Jayde and Katrina Walker  - Ready to Muster		"Garches" home of Cumberland's commerical herd

Cumberland

Cumberland Stud was established in 1953 by Sir James Walker with the purchase of top quality females from the eastern states. Notably stud polled shorthorn females from Listwell (Encrino Son) blood, Doctor Buckingham and Victorian Studs, also first cross Santa Shorthorn females (Turanville Master Builder) blood.  Other purchase were first cross Brahman Santa females from Invicta Stud Bundaberg.  These females were joined with the imported King Ranch sires including Ajax, Chap, Joker and Pancho. In 1959 Cumberland produced the first Australian born purebred Santa Gertrudis.  Further purchases of high class sires were made, including Bolinda Vale Danny, Goonoo Brocade and Monkey and King Ranch First Rate, Generation, Figure Head, Hallmark, Historian and Horizon.Cumberland acquired three imported females from Mr Lyall Kirkby from Moree, at the Australian record price of 6250 guineas.  From a tentative first annual sale in 1958, Cumberland bull sales have been swept along by a tremendous nationwide demand for quality Santas.

In 1960 Cumberland established a Queensland record price for a third cross bull and in the same year the Stud obtained top price and best average at Alpha, Biloela, Charleville, Cloncurry and Townsville bull sales. 
Cumberland's first RNA Brisbane Grand Champion bull Answer, was also the first Cumberland bull to set the Queensland all breed record price when he sold for 4900 guineas at the 1964 sale.  Centurion in 1965, Brisbane Champion Diplomat in 1967 and Fresco in 1968 all established Queensland all breed record prices for the year.  Guardian's sale to South Australia broke the Queensland breed record at $23,500 in 1969 when the highest price paid in the world for a catalogue of Santa Gertrudis was achieved at the 12th Annual Sale.

Throughout the 1970's strong annual sales continue and records were set and broken.  Sons of the great King Ranch bulls Leader and First Rate dominated this decade of sales.  Ironside, Herod, Imperial, Kimberley, Kaniva, Leopold, Lyndon, Lazzarone, Lubeck and Kingswood were among the top selling bulls that went to major studs in every main state in Australia.  In 1980 show champions Muscovy, Napolean and Raider, topped sales at the end of the seventies and the first Queensland beef breed bull was sold to Tasmania in 1979.  Cumberland produced the first Santa Gertrudis ovum transplantation in the early 1980's.  Salamanda broke the Queensland Santa Gertrudis price at $25,000 in 1980 only to have it eclipsed in 1981 when the polled Santa Gertrudis Australian record priced Styvestant sold for $34,000.

Voyager, Tucson and Utah, all sons of KRAM Ricardo, topped the 1982 and 1983 sales.  Subsequent sales to 1987 saw the influence of Royal Show Champions Ripperoony and Tornado who produced high selling sons Valentino, Whale, Yeo, Yates, Amazon, Zahrah(P), Zarb and Zamia.  Another poll sire Goonoo Zorro has made a great contribution with two sons Wyoming and Zabien topping sales in 1984 and 1986.

Our record breaking 1988 sale swept all previous records before it.  The twelve led bulls averaged in excess of $23,000 with the currant Australian record price paid for a Poll Santa Gertrudis bull at auction, Cumberland Candidate at $60,000,  the first fully imported son of the giant American poll bull Arkansas Answer, and Nine Bar Ranch Maria(imp). Cumberland has exhibited Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis bulls at all capital city shows in Australia and Tasmania and semen sales to New Zealand and South Africa.   Fifty years of strict culling and the selection of high performing, good doing cattle bred in the harsh arid environment of Western Queensland ensures that these cattle will thrive and perform across the country.  The harsh semi arid climate of Central Western Queensland has made it a constant battle to build up breeder numbers and long (up to seven years) and expensive agistment stints (sometimes interstate) have had to be made just to keep the stud herd intact.  Cumberland is proud of the performance and high level of productivity of Cumberland bred Santas under severe drought conditions, and continues to purchase top quality bulls from leading studs including Yarrawonga Marshall, Yarrawonga Ockerby, Strathmore Understudy,  Gyranda Beaumont, Diamond H E149, Diamond H Hommer, Kendara Park Royal, Ibrox Park Kakadu, Tara D634(P).

Cumberland  endeavours  to keep up with the development of the breed with all data recording, morphology testing and the beginning of genestar testing.  Cumberland has come to a turning point in the direction of the Stud.  Since the family division of the stud in 2002, we have been endeavouring to build numbers. Unfortunately drought has slowed down our growth, and the ability to hold an on property sale of our own at Cumberland at this time has made us look at positive ways of making Cumberland genetics available to both stud and commercial beef producers. Cumberland will be offering 20 of our top beef bulls and a unique opportunity to purchase 5 of our purebred feminine young heifers. We are excited by the innovative approach by Scott and Wendy Ferguson of the Santa Central Sale giving buyers the opportunity to select top Santa Gertrudis genetics. 

JAY & SUE WALKER
CUMBERLAND CATTLE COMPANY
HOME OF THE MIGHTY REDS.