Dairy Farming

Bill Bickerton’s Al-Ville Stud in Wellington Road, Rowville.

The following article was published in The Weekly Times in 1952 and tells of Bill Bickerton’s efforts to develop a first rate dairy herd. It records the only direct importation into this district of cows from the famous Jersey herds in the Bega district of NSW. The ancestors of these animals had been brought to Australia from the Island of Jersey by the famous Sydney brewer, Sir Thomas Tooth.

Bill’s daughter Mary recalled the time when one of the valuable stud bulls fell into the well mentioned in the article. Her father and their neighbour managed to get a rope around the terrified beast and used a tractor to haul it out to safety.

In 1954 Bill sold the farm to Bill Robinson who established the Hill and Dale Hereford Stud.

Stock Breeders Page

NSW Jerseys Help to Found the Al-Ville Stud By a Special Correspondent

Jerseys from the south coast of New South Wales have played an important part in the foundation of the Al-Ville Jersey Stud at Rowville, near Dandenong, Victoria.

Establishing the Jersey Stud seven years ago on 90 acres, Mr W.A. Bickerton initially purchased eight heifers and a bull calf; five of these females have since averaged 400 lb butterfat as jun.3’s in the Victorian Government standard herd test. The Stud now numbers 40 head.

Mr Bickerton’s 90 acre property, composed of highly improved pastures on rich creek flats, is situated five miles north of Dandenong, where rye grasses, strawberry, wild white and subterranean clovers are grown to perfection on heavy black loam.

Started with 30 Acres

Originally he commenced farming at Rowville with 30 acres in 1936, purchasing an adjoining 60 acre unimproved property seven years later, which he has completely resown to pasture.

In 1945 Mr Bickerton founded his Al-Ville Stud on Mai Vue and Rosevale blood lines. From the Mai Vue Stud owned by his brother, Mr J.J. Bickerton of Mirboo North, he purchased a rising two-year-old heifer in Mai Vue Sunray and a bull calf, Mai Vue Silver Star, whose grandsire is that well-known bull Mer Vue Jupiter, owned by Mr Clark, of the Mer Vue Stud, Toora.

From the Rosevale Stud owned by Mr A.C. Hukins of Bega, N.S.W., he obtained seven outstanding heifers. One of these, Rosevale Day Dream, produced 490 lb butterfat (actual) as a jun.3 two years ago, in the standard test, whilst four of the remaining females registered over 400lb. of butterfat as jun. 3’s.

Today the Al-Ville Stud numbers 40 head. Besides the stud cattle, Mr Bickerton runs a grade Jersey herd of 15, and it is his policy to sell the grade cattle when the stud heifers first commence milk production. Eventually he will breed only stud cattle, and at the present time intends limiting the herd to 55 head.

Mr Bickerton sends 75 gallons of wholemilk daily to Melbourne during the flush spring months from September to December. Besides this quantity, he separates an additional 18 gallons daily for calf rearing, sending six gallons of cream twice weekly to the Dandenong factory.

From Rosevale Stud

Recently Mr Bickerton purchased two heifer calves and a bull calf from the Rosevale Stud. They are Rosevale Ebby, Rosevale Dreaming Countess and the bull calf Rosedale Dreaming Fox, all by that outstanding Jersey Island bull Dreaming Cowboy.

For fodder conservation he annually cuts 20 acres of grass hay, returning approximately two tons to the acre.

The producers are bail fed a 5 to 6 lb daily ration of chaffed hay and brewers grains, plus a one and a half lb allowance of concentrates.

Water for stock needs is derived from creeks running through the properties and a 40 foot well, which is a supplementary standby in time of drought.

Fortunately this well has only been used on one occasion during the past 16 years and then only for a period of two weeks.

Incidentally the average annual rainfall in the Rowville area is 30 inches.

At the 1951 Berwick Show Mr Bickerton won four prizes with his cattle and during the same year at the Ferntree Gully Show he won the reserve female championship with the bull Al-Ville Starbright.

For pasture improvements he recently purchased 30 cross-bred sheep.

Mr Bickerton is a committeeman of the Ferntree Gully P. And A. Society. Mr Bickerton’s son Bill is his father’s chief assistant on the farm. 

From “The G & N Journal”, January 1939

Many casual motorists and hikers who pass through Scoresby during the weekends make a practice of calling into the “Stamford Park” Dairy Farm and quenching their thirst with a glass of cool fresh milk. Many stay to add to their knowledge by having a look over the dairy buildings for there is much to be learned in this modern dairy about the production of clean milk.

The dairy buildings at “Stamford Park” are of modern brick design and are situated quite close to the roadway. When deciding upon the location of his dairy buildings, Mr A. Drummond, the owner of this up-to-date farm, specially selected a site open to the east, so that the milking shed and concrete cow yards would get the full benefit of the morning sun. Every precaution is taken to insure that the floor of the milking shed and cow yards are kept clean and free from odours.

The herd which consists of about 90 cows – mainly Jerseys – is examined regularly by qualified veterinary surgeons, and at a recent examination the herd was passed as being 100% free from tuberculosis.

Milking is done by an “Eclipse” milking machine, which is thoroughly sterilised twice daily. All the piping and parts with which the milk comes into contact are made of “Staybrite” stainless steel. The dairy is also equipped with a “Lister” separator with bowl and discs made from the same hygienic metal.

Immediately the milk is produced it is taken by gravitation through the water and brine cooling processes and then stored in the cool room under refrigeration while awaiting transport to Mr Drummond’s “Waverley” dairy at East Malvern. The milk is taken from the farm to East Malvern twice daily, so residents of that suburb are assured of milk supplies which are clean and of the highest possible quality from the moment of production until delivery to the consumer.

As is usual with progressive men, Mr Drummond is not content to allow improvements to end with the dairy buildings and plant. A splendid innovation being a recently constructed concrete drinking trough, which is automatically filled from a reservoir which in turn is supplied with water pumped from the creek which runs through the property. Another feature is the ample shade provided by the numerous clumps of trees to be seen in all paddocks. Mr Drummond recently decided to supplement the shade facilities by planting about 1,000 pine trees to establish a cattle break.

The property which consists of about some 380 acres of undulating country has been greatly improved in carry capacity by pasture improvement and top dressing. The pastures which were established mainly from G. & N. seed consists of a mixture of Rye grass, cow grass and White Dutch clover. Regular top dressing is practised and good results have been obtained with applications of about 1cwt to 1 1/2cwt of super per acre. About 60 acres are used for fodder crops, mainly millet, maize and mulga oats with algerian oats for hay.

Fodder conservation is playing an increasingly important part in Mr Drummond’s farming and he gave it as his opinion that every dairyman should practise fodder conservation as insurance against drought. Mr Drummond backed up his statements by pointing to the fodder reserves on his farm which were helping him to maintain production and to fight the present dry conditions.