A young cow from one of the legendary Jersey sire families topped the complete dispersal sale at a long-standing Far North Queensland dairy farm on Monday.
Long Lanes Bontino Brown Lady sold for $9,000 to the English family, Eachamvale, Malanda. The Jersey was sired by Cairnbrae Bontino and dam was Long Lanes Jackson Brownlady 2.
The English family also outlaid $6,000 for the third highest cow, a Jersey - Long Lanes Ferdinand Narcissus - whose dam, Long Lanes T S Narcissus, was supreme champion cow at the recent Malanda Show.
Second highest cow, a Holstein - Long Lanes Viewpoint Whynot (sire Endco Viewpoint, and dam Bluechip LL Golden Whynot), was the subject of spirited bidding between the English family and an online bidder, with the latter winning out and paying $8,500.
The complete dispersal sale of Long Lanes Holsteins and Jerseys, Millaa Millaa, achieved 100 per cent clearance, with the 140 head averaging $2385/head.
Holstein cows averaged $2900/head, Jersey cows $2680/head, Holstein heifers $1715/head, Jersey heifers $2565/head and Jersey bulls $2750.
Dairy Livestock Services' Brian Leslie said there was strong interest in the Jersey heifers which reflected the quality of the genetics.
A solid showing of local dairyfarming families - including those that had already purchased some of the Long Lanes genetics over the past two years - bid for some of the best dairy genetics in Australia.
More than 60 farmers from southern Queensland and northern NSW registered to bid online, with many active in the selling arena.
"People realised the cattle are out of a very good herd of cows and it's an opportunity to buy them from their backyards," Mr Leslie said.
The sale signalled the end of an era for the Hartin family, drawing a curtain on 93 years in the industry that has shaped the Atherton Tablelands.
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Third generation dairyfarmer Rodney Hartin and wife Cynthia raised their four children on the farm, Rocklea, started by Mr Hartin's grandparents.
The Hartins invested heavily in dairy genetics and introduced leading cow families from Victoria and New South Wales. They were also active on the show circuit, winning a number of supreme champion cows and placings at the Atherton, Malanda and Cairns Shows.
A relieved Mr Hartin was pleased with the result, particularly the number of cows that went to local farmers.
Dairy industry leader James Geraghty, who bought a handful of Holstein heifers, said there was strong interest in the leading Australian dairy genetics, evidenced by the number of cows bought by local established herds, along with southern farmers.
"The history of these cows runs back to the splitting up of the Carmar cow family back in 1982," Mr Geraghty said.
"That's where Rodney and many other farmers on the Tablelands have bought cows out of that cow family over the past 40 years."
While the sale was tinged with sadness, Mr Geraghty said it also represented "renewal" for the industry.
"It's always a sad day to see a farm close down but it's also a renewal of the industry in that a lot of cows went to a farm that is about to start up before Christmas," Mr Geraghty said.
"A lot of these animals have gone to that farm and will start that dairy off.
"The cows stay within the industry, so that's a positive."
The sale was blessed with blue skies - the first sight of sun in a rain-drenched five days.
