The 2004 Yearbook of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association

The following is the President's foreword to the yearbook.

PRESIDENT'S FOREWORD 2004

Greetings. As I reflect on topics for this foreword I am reminded of previous pursuits of this association. President Ken Warriner expressed a plea to the federal Ministry to reconsider the inequity of the exceptional circumstances judgement relating to the then centralian drought.

Last year with our efforts in Minister Truss’s and the NT government drought review we may finally have gone some way toward relieving that concern.

President David Bailey referred to the Native Title debate and the unity and strength of our organization that was required to negotiate our way through this debate. The Native Title debate lingers, however never has the fomentation of unity been more crucial than in our efforts now to achieve the protection of our live-export trade and a major upgrading of our road network.

Some gains have been made, but as one sniffs the cool political air in our run up to the next federal election it is noticeable that the sale of Telstra assets may present bytes on the heels of any unwary politicians. Many bush people are not happy with this idea. We must preserve a high degree of good old fashioned service and be able to have access in equitable fashion with
our city cousins, to the use of all future technological advances, whatever they may be.

One thing is certain though, any agripolitical group that allow further sales of Telstra without the conversion of the ensuing cash into a major upgrading of rural infrastructure, especially our road networks then they will deserve much criticism.

This is where we will depend upon all industry participants having the fortitude to be part of good teamwork and unity of purpose. It is sad but appropriate to reflect upon the life of one such very solid citizen, perhaps one of our best and a most respected NTCA member and cattleman, the late Mr. Mick Beebe.

The Beebe’s were one of the first importers of good quality Brahman cattle to the NT and one picture that I will carry in my mind’s eye always, is that of fl ying a helicopter across Ucharonidge nearly twenty fi ve years ago when I noticed a few miles up ahead a large group of white Brahmans that had spotted me.

They were trotting out from a bore to the line of my fl ight, all jostling for a front row look at this flying machine and seemingly by the look on their faces comparing curious notes about the spectacle of it in the brilliant blue above their special part of, ‘the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended.’

In my extensive mustering career I have often found that cattle refl ect the personality of the man that works them, and the quality, strength and quietness of those cattle and the health of the pasture they were grazing in will always remind me of what I reckon Mick and his family were about.

Something to aspire to. All the best for the next wet.

JOHN ARMSTRONG
President