During the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak many Australian businesses felt the brunt of the global pandemic. However, for one local Charters Towers small business, covid had the opposite effect with business quadrupling in only a short year and a half.
Sally Curley is the one-woman show behind Royston Park Pasture Raised Eggs. The local business provides Charters Towers and North Queensland with fresh and free range pasteurised eggs straight from the farm.
What initially began as an interest, Sally said became a reality when she needed a change within her life.
"I was at a crossroads in my life and it was a great opportunity to venture into something new," she said.
Sally along with her husband Patrick Curley and their family, relocated to Charters Towers in 2003 from Mount Surprise when her husband gained a transfer with Queensland Rail at the time.
Sally began Royston Park Pasture Raised Eggs in June 2019 and hasn't slowed since.
"It has been hectic, it just doesn't stop," she said.
"My eggs seem to be like toilet paper, they're just going out the door everyday."
At present, Sally has 350 chickens on her property and is collecting between 320 to 330 eggs a day.
"January and February are supposed to be a quiet time, but it has been quite the opposite," she said.
"It's fantastic at the moment with the green grass around, it produces a really yellow yolk."
March to December is the usual full production season and Sally will collect eggs three times a day equating to a ballpark of 450 eggs. Once collected, Sally will begin the process of packaging the eggs and both fulfilling and delivering orders.
"They're that fresh," she said.
"I currently have 200 hens ordered for the end of February.
"I'll then begin the process of offloading some of my current hens - you've got to keep your flocks going."
When quizzed about her breed of hen, Sally said the Bonds Isa-Brown is a regular hen amongst her flock.
"They are really good egg layers. My new hens on order are a Hyline hen," she said.
"They're supposed to be Rolls-Royce of egg layers, so we'll wait and see."
Based on the outskirts of town, Royston Park delivers to the local Charters Towers community three times a week.
Sally said she is blown away from the support she has received with business booming.
"The community support has been phenomenal. I couldn't do it without everybody," she said.
"I started with 100 hens and in less than 6 months I got another 100.
"It has just taken off, it's quadrupled in a year and a half."
It is not just the Charters Towers locals recognizing a fresh and quality product, Royston Park Pasture Raised Eggs also delivers to Townsville on a regular weekly basis.
"I do one trip a week and I take anywhere from 1200 to 2000 eggs to Townsville," Sally said.
"I deliver on a Wednesday, so I've got to do two collections before I go, get them in the fridge and pack the car.
"It's quite a big day."
However working in the poultry industry is no easy feat. Sally follows strict storage and record keeping requirements to ensure she is in line with industry standards.
With no signs of slowing down, Sally hopes to continue providing North Queensland with a fresh, quality product.
"I may one day look at expanding," she said.
"For now it's just me, so we will just wait and see what happens."
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Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
