Farmer Focus: Aussie friends swap sun for Scottish Borders
James Playfair-Hannay © Angus Findlay This time last year, we were in Australia having a “hot” Christmas. Our hosts decided to join us this year to experience a Scottish Borders Christmas and Hogmanay. Thankfully, they left before the cold snap set in.
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Lindsey Douglas first met our daughter Anna at the Royal Highland show, which was hosting the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth conference.
This biennial event is held at various locations around the world. Lindsey had won a scholarship from New South Wales to attend.
Since Anna moved to Australia almost eight years ago, their friendship has blossomed.
Lindsey has her own business in agricultural marketing and has been a showground announcer at the Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney Royal shows for many years.
Together with her parents, who had a successful career breeding thoroughbred horses, she now lives on a small farm at Bathurst, west of Sydney, producing Poll Dorset-cross prime lambs from Border Leicester cross Merino ewes.
On this winter visit, Lindsey was struck by how different farming is here compared with Down Under.
While many Australians head to the beaches for the festive holidays, we are busy feeding our livestock.
The fact that many of our animals live in sheds for the winter is, of course, totally alien to them. Our animals need feeding daily and are bedded three times a week.
And the green countryside made it look as if we never had a dry summer in comparison with their summers of drought, dust and bushfires.
A visit to Hermitage Castle – “the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain” – enabled our friends to explore their clan roots.
A trip to the Kelso “Festive Fling“ races was another first, as racing over jumps is a rarity in Australia.
They also had the chance to meet several local farmers and see what a great way it was for them to get off their farms for a social gathering to boost their mental wellbeing.
A day’s pheasant shooting was also enjoyed, though getting to grips with the long-term planning, organisation, management and investment required was mind-blowing, as nothing like that happens back home.
Now winter has arrived with snow and ice, along with frozen pipes. Happy New Year to you all, and here’s hoping that 2026 is going to be a prosperous year for our industry.