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Hazeldean Company
Overview
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Hazeldean
Pty Ltd, is a pastoral enterprise owned and operated
by the Litchfield family of Cooma since 1865. The
company specializes in the production of superior
seedstock for the beef and wool industries of
Australia. Hazeldean is a world leader in the use of
measured performance.
It encompasses Hazeldean Merinos and Hazeldean
Angus, and Hazeldean Senegus. With
properties in 2 distinct and very different regions
of New South Wales, Hazeldean is able to provide clients with superior
genetics adapted and acclimatized to all areas of
Australia.
Seedstock has been the company's business
for over 150 years. |
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History |
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Hazeldean
was settled in the early 1860s by James Litchfield
who travelled from Essex, England. James came to the
Monaro with a letter of introduction to prominent
squatter William Bradley who controlled more than
120,000 hectares of land stretching from Cooma to
Bombala in south eastern New South Wales. After a
short time as overseer at Bradleys Monaro
headquarters, Coolringdon, James was employed as
manager of the Myalla lease.
With the advent of
the 1861 Crown Lands Act, which ended the squatting
era, James Litchfield took up his first 130 hectare
block on the Cooma Back Creek.
Four years later, he founded the Hazeldean Merino
Stud and continued to expand his pastoral interests.
By 1891, he had acquired in excess of 18,000
hectares of land on the Monaro.
On retirng he divided his estate between his four
sons, who operated their portions as a partnership
until 1910.
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Wool bales loaded in front of the Hazeldean woolshed
ready to go to Cooma - circa 1898. The woolshed is
still in use today. |
The eldest son,
Arthur James Litchfield assumed control of
Hazeldean but was forced to sell out in 1918 due to
poor health. By a twist of fate, he was able to buy
back the property and its original stock in 1923 for
his son, James
Francis Litchfield, who further developed
the Hazeldean Merino stud, introduced Angus cattle
to Hazeldean in 1926, founded the Hazeldean Angus
stud and expanded the company's pastoral interests.
He received an OBE in 1972 for services to the Wool
Industry
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James Litchfield (4th Generation) |
Fourth generation,
James Litchfield developed the Hazeldean
Angus Stud founded by his father and expanded
the size and influence of both the Merino and Angus
studs. He has been recognized as a pioneer in the
application of proven scientific research and for
his contribution to Australian livestock production
with a number of awards. These include the Beef
Improvement Associations Howard Yelland award for
services to the beef industry in 1988, the Eliza
Furlonge Medal for services to sheepbreeding and
science, the NSW Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries
Shield for support and co-operation, election as
Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of
Animal Breeding and Genetics in 1995,and the Helen
Newton Turner Medal for Contribution to genetic
improvement in the Merino Industry 1997.
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Today, fifth
generation Jim
Litchfield is Managing Director of the
Company and has further expanded the pastoral
interests of Hazeldean through the acquisition of
properties and expansion of the business. He has
served on many committees including AGBU and the MSA grading committee.
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Jim Litchfield, managing director Hazeldean
Litchfield |
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Company Overview