Qld's farmers over 80 inspire future generations

But for many in the farming industry, the same could be said for the characters and the personalities who have long endured and thrived across various rural industries.

Some of those are the farmers - the lifeblood of the country - who keep it going, toiling away throughout their long lives and never faltering.

Here are more of the farmers over 80 who continue to inspire future generations of farmers after them.

Reg Garside, 93, lives 40km from Capella, on Hazeldeen - a block drawn by him and his late wife Gwen, in 1956.

After moving to the Darling Downs in 1951 for a 12-month working contract, he was then given the opportunity to share farm.

This is where he met Gwen, originally from Pittsworth, at the end of 1951.

After drawing the block in the British Food Corporation Ballot Scheme, the pair moved to Capella, with their son, baby Allan, in tow.

After a few weeks living in a tent, they moved into a cottage which they bought from the neighbouring property, Retro.

Then, whilst living in a garage with three little kids, they built their home in 1960 - where the fourth child was born and Mr Garside still lives to this day.

The Garsides initially ran cattle, sheep and cropping operations on Hazeldeen, until the unfortunate double hit of the 1969 drought and wool market collapse pushed them to focus solely on cattle and cropping.

Whilst nearly 70 years ago, Mr Garside's herd consisted of predominately Hereford breeders, he has these days transitioned to dabbling in the trade steer market.

"Grandad is a very driven man, who composes himself with an inspirational sense of pride," grandaughter Ria Heath said.

"He is a forward thinker and an opportunist. He maintains an incredibly strong work ethic, both mentally and physically - with his mind never taking a break from thinking about the next step.

"A very loyal man to his family and friends, and community-minded beyond belief. This is reflected through his 23 great-grandchildren and 14.5 year commitment as Shire Council Chairman."

Ms Heath said the photo above was a special day, where her parents, herself and her grandfather were inducting feedlot cattle in the central Queensland heat.

"Grandad not missing a beat - keeping us honest about if we had missed mouthing a steer, or if a weight just didn't look quite right."

When Tracey Dunnett moved to her property on the Scenic Rim 25 years ago, it came with a welcome addition - a musterer called Eric Ruhland.

Mr Ruhland, who turned 76 this month has been working the land all his life, first sitting astride a saddle and mustering when he was just 13.

"Having no experience or background in cattle, we couldn't have done it without him over the years," Ms Dunnett said.

"He has also been a significant mentor to our daughters who now ride musters on the property with him.

"A local legend whose work ethic and horsemanship is vast."

Mr Ruhland used to work for Bartholomew & Co, used to "run the shows and sort the young ones out".

"He is very entertaining and the stories he's told us over the years - oh my god," Ms Dunnett said.

"The girls still go riding with him...he's like the grandfather to our four girls. I ended up organising a 70th birthday party a few years. Eric is a legend."

Mr Ruhland is still on the property to this day, working hard.

"He's such a character... and he's the (cousin) to the mayor Greg Christensen," Ms Dunnett said.

"His family had a farm at Mt Alphard...his younger brother, the family farm got divvied up between five of them and they all got a paddock each.

"He'd be happy if he died falling off his horse...he's still enjoying it. There's not many places he's not welcome at, everyone's always saying to him 'come and have dinner with us'.

"It's that old style, looking out for people. There's an extended family...they all help each other out."

Colin Duncan, turned 90 last year, and is still loading hay, bailing hay, shifting pipes, feeding and watering cattle.

He runs about 100 Charbrays on 600 acres at Flagstone Creek in the Lockyer Valley.

He's lived in the Valley all his life, and has never faltered - continuing to dedicate himself to taking care of cattle and lucerne.

Daughter Lareesa Rohan says her dad is a hard worker.

"He was born where he lives. He went away to boarding school and returned, and he's been there ever since," she said.

"He always had beef cattle but worked for his dad, and through succession planning got it off him.

"They had a bit of cropping...and he a pig stud pretty that he was well renowned for; Coley Stud."

Mr Duncan spent years travelling all over Australia, judging pigs at agriculture shows, and showing his own stock.

While he's moved away from pigs, he still works beef cattle and lucerne, as well as producing barley and oats.

"He's still going. Still doing it all by hand. It was only last year that he bought a machine," daughter Terrena Salt said.

"He's bloody hard working, honest, stubborn, a tough old bugger. He just keeps going.

"Dad doesn't let too much phase him. But he's only as good as the woman behind him, she's tough woman too, my mum...Margaret."

Bruno, 92, and Rose Cuda, 80, are a dream team.

The Italian migrants have worked tirelessly as dairy and crop farmers in Atherton most of their lives, and still to this day plough ahead as stalwarts of the Tablelands farming community.

"Dad is still helping out each day on his son's farm...(which they) handed to him three years ago," daughter Mary Newland said.

"Mum was 16 when he married dad, and they worked on the dairy farm together. They had peanuts, potatoes and corn and vegetable as well.

"They used to go to markets...until dad had to have a heart valve replacement last year."

Mr Cuda migrated to Australia from Italy when he was 17, and went on to work on sugar cane farms and "whatever else he could get his hands on".

"When dad first arrived to Australia by boat he would cut cane, in those days it was all by hand. He'd bale hay, plough fields, whatever he had to," Mrs Newland said.

It was not long after he bought his first block, a dairy farm, that he met and married his wife - with the pair going on to add three more blocks across Atherton, and another in Tulga, to their empire.

"They did work hard in their day. Mum worked just as hard as dad. She was out in the paddock every day," Mrs Newland said.

"They had five kids (Dorris, Nick, Mary, Connie and Bruno Jnr)...by the time she was 21.

"They had about 30 cows and then she started (milking) with a little milking machine. The herd grew and they had peanuts, corn, potatoes (beans, silverbeet, lettuce, whatever they could) - I think that's what made them successful, becuase they diversified."

Mrs Newland said she and her siblings learnt how to "work hard" from their parents, spending afternoons after school helping out on the farm.

"(My parents are) honest, hardworking, and if any other farms wanted to borrow an implement from dad, he would always let them," she said.

"There were a lot of Italians that had migrated over and they were all starting to buy their own farms. Everybody sort of worked together and helped each other. Even to this day, if anyone wants to borrow anything they go to Bruno Jnr."

Mrs Newland said she has learned many lessons from her parents, including how invaluable owning a farm can be - as it allows farmers to become self-sustainable.

"Dad always said 'farmers are always the last in line to get paid and we're price takers, not price makers'...that's just how it is...the prices are dictated to you...that's what makes it so difficult. You've got to make sure you've got the money to cover what's spent...and live within your means," she said.

"Dad used to tell us that you could buy good secondhand stuff rather than new...keep some money in your pocket and...buy a secondhand car or tractor. He also used to say that if you do the job right the first time, you don't have to do it again."

The couple would sell all their produce locally - supplying to the Atherton Tableland Co-operative Dairy Association, the old potato board, the local peanut company, and the local maize board.

The Cudas also the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

"We always had a home with lots of fun, laughter and frivolity."

Wallaville farmer, John Bailey, is 81 years young and still working hard within the cane and cattle industries.

The Bundaberg-born farmer and his wife Dianne have two cattle paddocks (a 600 acre farm at Monto and a 400 acre near Biggenden), and a 360 acre home farm with cane and some cattle - adding to around 300 head of Brangus across all properties.

"John's parents were farmers...they used to have a dairy farm and they had just gone into cane by the time we got married. His parents both passed away quite young and so John became the farmer at 21," Mrs Bailey said.

"He's self-taught as far as the cane goes, but I believe anyone that comes off a dairy farm knows how to work.

"I think he got his work ethic from his upbringing with the dairy farm, where if something had to be done, it had to be done. It didn't matter what else was going on, work came first. Work is his life."

Mr and Mrs Bailey have been married for 60 years.

They have three daughters; Kerryn, a hairdresser, Melissa, a cattle farmer who has a property right next door, and Jodie, an occupational therapy in Brisbane, as well as eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

The Baileys have made their stamp on the cane and cattle industries - winning a bevvy of awards during their careers.

"About four times, we've won the Highest CCS in the Bundaberg sugar area...and with his cattle, he usually puts cattle in the local show and he's had quite a few awards for them as well. He's quite proud that...and I'm quite proud of him," Mrs Bailey said.

"He's just successful in what he does...It gets a bit hard at times, but we're still plodding along.

"John is a typical farmer, he's passionate about farming, old-fashioned...and everyone seems to get on well with him."