Few family-owned businesses especially in the agent industry can boast a proud history of 160 years.
That’s why at the end of this week, on December-31, it will be sad to see an icon Ballarat stock and station agent close its doors for the very last time.
According to a history of the company written in 1956 the company was initially founded in 1856 by Mr Benjamin Hepburn at what were known as the old Turf Yards in Creswick Road Ballarat.
Mr Hepburn was subsequently joined in the business by Mr Van Hemert, and when the latter retired in 1860, was joined by Mr William Leonard and some years later by Mr H.E. Rowe, and was then known as Hepburn, Leonard & Rowe.
When these latter gentlemen retired, Mr Benjamin Dowling purchased the business from Mr Hepburn in 1885 whence it became known as Hepburn, Dowling & Co.
A year later in 1886 Mr Robert Crawford joined the firm under the style of Hepburn, Dowling & Crawford which continued until 1905 when the partnership was dissolved.
Benjamin Dowling and his two sons, Barclay and Graeme carried on a business under the name of Ben Dowling and Sons while Robert Crawford, associated with Mr Hubert B. Seymour, carried on their firm as Hepburn, Crawford and Seymour.
On the death of Benjamin Dowling in 1907 his son Graeme Dowling became the sole proprietor of that firm’s business, and on 18th May 1908, the two firms re-united under the style of Crawford Dowling & Seymour.
The business carried on under that name until October 1927 when it expanded with the purchase of Coles & Pullman P/L which comprised the Freehold of the Pig and Store and Dairy cattle Yards and Offices on the site now occupied by Target Australia in Doveton Street South.
At that time the principals were Mr Robert Crawford and Mr Graeme Dowling, and the services of Mr Albert John Redman, an auctioneer for Coles & Pullum P/L for many years, were retained.
In October, 1928 the present company Crawford Dowling P/L was formed with Robert Crawford, Graeme Dowling and Albert John Redman as directors, and the eldest son of Robert Crawford, Mr John G. Crawford, as Secretary.
On the death of Graeme Dowling in 1940 John Crawford and Mr Alan R Crawford, the younger son of Robert Crawford, joined the directorate until the passing of Mr Redman in 1954 after which in 1955, Mr William (Bill) Graeme Dowling, son of Graeme Dowling, and Mr William Lloyd Redman, son of Albert Redman, both having grown up in the business, were appointed as Probationary Directors.
During this period the company expand its interests and Branches were opened at Skipton, Derrinallum and Streatham, with Agencies throughout the whole of the Western Districts, Wimmera and Mallee.
Current day directors, Tom and Barclay Dowling, sons of WG (Bill) Dowling said they were saddened to sell the company that had family links dating date to 1886. But with none younger generations of the family to carry the business forward the opportunity to sell could not be passed up.
Tom Dowling told Stock & Land selling to Landmark would be beneficial to both companies and he is confident of the support Landmark would give to the current Crawford Dowling staff through the transition and beyond.
“After decades of Crawford Dowling selling and dealing with pigs, that will cease on December 31 and Landmark will not be undertaking the fortnightly Ballarat pig market or other pig sales,” Mr Dowling said.
As the state-appointed market reporter based in Ballarat from 1982 to 1992 I fondly remember the days of those 4500 head Christmas pig markets when CD commanded phenomenal respect as a pig marketing specialist, and the Ballarat market was the barometer for all pig sales across eastern Australia.
The company can also look back proudly in the knowledge of holding the largest special sale of sheep ever held at the Ballarat Corporation saleyards when in January 1948 it yarded 30,123 sheep sold at an average price of £2/1/4d or $4.15 a head which was said to be a particularly good average price.