It’s been more than 10 years of sometime acrimonious debate, but the Ballarat saleyards on the Delacombe site are now silent.
This week has seen the final action at the yards with the prime cattle sale on Monday and sheep and lamb sale Tuesday being the last.
On Friday the new yards at the 45-hectare Minors Rest site, known as the Central Victorian Livestock Exchange, will see about 3500 store cattle yarded and sold in the brand new complex.
The closure comes after around 130 years after the parcel of land that is home to the Ballarat saleyards was permanently reserved from sale by then Colony of Victoria Governor, Sir Henry Brougham Loch, with advice of the Executive Council.
The new selling complex, built at a cost of around $25 million, will provide state-of-the-art facilities for stakeholders including agents, livestock producers and buyers.
The closure of the historic site in Delacombe was greeted with some nostalgia as well anticipation for the new facility and what it promises.
TB White and Sons director Gerard White said three generations of the family had been involved with the old yards at Ballarat.
Gerard and his brother Leo’s father Tom White was an auctioneer and agent at the yards for more than 40 years.
Now Gerard’s son Michael, Leo’s daughter Tess and nephews, Xavier and Luke Bourke are all involved.
“It’s the end of a chapter, but it’s progress as we move to the new site,” Gerard White said.
“Hopefully it will live up to the expectations.
“The new yards took a lot of negotiations to get things right.
“With the fees that are being implemented, we hope it will work the way it should.”
Barclay Dowling has been working in the old yards since 1974 and the family business, Crawford Dowling, operated there from the opening of the yards until 2016.
“On good days everything worked well, but there were bad days such as when 200 millimetres of rain fell in December 1980 flooding the yards,” he said.
“It will be great to get to the new facilities.
“Everything is on an even base and the stock will be presented better. There isn’t a bad selling pen, unlike the old yards.
“Without the cobblestones I might have a few more years left in me.”
Long-time vendor at the old yards, John Molesworth, Ballark, Bungal, presented the final pen of the sheep sale, sold by Landmark.
Mr Molesworth said his father began selling through Ballarat yards and his own son, James, was continuing that tradition.
He said the family’s links with the Shanahan family and agents started with his father and Jack Shanahan, he with Tony Shanahan and his son with Xavier Shanahan (Tony’s son).
“Xavier sold his first pen of cattle at an on-property sale here at Ballark.
“We will go to the new yards for the first cattle sale to have a look,” he said.
