O
wned by Tex and Bronwyn Burnham, Boogalgopal
is a thriving beef producing enterprise with an addi-
tional focus on the raising of 100% grass reared Brah-
man and Charbray bulls, supplying breeding bulls to custom-
ers looking for “non grain fed” bulls.Although this has not always been the case. Originally a part
of “Rawbelle”, a large selection taken up by Adolphus Tre-
vethan in 1848, Boogalgopal creek country was considered
a problem area and too rough to be of use. Hereford cattle
were run on Boogalgopal in the 1950’s, however aer battling
mother nature, it was decided to run hardier cattle more suit-
ed to the type of country.Owned by the Burnham family since 1949, the proper-
ty was divided between brothers, with Tex and Bronwyn
now running a successful breeding program on their share.
Bronwyn also runs a popular Facebook page sharing beau-
tiful photographs of life on Boogalgopal. Both commercial
and stud cattle graze on long swaying grasses among gums
with pink setting suns as a back drop. It is simply stunning.Tex and Bronwyn sell approximately 120 bulls a year as well
as commercial grass reared Brahman steers and it is in this
picturesque scene that these cattle are born and raised.It is itting that in such an ideal location that stock work on
Boogalgopal follows tradition, mustering stock on horseback
and utilising working dogs. “here is nothing better than a
good horse and a team of good dogs. here is a real part-
nership between a man and his dog and the loyalty of dogs
is unsurpassed. To breed a team of working dogs gives great
satisfaction and a huge sense of achievement at the end of a
successful muster.”“Tex remembers his irst dog ‘Mitzy’ a blue heeler... be-ing a teenager in the late sixties he was just as proud
as punch to have a dog that actually followed him, and
not his older brother!” Mitzy, the Blue Heeler, was use-
ful for pushing the still Hereford cross cattle along.Tex was given a longer haired collie style bitch by a neighbour
aer losing Mitzy, and it was with this bitch that their ‘love
afair’ with working dogs began.“In the mid eighties we attended a working dog weekend with
Neil McDonald and although very impressed with the stand-
ard of control he had achieved over his team of Kelpie dogs,
we have stuck to a system of “Training on the Job”...... allow-
ing older dogs to teach younger dogs while out on a muster.here have been a few stand out dogs over the years. Bron-
wyn recalls one dog in particular. “Melton Frankie Blue
Eyes”, a dog we obtained from our daughter Bec Comiskey
and her husband David from Alpha. Frankie was a rangy
white and black Border Collie with one distinctive blue eye,
and named aer the other famous blue eyed Frank Sinatra!”Frankie has been used for breeding working dogs on Boogal-
gopal. “His line has kept us in useful dogs until this day.” “Of
course certain stories go down in the Boogal “folklore” about
the prowess of certain dogs.” Bronwyn tells of one such sto-
ry involving “Scud”. While mustering up in the heavy timber
looking for a mob of recently purchased cows, the cattle were
inally sighted but immediately led further into the hills. By
the time the horses were unloaded ‘Scud’ and mates had head-
ed of in hot pursuit. Aer some time two dogs returned and
cattle were nowhere to be seen. But a yelp in the distance alert-
ed us to their location....... a very proud looking Scud was
found holding the mob up on the ridge.”With some rough and steep terrain on Boogalgopal, Tex ex-40 AWSDM http://www.stockdogs.com.au