Bill has spent more than 70 years around cattle. He’s seen droughts that broke men, floods that wiped fences clean, and seasons that tested every ounce of patience a person could muster.
“Farming teaches you humility,” he says. “You don’t own the land, you look after it for the next lot.”
Bill grew up learning from his father and uncles, back when knowledge was passed down through watching, listening, and doing. Mistakes were learning moments, not failures.
“We didn’t have manuals. You learned by paying attention.”
Some of his fondest memories are of working alongside others, long days, hard work, and stories shared over a cuppa at the end. “Mateship kept you going,” he says. “Still does.”
Bill believes kids today need the land more than ever. “Not everyone will be a farmer, but everyone eats. Everyone relies on this.”
Seeing children visit a working farm gives him hope. “If they understand even a little bit, how animals are treated, how food is produced, that stays with them.”
His favourite saying still holds true: “Look after the land, look after your stock, and the rest will sort itself out.”
At Six Keys Cattle Co, Bill sees the future learning from the past, and reckons that makes all the sense in the world.
