Spring Angus: Don Sundermann's legacy

It is in the quality of people who work across the beef industry, because of an education initiative he led.

Don Sundermann, OAM (d 2015), founded Pinora Angus Stud, at Dawson, near Heyfield, off the back of his experience as a young man at Dookie College.

"He came home to the dairy farm and told his father he wasn't going to milk cows," said John Sundermann, one of his sons.

"They bought a commercial herd of Angus cows, then bought a stud cow, then a few more."

Pinora Angus stud was registered in 1951. Don began showing bulls and young heifers at the Royal Melbourne and local Gippsland agricultural shows and the first on-property bull sale was held in 1968.

"What he really liked about the Angus cattle, it was an easy breed," John said.

Don's objective was to breed a high growth rate, large-framed Angus cow. In 1970, he imported two Angus bulls from New Zealand and in 1983 he bought shares in a bull imported from the US.

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He received champion bull at the national show and sale in 1980 and junior champion heifer at the Royal Melbourne Show in 1982, but his greatest legacy to shows was a lifetime spent working as a steward.

This commitment was recognised in 2008 with the Royal Agricultural Society's President's Medal.

"He was a steward and us boys showed the cattle. He loved being a steward," John said. "This was at a time when 300 Angus cattle were entered in the show and every class had 20 cattle in it."

Don was a founding member of the Gippsland Angus Breeders Group and enjoyed the opportunity each month to visit each member's farm and discuss breeding strategies and business.

Talking to commercial breeders gave him insight into what they expected of the bulls they bought and reinforced his focus on breeding an Angus with a growth rate that complemented the store weaner and yearling sales, particularly in Gippsland.

Don joined the Angus Society in 1951 when he registered the stud.

He was on the Victorian Angus committee from 1958 and served as chairman in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He was a board member of the Angus Society, serving as president from 1983 to 1985. He was also chairman of the national show and sale committee for eight years.

Don's experience leaving the farm to learn at Dookie inspired him to look at ways to help young people to experience the opportunity of new ideas about farming.

He visited Angus breeders and farms in the US a number of times and the relationships he built were integral to establishing a three-month scholarship with the University of Illinois, renowned for its agricultural program.

The inaugural recipient of the scholarship was his son John. Many others have benefited from the scholarship, including Geoff McInnes of Innesdale Angus stud and Jason Strong, CEO of Meat and Livestock Australia.

The initiative has since grown into two US and two trans-Tasman study opportunities annually and has been replicated by other breed societies.

"A lot of those scholarship recipients are now in key influential positions in the beef industry in Australia," Mr McInnes said.

"After he went to Dookie, he recognised the benefits of studying away from home and learning about running the farm. He also recognised a lot of kids couldn't do that because they didn't come from rich families."

He influenced other young men because he included them in conversations.

"Don was a role model and a good, down-to-earth bloke. He always had time for you," said Glencoe Angus partner John MacLachlan.

"I learned I had two ears for a reason. Don, Dick Chester, Roy Stuckey, Mike Dennis and my dad would get together for a yarn and discuss where breeding is going. I'd always get something out of the yarn.

"All had a massive influence on stud and commercial cattle breeding."

John MacLachlan also remembers the many American farmers who would visit Gippsland farms when he was a young man, because Don had met many of them and influenced their tour itinerary when they visited Australia.

Don Sundermann cared about his community and was awarded an OAM because of his public service. He was on the shire council and served as president, he was a Justice of the Peace and a member of the local cemetery and hall committees. He was a Victorian champion outdoor bowls player.

"When he and some of his mates decided something needed to be done, they did it," Mr McInnes said.

"When they decided Heyfield needed a pool, they got backhoes and excavators and started building it. They didn't worry about if there was no funding available to pay for it.

"Don was instrumental in things like that but he never took accolades; he said he was a part of the team. But he was always there, leading quietly.

"In the same way, the Angus bulls he bred are still influencing the genetics of herds across Gippsland and Australia."