Benambra's Brian Dyer reflects on a lifetime in the high country

He worked as a machine operator on the Lindenow flats, spent six months in South Dakota working on a Limousin breeding operation, 10 years as a miner and 17 years as a shearer.

"People ask me when will I retire, but I love farming even though I have worked off farm," he said.

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The 65-year-old fourth-generation farmer recalls in the 1980s when the top-priced weaner steers at Benambra's annual Mountain Calf Sale would fetch below $600 a head.

"We used to think that was a fantastic price," he said.

"The sales are one of the biggest events of the year for everyone in this district and buyers come from all over Australia to buy these cattle.

"The change in the stock and genetics has been massive, but the history has never been lost."

Mr Dyer, and his partner of 30 years, Pauline Sim, will sell about 100 mixed-sex Hereford cattle at the first Mountain Calf Sale at Hinnomunjie on March 7.

The cattle, featuring Karoonda Park and Sugarloaf bloodlines, will range from 10 months and 13-14 months.

"The only reason I'm selling these older ones is because we had a really wet year and I couldn't get them out on the particular dates in the lead up to the fortnightly store sales at Bairnsdale," Mr Dyer said.

"It's great summer country, but in the winter it gets terribly wet."

Mr Dyer said it was not uncommon for it to snow at his property, Narben, at Uplands, eight kilometres north of Benambra, however, flooding from high rainfall had caused the most trouble in the last 12 months.

"Stock could hardly lay down in a dry spot at some stages throughout the year and it's been very hard to get stock off the property," he said.

"Every time I arranged to get stock out, water was over the bridge and prevented us from getting access to the road.

"We had a snowfall which lasted a day or so and everything was covered in snow so there was a lot of feeding out on that particular day too."

The 405-hectare property includes about 230 breeders, while 160ha of the property is leased to two younger farmers from Swifts Creek.

Mr Dyer was unable to attend the sale last year after he tested positive to coronavirus on the eve of the Hinnomunjie market.

It was the start of an ordinary run of health for the high country grazier.

"Later that month, in March 2022, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer," he said.

"I've had six months of chemo and the outlook isn't looking too flash, but the medication is keeping me going."

Weaner cattle prices eased in January on average from $500-$700 a head in the north-east and western district, and Mr Dyer said he expected prices to be back by $400-$500 compared to the 2022 results.

"It's still good money, it's just that we've had that cream and unbelievable prices and now we've come back to powdered milk," he said.

"We hope the downturn in the economy won't affect the prices of beef too much but only time will tell."

Mr Dyer said his four sons were also interested in farming.

"However, they also have very secure lifestyles while their families are young," he said.

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