Five years after 2019 flood, north west graziers have rebuilt herds

It was February 2019, Cloncurry had just broken the record for the most consecutive days over 40 degrees, then overnight the rain and wind chill set in.

A slow moving trough sat over the centre of north west Queensland, delivering a deluge of rain that stretched 400 kilometres from Hughenden to Cloncurry.

Producers across the state would still remember images of the Curley family as they hoisted the few survivors from piles of dead cattle.

Located 62 kilometres north of Cloncurry, Gipsy Plains Brahmans owners Robert and Jacqueline Curley said they still felt uneasy when a slow moving trough was forecast.

"When we start to get storms we get a bit jittery," Mr Curley said.

"I try not to think about it, I don't like to dwell I still have issues with it," Ms Curley said.

"I think it has affected all of us, you don't think about it, you don't dwell on it and move on the best you can. Psychologists say it take four years and seven months for major grief to pass, I reckon they're pretty spot on and this one is probably going to take longer."

Following the clean up, the Curleys utilised all avenues to get their business back up and running, including bringing in Brahmans bloodlines with some of the "longest records kept in Australia".

"We brought in a couple of hundred animals with estimated breeding values, which started us on a new path in the stud industry and ramped up what we were able to do.

"That was one of the biggest things we did with our recovery, we changed direction a little bit within our stud industry with the hope that we will be the difference in maintaining a position within the industry and securing the longevity of the business."

The Curleys pivoted their business to focus on quality over quantity.

"We were running 8000 head at the time, now we run about 5000 head," Ms Curley said.

"We are not running as much stock as five years ago. We are still in a build up phase I suppose. Five year ago we were in a build up phase to do other things, but since then, instead of expanding in numbers we are expanding in quality."

After losing most of their herd's genetics, the Curleys have managed to breed up again with similar genetics to before.

"We purchased a percentage of genetics to add to our herd, to align with the traits our clients want," Ms Curley said.

"The trait we are focusing on is a quiet temperament and we are heading towards 100pc polled cattle.

"In our red herd by 2025 I think we will be 95 percent polled and in our greys it will be a bit longer, but we are heading down that road as well. We have been breeding polled cattle for about 25 years, so we were well ahead of the curve, but a lot of those were wiped out in 2019."

Ryan and Tracey Hacon from Bunda Bunda Station, north of Julia Creek, lost half of their commercial Brahman herd in 2019, around 3500 head.

"We lost half of our sale cattle and some of our breeding herd. Majority of our breeding herd was unaffected but we did lose calves, which impacted us that year and into the next year," Mr Hacon said.

"We have recovered really well, because the liberal government at the time really supported us and they helped us buy cattle back in and gave subsidies for infrastructure.

"We bought steers and put them on the grass after the flood and six months later we turned them over and sold them, that really helped our cash flow and to keep our business going."

Mr Hacon said they were almost back to the same stock numbers as 2019, but the recovery of the land had been slow.

"I suppose we are back to where we were in 2019. We were in drought before 2019 so we were lighter stocked than if we had of had good seasons," he said.

"We hadn't had much rain until that event, then we had it all at once and it was too much and it wrecked some of the country.

"There were some spots on the place where the top soil washed away and some of that country has only just come back now."

While Mr Hacon hadn't made any changes to the business, he said the event had made him more cautious when making decisions.

"It has been in the back of our minds that something can come from left field and wreck everything, just like that. Just say you've gone and taken a risk and owe a heap of money, if something like that happens it can really turn you upside down," he said.

"We are naturally cautious anyway, but this was something that just makes you think before you go a step further, whatever it may be.

"I don't think we will forget it, ever."