Rob and his brother Peter were producing Hereford cattle at Tumbarumba, in southern NSW, in the 1960s when they lodged a request with the Australian Hereford Society to establish a multi-vendor bull sale at Wodonga.

The first sale was held on June 23, 1966, with a catalogue of just 20 bulls but grew into the most dominant breed event in southern Australia.

At its height, the Wodonga National Show and Sale featured catalogues of more than 400 bulls offered across two days of selling, and reached a record top price of $70,000.

This year, the 50th Herefords Australia National Show and Sale will be held on May 13 to 14.

Rob Rouch, of Glen Iris, Victoria, is the last living vendor of the inaugural sale.

He said Sydney Royal was the premier sale for stud whiteface bulls in the early 1960s, along with Glen Innes with its catalogue of more than 300 each year.

“The only private sales in Victoria at the time were South Boorook and Ardno, plus a Dalgety’s and AML&F multi-breed sale in Wodonga,’’ Mr Rouch said.

An application for a new multi-vendor whiteface sale lodged with the Australian Hereford Society in early 1965 met with opposition from Victorian and northern NSW councillors.

But Australian Hereford Society president Sid Field gave it his full backing, paving the way for the formation of the Wodonga Show and Sale committee.

Peter Rouch was installed as the inaugural president, with Peter Duffy later being appointed as the first Polled Hereford committee president.

“The sale committee and breeders aimed for it to be a herd improvers sale – it was not set up to be a stud sale to compete with Sydney but ultimately it did,’’ Rob Rouch said.

“The first sale was held in the Elgin Street saleyards in Wodonga – we put straw down in the pens and exhibited the led bulls in the carpark.’’

Judge was Gilbert Gordon, of Woodend, Vic, while the Australian Hereford Society was represented by Ken Palmer, Midgeon stud, Mortlake, Vic.

At the time, Mr Palmer said the first show aimed to demonstrate the many advantages to be gained by the use of better quality bulls.

“Prices undoubtedly went up and down with trends in the beef industry but the sale established itself as a premier event and has remained so ever since,’’ Mr Rouch said.

Agents assisting with the first sale were Bob Chomley, AML&F, and David Marshall, Dalgetys.

“When we moved the event from the saleyards to the stud stock exhibition centre, the lack of sheds meant bulls were housed in horse stalls but the Wodonga Show Society later built another shed,’’ Mr Rouch said.

The standard of bulls kept improving, along with the prices, as vendors chose to bypass the expense of exhibiting at the Royal Shows and offer their bulls at Wodonga.

The sale’s location was central to the major commercial beef production areas of southern NSW and Victoria.

“A lot of bulls sold to Omeo, Benambra, Hay, Tumut, Tumbarumba, Gundagai, Corryong, and the Victorian western districts,’’ Mr Rouch said.

“Wodonga was in a good position to service those commercial people coming from the areas where large Hereford calf sales were held.’’

Eighteen led bulls and two unled bulls were offered and sold at the first sale in1966.

The led bulls grossed 5476 guineas and averaged 304 guineas while the unled lots averaged 222.5 guineas.

Champion bull, Lochinvar Fletcher, sold to AML&F, Wagga Wagga, for 800 guineas.

The four bulls offered by Lochinvar went on to average 424 guineas.

Claiming the top price of 825 guineas was Carmodale Olympic, exhibited by J Carmody, and bought by P Wilkinson, Tumut.

50th Anniversary function co-ordinators Deanne Sykes and Sarah Betros have collated historical photos, documents and memorabilia for a 24 page commemorative booklet.

“In collating the history of the sale, it has highlighted to me that of all the breeds, Hereford has managed to set up and maintain a sale which is still a significant event in the beef industry,’’ Mrs Sykes said.

“No other breed can claim to have a long-running event as successful as Wodonga is.’’

Former long serving general manager of the Australian Hereford Society Geoff Taylor has written the forward to the booklet, and will reflect on the sale’s history at the dinner on Wednesday, May 13.

Master of Ceremonies at the anniversary dinner is comedian and bush poet Sandy Thorne, who has written a poem on the Hereford breed for the occasion.

A heifer donated by Glendan Park Herefords will be auctioned at the dinner to raise funds for beyondblue.

Nine industry leading Hereford semen packages will also be auctioned to raise funds for Herefords Australia Youth.

As part of the auction, HerefordBreeder.net has donated a seven-day South African Safari Hunt, including accommodation in pristine habitat.