Cornwall Park, located at the foot of Maungakiekie-One Tree Hill, offering Simmental yearlings with uniquely tested temperament

One of New Zealand’s most unique farms is holding its first on-farm bull sale in early September.

At the heart of Auckland, Cornwall Park is a 172-hectare property located on the Tāmaki isthmus at the foot of Maungakiekie-One Tree Hill, of which 73 hectares is farmland. The area is surrounded by premium central city suburbs like Epsom, Ellerslie and Royal Oak. Attracting over two million visitors per year, Cornwall Park is fully self-funded, run by a trust and includes a working farm carrying a herd of 62 Simmental cows, and a flock of 250 Perendale ewes.

This year Cornwall Park Farm is holding its first on-farm bull sale, offering 18 yearling Simmental bulls. As farm manager Peter Maxwell explains, the docile temperament of the park bulls has withstood extreme testing.

“Like any other farmer, we must manage for our environment. For Cornwall Park that includes a huge number of people constantly coming through, not to mention town dogs, bikes and traffic at saturation levels. We select genetics that equip our stock to deal with those conditions,” he says.

Also breeding for low birthweight and high growth, all Cornwall Park Simmentals are polled, mostly homozygous. The herd has more than 30 years of breeding.

Waikato-based PGG Wrightson Livestock Genetics representative and auctioneer Cam Heggie is managing the sale. He says temperament is the paramount point of selection for Cornwall Park, which mainly sources sires from Kerrah Simmentals, Wairoa.

“Cornwall Park has previously sold yearling bulls privately. Enthusiasm around beef makes this a time to test the market. A placid nature is in most farmers’ top two or three selection criteria. Cornwall Park bulls emphatically pass that test,” he says.

Offered as a hybrid sale, with the on-farm auction also streamed via bidr, the bulls will be available to view on the morning of the sale, though due to health and safety considerations will not come through a sale arena, instead being shown on video to the gallery, which will assemble in the Cornwall Park woolshed. 

Having attended numerous sales in his 20 years as Cornwall Park farm manager, this is the first that Peter Maxwell will host.

“We look forward to welcoming people for a cup of tea and a freshly baked scone, though if they don’t fancy facing the downtown Auckland traffic, bidr is an excellent alternative,” he says.

While the Cornwall Park Trust Board balances profit against other considerations, Peter says the farm still has a commercial base.

“Although it is a relatively small farm, we make sure every cow has a calf and every ewe has a lamb, if not two lambs. We have successfully raised percentages in recent years.”

Cam Heggie says Cornwall Park is strongly motivated to achieve high standards. 

“Being constantly on display, the farm is highly attuned to public perception. While Cornwall Park follows conventional management practices, they pay particular attention to detail, which also flows through into the quality of their bulls,” he says.

As well as registered buyers, members of the public will be welcome at the sale, with big screens outside if attendance exceeds the capacity of the woolshed.

“As with most breeds throughout this two-year-old selling season, Simmentals saw a healthy lift in prices and clearance rates at the annual sales. There is no reason this shouldn’t carry through to the yearling market,” says Cam.

Links to: 
https://cornwallpark.co.nz
https://bidr.co.nz