Located in the picturesque Bungarby in the Monaro area of southern NSW sits Woburn Australian Whites, a Sheep Stud founded and managed by the multi-generational Keighley family.
Spanning 3,000 acres, with an additional 1,000 acres leased, and supporting 4,000 ewes and 300 stud ewes, Woburn Australian Whites is a progressive and sustainable grass-fed operation producing some of the best quality ethically raised lamb we’ve ever supplied at Our Cow!
Where it all started
What is now a thriving and expansive commercial flock and stud operation first began through the hard work and expertise of original founders Charles and Hilary Keighley. Both born and raised in Kenya, they moved to the UK for education, where Charles pursued Agriculture and Hilary trained as a Physiotherapist. Their journey then led them to the Monaro area of southern NSW in 1990, where they quickly realised the suitability of the area for Dorpers and had soon proudly established themselves as the first White Dorper stud in the area.
Woburn's Evolution and Expansion
Initially, Charles managed the nearby Kelton Plain Merino stud for 17 years while also running the Laikipia Dorper and White Dorper stud at the same time, which they purchased in 1993. The family embraced the farming life, and son Tim, after graduating in Agricultural Business Management from Charles Sturt University, shared his parents’ passion for the farm and expressed interest in continuing working on the land with his parents.
Thanks to Charles’s expertise in animal husbandry and Tim’s interest and experience in agriculture, the family’s vision materialised when they acquired Woburn Pastoral in 2012, a property brimming with potential. Transitioning from Dorpers to Australian Whites in 2015, and thanks to enormous amounts of hard work by the whole family, the farm has since flourished.
When Tim and Dannielle married in 2022 a new four-way business partnership was formed between Tim, Dannielle, Charles and Hilary. Since then, the family have added a further 600 acres to the existing farm, as well as taking on two lease blocks, to further increase their stock numbers.
Vision and Goals: Sustaining Generations
Woburn is more than just a farm for the Keighley’s. The family’s collective dream is for their farm to continue supporting both couples as their family grows (Tim and Dannielle are eagerly expecting their first child in December 2023!) and as Charles and Hilary transition into retirement.
The Keighley’s share a passion for watching their livestock and pastures thrive, aiming to enhance the farm's carrying capacity and ensure its legacy for future generations.
As Hilary says, “We hope that the first and second generation of the family on the farm will extend into future generations. We all love the property and feel very privileged to be the custodians of such a picturesque part of the world.”
For Tim and Charles in particular, farming is more than an occupation; it's a way of life. They find immense satisfaction in watching their livestock thrive, the improvement of pastures, and the strong sense of community in the Monaro farming area.
Partnership with Our Cow
Since partnering with Our Cow, the Keighley’s have been most impressed with our business model, the value we place on the quality of stock, our approachability and our transparency. They also appreciated our Livestock Manager Lachy flying down to their property to see that their sheep were well cared for and a dedicated grass-fed operation!
This alignment of values and practices has made the collaboration between Woburn and Our Cow a very valuable one! We love that the Keighley’s are continually looking to progress and improve their farm and are committed to only producing the highest quality lamb for our customers.
We couldn’t be more proud to offer the Keighley’s top quality and tender range of lamb products now at Our Cow! You can add some to your next order here.
