After years of drought at Darriveen Station north of Longreach, improved conditions since last August, above-market wool prices, and a solid lambing are helping rebuild the station's flock.
Ray Cameron, who operates the 10,000 hectare property with his wife Edwina, said that one year during the long dry they quit all their stock.
They have since increased numbers to 5200 head and after a strong lambing, they hope to boost that to 7000 next year and then to 9000.
The flock is based on the popular Well Gully bloodline, whose stud nucleus is now overseen by David and Sarah Fysh at Acacia Downs, Muttaburra, and which Mr Cameron said they liked for their soft rolling skin type and free-flowing fibre.
"The sheep are very even in staple length and have no wrinkle, so water doesn't sit in the wool. One year, everybody got body strike and we got none,'' he said.
After their traditional shearing in August, which coincided with a significant break in the wool, they then decided to shear again in February after a period of consistent rainfall that rejuvenated the predominant Mitchell, buffel and Flinders grass pastures.
"We are now trying to shear every six months, helping to focus on fertility, and we also use a feed supplement, with the best feed going to the young ewes to assist body weight," Mr Cameron said.
After ceasing all mulesing, another opportunity emerged to market the Darriveen clip, which amounted to about 70 bales, under the global Responsible Wool Standard via broker, Quality Wool.
RWS is an independent, consumer-driven, voluntary standard recognising best practices of farmers for their sheep and land management and is now increasingly demanded by major retail brands, opening new markets to local growers and the opportunity for above auction prices.
Accredited farms must meet certain standards in the areas of animal welfare, land management and social welfare.
Mr Cameron said he had been working closely with the Quality Wool team for some time, initially with David Henderson in the region and more recently with Willy Redington.
"Willy made us aware of the RWS opportunity prior to shearing and then we sat down and the accreditation process through Quality Wool was amazing.''
"It's becoming a standard now - people want it and the demand is there.
"It allows you to start to take control and you have the option of marketing your wool differently, including on forward contract or in containers.''
He said prices for their recent RWS-marketed clip through Quality Wool were $1-2 per kilogram clean above Australian Wool Exchange estimates.
The Camerons have four children - Megan, who works in a shearing team that is employed at the property, Robert, who works with a mobile crutching contractor, Oliver, who has a position with Boonooke Station near Hay, NSW, and Nicholas, who has remained at Maclean in Northern NSW, where they completed their schooling.
Edwina's parents, Tony and Jan Hetherington, also still remain on the property, which was originally bought by her grandparents in 1954.
During their children's education at Maclean, the Camerons also spent some time at Mororo, near Yamba in northern NSW, where they unexpectedly commenced another developing business.
Mr Cameron said they bought an old cane farm that was undeveloped but had four hectares of stone fruit and this "accidentally'' started a tourism business.
"We put it on Facebook and people came out and picked the fruit," he said.
"We had pet sheep and goats as well, so they would pick the fruit and then see the animals.
"We then decided to put in a café."
'The Peach Farm' has only recently been leased after commencing three years ago.
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