History

What are Australian Lowlines?

Lowline cattle are a pure Australian breed of cattle that were developed at the Government’s Trangie Research Centre. Trangie acquired its herd during a 45 year period. The herd then remained closed for the next 30 years and it is from within this herd that the Lowlines were derived. The project began in 1963 with Lowlines being released onto the market only in 1992.

Since 1992 the membership of the Association has increased rapidly, representing all Australian States as well as New Zealand, Canada, England, United States of America and China.

They are a beef breed of the future producing premium small and quality beef. The meat is tender, tasty and marbled.

They are generally black, naturally polled and at all stages of their growth are 60% of the size of the normal Aberdeen Angus, from which they were derived. At birth calves average 15-25kg.

The dams make excellent mothers and provide ample milk. Cows at maturity average about 100 cm whilst equivalent age bulls stand about 110 cm (at the hip).

They do not carry the Achondroplasia (Dwarfism) gene and therefore there is no risk of genetically generated deformity or abortion. Calving Losses are extremely low and even heifers have great ease in calving.

Lowline cattle are an institutionally recognised beef breed (designated AL) and have been accepted for showing as a beef breed, by the Royal Agriculture Societies in all States of Australia.

These small, docile, acknowledged and accredited, early maturing cattle will appeal to both the commercial cattle industry and the small acre farmer.

History of the Vitulus Herd
With the help of Shannon Lawlor, a young Lowline member, we have been able to identify 35 generations of breeding for Black Arrow Midnight Diamond (one of our sires). The linage goes back to 1824 to a cow called old Grannie (from this original Angus herd) The 29th cow (Erica) in Midnight Diamond’s female line is the one circled in the painting (right), she was regarded as the epitome of bovine femininity. The 34th cow (Old Granny) lived until she was 36 years old, producing 29 calves, 11 of which were recorded in the first foundation herdbook. She died after a thunderstorm in 1859. Shannon read somewhere that she stopped producing milk at 35 and received a special medal at a show just before she died.