Brian Leslie was just a young lad when a prominent livestock manager asked him what he wanted to do.
“I want your job,” Mr Leslie replied.
And he got the result in spades. He has become Australia’s leading dairy auctioneer and holds records for the highest priced dairy cow auctions, including one heifer which sold for $250,000 at International Dairy Week.
He also demonstrates encyclopedic knowledge of cow families, being able to recite pedigrees going back for multiple generations.
The skill was developed as a young boy.
“I was never that interested in school (he left at 15), so Dad encouraged me to read things like the Dairy Journal, and that’s how it started.”
This week he has received an Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday honours list, for services to the dairy industry.
He has been intimately acquainted with the dairy industry, being born into a dairying family in West Gippsland, milking cows, being a dairy breeder, volunteering with a breed society, exhibiting cattle and judging in the ring.
He has left an indelible mark on the Australian dairy scene, as a key founder of International Dairy Week and a director for more than 20 years.
He was a former co-owner of 21st Century Genetics, the owner of Brown and Leslie Dairy Agency and a recipient of the Les Bunn Memorial Award in 2008.
Beginning with Gippsland and Northern agent Daryl Brown, Mr Leslie credits a large part of his success to working with knowledgable mentors, good people and many successful breeders.
He’s very conscious of the opportunities he was given as a young man, and in return, he has invested some of his time into encouraging the next generation at youth camps.
“I was lucky to get involved with pretty solid people in the dairy industry, so I wanted to give back to the kids.”
He established the inaugural all breeds dairy youth camp in 1987.
He worked with Gippsland and Northern before he turned 16.
He went to Canada when he was 20, working with industry auctioneers and travelled back and forth over the next 20 years.
As for his prodigious memory for pedigrees, Mr Leslie says he reads a lot and has been fortunate to have a photographic memory.
“I have enjoyed it; it comes naturally to me; I’ve been doing it for a long time. I’ve been talking about cows I have sold for more than 40 years.”
His selling patter at the podium can be mesmerising for the uninitiated. Mr Leslie introduces each lot with a description of the cow’s traits and genetic background. The pace of his presentation rises and falls as he takes the bids and he frequently stops for a ‘break’ when he reminds bidders of the extensive genetic history, without having to refer to notes. Then, back into it, with a machine gun delivery of the bids, leaving anyone in the room under no illusion that if they don’t bid, it would be a wasted opportunity.
Although working for a vendor when he’s a selling agent, Mr Leslie says he doesn’t compromise on the advice he gives prospective buyers.
“If I don’t think it’s a good fit for a buyer, I’ll tell them that’s not the one for you.”
Asked about his career, Mr Leslie frequently uses the words, “lucky” and “fortunate” and always says he loves the job.
Mr Leslie, 59, is married to Diane and they have a daughter, Rachel.
KING’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS
Former Victorian deputy premier, Patrick McNamara from Nagambie, was made a member of the Order of Australia for services to rowing, the Parliament of Victoria and the community.
The National Party leader between 1988 and 1999, he has held a range of positions in Nagambie organisations and served on the Shire of Goulburn as a councillor.
Although chiefly known for his extensive parliamentary positions, Mr McNamara has been closely involved with the sport of rowing, having served as president of Rowing Australia and Rowing Victoria, which came about after his own experience as a rowing captain and coach.
Noel Graham from Deniliquin has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to agriculture through the rice growing industry.
Mr Graham is a former chair and deputy chair of SunRice and a non-executive director between 2001 to 2019.
He served on the Murray Irrigation Limited board, and was elected chair between 2009 and 2013. He has also worked with the Rice Growers Association, the Rice Marketing Board and as a board member of Intereach.
Peter Dowling, formerly of Moulamein, NSW, has been awarded the Order of Australia (OAM), for services to primary industries, having served on the Riverina Board of the State Council of Rural Lands Protection Board, the Moulamein Pastures Protection Board and grazier bodies.
Mr Dowling is the proprietor of the Merino study property, Keri-Keri, in Moulamein.
Alexander (Sandy) John MacKenzie of Avenel has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to education and to conservation.
Mr MacKenzie, a former Avenel citizen of the year, has been heavily involved in Landcare since 2006, having held positions with Landcare Victoria and as an active participant in groups including the Burnt Creek Landcare.
He was a board member of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority between 2010 and 2017.