Hugh Corbett Taylor

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Ros Jones

• Occupation. grazier

• fact. HUGH CORBETT TAYLOR was living at "MONOMIE" LONGUEVILLE, SYDNEY at the time of his father's death in 1907. Born on "Illilliwa" Station near Hay NSW, where his father was overseer in the roaring 1860's, Hugh Taylor was destined to breed sheep and cattle. Into his lifetime association with the pastoral Industry of two States, he has crammed more intimate experiences of the ups and downs of wool growing than many graziers still in the game. Remarkably active for this three score years and ten, and as keen a business man as will be found in the North of NSW he has his headquarters at "Turanville", near Scone, where more or less as a hobby he breeds stud Shorthorns, while at same time directing "Cullinlaringo"and "Katandra" two widely separated and highly successful pastoral properties in Central Western Queensland. A picturesque and breezy personality, he takes delight in accomplishing the seemingly impossible, never flinching before an undertaking however big or arduous. Thus when some years ago he essayed to transport 25,000 fat wethers from Katandra, 300miles west of Townsville to Flemington in Sydney, a journey of more than 1,500miles, he accomplished one of the biggest and most successful fat stock transportations yet recorded in Australia. A four weeks road journey divided Katandra from the Aramac railhead to which sheep were sent in flocks of 5,000 at a time in loads of 2,200 the limit of capacity of Queensland stock trains, they were then trucked to Cullin-Laringo, over several months, to Flemington. Despite their tedious journey, the fats reached the Salyards in prime condition, frequently topping the market with sales to 30/-. A firm believer in the policy or maintaining breeding quality in beef herds, a neat compliment was paid his stock when a company of Sydney exporters seeking suitable beef to chill by a new process for an experimental shipment to the London market selected 500 bullocks from Cullin-laringe. Though American packing houses, hearing of the venture countered the move by glutting the market coincidental with the arrival of the Australian beef, and bringing about its disposal at a loss to the exporters, the shipment proved beyond doubt that Australia could land beef in London at least equal to the best from USA. When wool values clumped in 1929, H.C.Taylor scoured his Queensland clips and shipped them to London. That his full expectations failed to be realized merely added another link to the long chain of experiences that go to make up the career of one of the most outstanding personalities of our pastoral industry. Undaunted by the war clouds in 1915, when he acquired "Turanville" he at once resolved to re-establish the stud herd with pedigreed Scotch Shorthorns, importing 30 female and a bull as the foundation. Then foot-and-mouth disease threatened to close the ports to further importation, he seized the opportunity of a sale in Sydney of a draft importation, purchased the first three bulls offered at a cost of nearly 3,000 pounds and also a cow at 500 pounds. To-day (1930) "Turanville" Stud is virtually a pure Scotch herd acclimatized in Australia, and breeder takes pride in his achievement. Doing things as they should be done, is an edict on all the stations of Hugh C. Taylor.

• Death Certificate Number: REG NO: 11787.

Hugh married Mary Ethel Moore, daughter of James Moore and Catherine Nolan, on 24 Jun 1896 in "Bugilbone Station", Narrabri, NSW Australia. (Mary Ethel Moore was born on 10 Sep 1875 and died in 1951 in "Alcooringa", 27 Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, Sydney, NSW Australia.)