After 169 years of combined service, old mates farewell historic Australian saleyard

Early on a gusty morning, Greg Iseppi, Barry Coonan, and Leo McMahon pull their utes into the local livestock saleyard.

It's a place they've visited thousands of times, but on this occasion, it's different.

The site, once bustling with bran-coloured hats, cattle, horses, and pigs, is now empty.

Instead, weeds, padlocks, and decaying timber and metal greet them.

Elders, the agribusiness that has leased the yards and offices in the Toowoomba suburb of Harristown, is moving to a nearby, yardless facility in June.

In lieu of a company sweeping in to spend millions on the complex, it likely spells the end of livestock sales in Australia's second-largest inland city after more than 160 years.

For the trio in their 80s, it's probably their last visit to the site that's played a significant role in their lives and the agricultural community.

Greg started as a stock hand and livestock transporter before spending most of his career jostling among the buyers' lanes (1956–2024); Leo worked as an auctioneer for Elders, pacing the towering catwalks selling stock (1960–2003); and Barry controlled stock in the loading area and along the dirt races (1957–2015).

Sales were held every Monday — and Wednesdays and Fridays for a time — and the men are adamant they only missed a few.

The routine was intense and the work, often physical and demanding, never seemed to let up.

"You spent a big portion of your life in the saleyards," Leo recalls.

When large yardings were logged, work could stretch over days.

"You'd start Sunday afternoon, and some nights we'd work through here till six o'clock Monday morning," he remembers.

"Then you'd go home and have a shower and be back here to start at seven o'clock [in the morning], finish at midnight or later on Monday night, and then back on Tuesday night for Wednesday's sale."

'Fiercely competitive'

The saleyards could be fiercely competitive — especially between buyers.

Greg recalls the tough initiation for newcomers, with some established buyers willing to bid above market price to discourage rookies.

"There's no sympathy in this game," Greg says.

"If you were a new buyer, you'd always cop the chop."

Buyers also played tricks on auctioneers, especially young or inexperienced ones, pranking them with false bids.

"You might have a bit of a stoush in the morning, but in the afternoon, you'd be the best of mates again," Leo says with a laugh.

Iconic moments

By the 1960s, the Toowoomba saleyards was one of Australia's largest, with up to 7,000 head of cattle sold weekly.

Since starting at the saleyards, the trio witnessed many pivotal changes and events.

In the 1960s there was the shift from pounds to dollars, followed by the move to weighing scales and cents per kilogram pricing in the 1970s.

In the same decade, the Southern Queensland site was also a pioneer in adopting technology when it introduced computer-driven results — the first in Australia to do so, Leo proudly states.

But after six decades in the business, one memory stands out for the men: the 1970s cattle price crash — the worst in Australian history.

"You just went on for weeks at a loss," Leo recalls.

"It was hard on everybody."

Long history

Toowoomba's first saleyard was built in the centre of town in 1860 and plenty of others came and went over the decades that followed.

The Harristown saleyards — established in 1946 by McPhie and Co — were later taken over by Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Company (AML&F) and then Elders.

Elders state operations specialist Allen Smythe says sales were suspended in June 2024 due to concerns over aging infrastructure.

"We had buyers' walkways that were starting to get to a point where they had the potential to fail," Mr Smythe said.

He says the necessary upgrades "could not stack up commercially", citing the $500,000 already spent on gate upgrades.

The sales never returned.

In recent years, cattle throughput declined dramatically, dropping from 48,111 head of cattle sold in 2013–14 to just 11,310 by 2023–24, representing only 1 per cent of Queensland's total cattle transactions.

The seven-hectare site, owned by a Sydney family, is listed for sale.

While its future is uncertain, Elders head of property Paul Scrivener believes the yards will likely be demolished and the site "will be a residential development".

The state's sixth saleyard closure in 13 years has upset local farmers who will now need to travel up to 300 kilometres to facilities in Dalby or Warwick.

It comes as the Lockyer Valley Council last month reversed its decision to close the Laidley Saleyards, committing to funding the facility.

No regrets

Despite the long hours, tough conditions and modest pay, Greg, Barry, and Leo never seriously considered leaving.

"You were poor and happy," Leo says.

"Stock was what we lived and breathed," Greg reflects.

Barry agrees.

"If I had my life over, I'd do it again," he says.

For Barry, it's especially true, since he met his wife there.

The closure ends a community tradition that brought people together week after week, year after year.

Seated next to his mates on an old timber bench outside the livestock pens, Greg admits he'll miss the social side of the work.

"You really do miss seeing a lot of people who always came here on a Monday, just for the morning out," he says.

Leo looks over at the other two.

"You virtually put the whole of your life into this," Leo says.

"A lot of good times, and a lot of good people."