GLEN PARK
Glen Esk Station was purchased in 1994 and the Glen Park Merino and Poll Merino Studs were registered the same year, with foundation stock coming from Riverina and South Australian bloodlines.
A White Dorper Stud was registered in 2003.
In 2006 the decision was made to discontinue the Merino Stud and concentrate on the Poll Merino Stud and the White Dorpers. In 2012 the Poll Merino stud was sold in its entirety to D & H Dalla, Orrie Cowie Studs Warooka SA.
A Dorper Stud was registered in 2009 and discontinued in 2019.
The breeding focus changed again in 2014 when Ultra White genetics were introduced from Hillcroft Farms in Western Australia. A line of sheep are now bred at Glen Esk Station that are predominantly Ultra White genetics over Glen Park White Dorper Ewes. These are known as Glen Park Whites and are a composite breed.
There is also a line of Pure Ultra Whites, with numbers bolstered in 2021 by the purchase of 100 pure Ultra White ewes from Hillcroft Farms.
All sheep bred and raised on Glen Esk Station are run under extensive rangelands conditions allowing for natural selection for feed utilization and mothering. These conditions make them hardy and adaptable to seasonal variations and excellent meat producers under all conditions. Ram lambs are weaned onto an electric fence, allowing them to develop some respect for fences, helping with their management.
BRENDON DUNCAN
Principal of Glen Park Whites & Ultra Whites
Brendon has spent all of his life in pastoral country, growing up on Dunedin Park, a Merino and Poll Merino Stud also in the Western Division of NSW. While at Dunedin Park Stud Brendon was involved in the breeding and preparation of many teams that took out broad ribbons at major shows, including supreme exhibit at the Adelaide Royal in 1987 and 1994.
In his time in the Merino Industry Brendon judged at many country shows including Jerilderie, Longreach, Bendigo, Hay and Stawell, as well as Wagin Woolarama and Melbourne.
His decision to move away from the Merino and into White Dorpers and then Ultra Whites was made due to changing economics and the world demand for protein. The introduction of the Dorper into the Glen Park breeding program was made at a time when there was much opposition to exotic breeds in the Western Division of NSW, and at a time when there were very few Dorper studs in Australia. In 2006 Brendon travelled to South Africa to see the Dorper running in conditions similar to the pastoral country of the Western Division of NSW, and to source genetics.
He is a visual selection Stud Master. Due to the size of the operation at Glen Esk he believes it is not feasable to collect data for objective measurement. Instead he has many years experience breeding and selecting sheep visually for Rangelands conditions.
Brendon loves the challenges of matching genetics.