For Cowra country boy Jack Harper, a career that began with Allan Gray & Co in the familiar paddocks and saleyards of the Lachlan Valley has now taken him halfway across the world.
Over halfway into his overseas adventure, Mr Harper is working with the UK’s largest and most prominent livestock marketing company, Harrison & Hetherington, selling stock across the Northwest of England and Southwest of Scotland.
Reflecting on his journey so far, Mr Harper admits the move is something he never imagined.
“If somebody had said to me five years ago when I began my career as a stock and station agent with Allan Gray & Co in Cowra, that I would one day be selling stock in the Northwest of England and Southwest of Scotland, I’d have said they were mad,” he said.
“Ironically, I am six months deep into such a venture, knee deep in the experience of a lifetime with the UK’s largest and leading livestock marketing company.”
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For Mr Harper, the decision to leave Cowra, his clients, and the comfort of home was not an easy one.
“It was certainly a big decision for me to essentially uproot my life as I knew it, move to the other side of the globe and take a job in a new country,” Mr Harper said.
“It was one that I think has incited a huge amount of growth in both a professional but also in a personal sense.”
In the UK, Mr Harper has witnessed the differences in how livestock marketing operates compared to Australia.
While the essence of the job remains the same, “strive for the best result in the interest of the vendor,” the process, culture, and scale have been eye-opening.
One of the biggest adjustments has been the different style of client relationships.
“Unlike at home, where we as agents develop very strong and important relationships built heavily on trust with our producers, I find the role as an auctioneer here in the UK not quite as personal,” Mr Harper said.
In the UK, producers often take more responsibility for drafting and preparing their own stock for sale.
“Quite often an auctioneer may not have seen the stock before they make their way through the ring,” Mr Harper said.
This contrasts with the Australian system, where stock and station agents are deeply involved in the process, from purchase to drafting to transport, providing a more hands-on service.
The scale is another major difference.
Mr Harper noted that on a typical Monday, H&H might have 150 vendors, with prime sheep sales alone involving 70 different sellers offering less than 3000 head.
Paired with a similar number of cattle vendors and around 400 prime cattle, the sheer throughput makes for busy, fast-paced markets.
For an Australian agent used to Merinos, Dorsets, and familiar cattle breeds, the variety of UK livestock has been both challenging and fascinating.
“Initially, all the new breeds of sheep to grasp was a huge adjustment,” Mr Harper said.
“There is quite the difference between the likes of a hill sheep such as a Swaledale or a Herdwick compared to a high-yielding carcass of a Beltex.”
“None of them look anything like a second Dorset lamb or a Merino.”
Over time, Mr Harper has come to appreciate the diversity, learning how different breeds suit different landscapes and markets.
The rhythm of sales was also a shock.
In Australia, large consignments and familiar processes make for faster turnover.
In the UK, smaller drafts, more vendors, and weigh-bridge systems extend the sale day significantly.
“On my first day I thought 1000 mutton and 2000 lambs with a 9:30am sale start would be concluded by 12 o’clock,” Mr Harper said.
“Was I wrong, I stood in disbelief when lambs were still arriving after 12pm.
“Sales can run four to six hours depending on the numbers penned."
What Mr Harper misses most is the deep involvement in the paddock-to-sale journey that defines the Australian agent’s role.
“For me as an agent at home, the most satisfying part of the job is being able to follow and be part of the journey with my clients,” Mr Harper said.
“Being involved in the purchase of breeding or store stock, drafting for sale, organising transport, and seeing it go to plan.
“Here, not being quite as hands-on and not having the opportunity to be fully involved in that process is something I have missed.”
While he has spent time visiting farms and meeting producers, the relationships can feel fleeting compared to the long-standing ties built back home in Cowra.
“This experience is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I still believe is a huge catalyst for growth in my career as an agent but also as person,” he said.
“If travelling and moving abroad has taught me something, it’s that being pushed out of your comfort zone is where you learn a lot.”
Outside of work, Carlisle has become his temporary home.
Mr Harper has found acceptance and new opportunities abroad, his heart sometimes sits in Cowra.
“I would be lying if I said that I haven’t missed anything about home,” Mr Harper said.
“Days have passed where I miss the comforts, my family and closest friends, the Cowra Magpies, my clients and the familiarity of the Cowra Saleyards."
With more than half his UK stint now behind him, Mr Harper is confident about where his future lies.
“Having now passed the halfway mark, I’ve reassured myself that the Central West is home and my return is inevitable,” Mr Harper said.
“I do indeed look forward to heading back home eventually, but for now I am enjoying my life here in the UK.
“Every day is a new experience and each day has brought with it valuable new lessons both professionally and personally.”
For Jack Harper, the UK has been more than a workplace, it has been a classroom, a testing ground, and a home away from home.
“Until that time comes around, I’ll continue growing, learning and embracing the challenges,” Mr Harper said.
“These experiences have made the adventure extremely worthwhile.
“I look forward to catching up with everyone when I land back in the Lachlan Valley.”
