrew McDougall and family, who arrived in Port Jackson in 1798 and became early landholders at Parramatta.
His great-grandfather, John Frederick McDougall, named and ran, with his brother, Texas Station in the 1840s, later moving to Brisbane, his large land holdings taking in what is now Milton and through to Indooroopilly.
John Frederick was a member of the Legislative Assembly in Queensland's first parliament.
McDougalls' also settled in Rosalie Shire and took up Cooyar Station, Cooyar.
Mr McDougall passed away peacefully at an aged care home in Buderim, Sunshine Coast, on Tuesday April 26, the day after he had the honour of laying the wreath for the home's Anzac commemoration.
His ashes will be interred under a bottle tree planted at Wangarwah Station, Cooyar, to celebrate his birth in 1928.
Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
