To celebrate Father’s Day, we visit four generations of a farming family from the Bega Valley
in southern New South Wales, lead by proud patriarch Richard ‘Paddy’ Otton.
To celebrate Father’s Day, we visit four generations of a farming family from the Bega Valley in southern New South Wales, lead by proud patriarch Richard ‘Paddy’ Otton.
He might not realise it just yet, but as three-year-old Charlie Otton keenly watches the
action in the cattle yards from the safety of the top rail, he’s learning stock-handling skills
that seem to come naturally to kids brought up on the land. Not only does he have his dad
Tom to guide and teach him, he also has two other male role models around to show him
the ropes: his poppy Geoffrey (known as Poss), and his great-grandad, Richard (known as
Paddy). Charlie is absorbing the knowledge and traditions collected from 170-odd years of his
family living and working on ‘Numerella’, their 1200-acre beef and sheep farm, tucked into
the foothills of the Great Dividing Range just north of Bega.
He might not realise it just yet, but as three-year-old Charlie Otton keenly watches the action in the cattle yards from the safety of the top rail, he’s learning stock-handling skills that seem to come naturally to kids brought up on the land. Not only does he have his dad Tom to guide and teach him, he also has two other male role models around to show him the ropes: his poppy Geoffrey (known as Poss), and his great-grandad, Richard (known as Paddy). Charlie is absorbing the knowledge and traditions collected from 170-odd years of his family living and working on ‘Numerella’, their 1200-acre beef and sheep farm, tucked into the foothills of the Great Dividing Range just north of Bega.
Tom, 31, is a dairy farmer at nearby Candelo with his wife Gemma and their three
children, who are some of the eighth generation of Ottons to call this valley home.
Tom speaks of his dad with total admiration. “He’s an amazing man and a very hard
worker”, Tom says. “He’s been my best friend my whole life. We talk all the time –
mainly about farming. We’re both obsessed with it. He and Charlie are best mates
now. Charlie goes to cattle sales with Dad and he’ll be hanging off him while Dad’s
trying to buy cattle and write in his book.”
Tom, 31, is a dairy farmer at nearby Candelo with his wife Gemma and their three children, who are some of the eighth generation of Ottons to call this valley home. Tom speaks of his dad with total admiration. “He’s an amazing man and a very hard worker”, Tom says. “He’s been my best friend my whole life. We talk all the time – mainly about farming. We’re both obsessed with it. He and Charlie are best mates now. Charlie goes to cattle sales with Dad and he’ll be hanging off him while Dad’s trying to buy cattle and write in his book.”
Poss lives at ‘Numerella’ with his wife Caroline, where he manages day-to-day operations
on the Black Angus and crossbred sheep farm, as well as being a respected cattle buyer for
feedlots and abattoirs across the southern states. His dad Paddy, and mum Roslyn, still play
an active role on the farm where the majority of stockwork is done on his beloved horses.
Poss lives at ‘Numerella’ with his wife Caroline, where he manages day-to-day operations on the Black Angus and crossbred sheep farm, as well as being a respected cattle buyer for feedlots and abattoirs across the southern states. His dad Paddy, and mum Roslyn, still play an active role on the farm where the majority of stockwork is done on his beloved horses.
Even after a recent mishap in the yards which saw Paddy, 85, wind up in hospital with
some broken teeth, and a brush with cancer – “a bit of rust” as he calls it – he considers
himself lucky to still be able to do most things. “I still love doing a bit trail riding and often
poke about on a horse doing the cattle work with my dog”, Paddy says. “Poss is a born
cattleman. He rouses on me regularly and tells me not to get in the yards with certain
toey cows because they’ll knock me A-over-Z. I am getting a bit slower but I can still shoe
a horse down the back. I might do two shoes in the morning and two in afternoon these
days though.”
Even after a recent mishap in the yards which saw Paddy, 85, wind up in hospital with some broken teeth, and a brush with cancer – “a bit of rust” as he calls it – he considers himself lucky to still be able to do most things. “I still love doing a bit trail riding and often poke about on a horse doing the cattle work with my dog”, Paddy says. “Poss is a born cattleman. He rouses on me regularly and tells me not to get in the yards with certain toey cows because they’ll knock me A-over-Z. I am getting a bit slower but I can still hoe a horse down the back. I might do two shoes in the morning and two in afternoon these days though.”
Although little Charlie is oblivious to just how special it is to have four
generations of his family share the joys and challenges of life on the land, Poss,
56, says that the possibility of the farm carrying on for future generations of
Ottons dictates his mindset. “I often think about mates that have no children
or children that aren’t interested in farming and think, what are they aiming for
with the farm?”, Poss says. “Whereas I’m doing things everyday with the thought
at the back of my mind that Tom will come back here one day and take it on. So,
I’ve got a goal to strive for. I also think that one day down the track, Charlie will
be here looking after things. So that’s another reason to get out of bed in the
morning and keep going on the farm.”
Although little Charlie is oblivious to just how special it is to have four
generations of his family share the joys and challenges of life on the land, Poss, 56, says that the possibility of the farm carrying on for future generations of Ottons dictates his mindset. “I often think about mates that have no children or children that aren’t interested in farming and think, what are they aiming for with the farm?”, Poss says. “Whereas I’m doing things everyday with the thought at the back of my mind that Tom will come back here one day and take it on. So, I’ve got a goal to strive for. I also think that one day down the track, Charlie will be here looking after things. So that’s another reason to get out of bed in the morning and keep going on the arm.”
