A symphony of industry fills Morrissey & Co’s historic workshop, where apprentices are busy plumbing and wiring hydraulics for cradles and crushes. To meet growing demand, the shed’s now equipped with computer-operated machinery and other modern tools - yet in one corner, the coal forge still burns.
Branding holds a double meaning here. The fifth-generation family business still hand-forges the irons that mark cattle across the country, while its apprentices wear the company’s brand embroidered on their uniforms. The anvil emblem - modelled on the one founder John Morrissey brought from Tipperary, Ireland, in 1910 - remains a proud symbol of heritage, craftsmanship, and continuity on Queensland’s Western Downs.
Today, the business employs around 30 people and trains six apprentices, including its first female apprentice, third-year fitter and turner Jenae Handford. “We take great pride in passing our knowledge on to the next generation of young talent,” says Christine Morrissey. “Some start school-based, just one day a week - it’s a great way for them to see if they enjoy the field.”
“A lot of these kids, having grown up in the country, are natural learners,” she adds. “They pick things up quickly. They’re just good, lovely country kids - they feel like ours, really.”
Over the years, the Morrisseys have refined and expanded their business, developing equipment that improves livestock welfare and supports farmers. Their latest innovation - a world-first solar-powered hydraulic cattle crush - reflects that spirit of practical progress. “Every engineering decision in our workshop is driven by customer insight and our own hands-on experience,” says Sally Morrissey. Plans are now underway for a new paint shed and a major workshop extension. “We’re about to double our footprint,” Sally says. “We’ve slowly expanded across the road, but this new space will finally bring everything together.”
For the Morrisseys, progress and tradition go hand in hand. The family’s anvil continues to ring strong - its legacy forged by the same spirit of skill, innovation, and dedication that has carried the company forward for more than a century.
