The hat is sweat-stained and well-worn, and some might say, so is the wearer.
Shepparton Regional Saleyards manager Brendan Carey swears the Akubra is only three years old, but if that is its age, then it must have never left his head.
Brendan is saying goodbye to the saleyards after the six years his company has managed the council-owned operation, to make way for the new managers, RLX, which is preparing to sign a long-term lease.
Brendan, who has a preference for straight talking and a dislike for red tape and overbearing regulation, is looking forward to a break — and new opportunities for his scanning and weighing business.
He hasn’t been one to hide in the office and much prefers the outdoors. Sometimes he hasn’t had a choice. “Not when you’re up to your armpits, clearing a pipe.”
Brendan’s tenure finished on a busy note, as the last sheep and lamb yarding on December 13 totalled about 4000 head, a peak which many agents couldn’t recall in recent years.