Starting as a ringer in Queensland’s gulf country fresh out of school, Matthew completed approximately four years with King Ranch, before making the move to Central Queensland into a station role in the Dingo area. In 1995, with ten years station experience, Matthew attained a position as Livestock buyer with Australia Meat Holdings before moving to Teys Australia where he has been working out of the Lakes Creek plant for the past twelve years.

 

Whilst working for these employers, Matthew and wife Fiona were able to purchase their own small property and have been operating a Brahman stud and small commercial operation during this time.

​

With a personal interest in seedstock production combined with over twenty years of meatworks cattle buying, Matthew has a well-rounded and thorough appreciation of the Australian beef industry.  Visually appraising and purchasing approximately 50,000 cattle annually, and then having access to their feedback results has given Matthew a detailed understanding of what traits are necessary in today’s industry.  

​

Both Matthew and Fiona have undertaken extensive training in bovine artificial breeding and are both competent Embryo Transfer Technicians, regularly asked to undertake extensive ET programs country-wide, with a large amount of work performed with Angus cattle in Victoria.  Both are also adept preg-testers (ultra-sound and manual) and Artificial Insemination technicians, with vast experience and knowledge of Fixed Time programs.

​

For six years, Matthew has been a board member of the Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association, with an aim of trying to implement more data-driven assessments of seedstock.  His involvement with BIN projects and genomics has been greatly beneficial in understanding the merits obtained by utilizing accurate data and combining with traditional phenotype judgement.

​

Matthew has had the pleasure of judging in both stud and commercial arenas, including the Brisbane Exhibition, Beef Australia and most recently, Katherine Show.