Stuart McLean

• During my time as a Jackaroo at Hancock Prospecting, I gained valuable experience in animal husbandry and farm management. I was responsible for daily livestock care, including feeding, herding, and monitoring animal health. Additionally, I assisted with property maintenance tasks such as fencing, irrigation, and equipment operation. I consistently demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and effective communication while working alongside the farm management team.
• Managed daily livestock care, including feeding, herding, and monitoring animal health.
• Assisted with property maintenance tasks such as fencing, irrigation, and equipment operation.
• Herded livestock using horses or bikes.
• Repaired farm vehicles, including tillers, tractors, and trucks to maintain proper working order.

In 2025 I began working for myself offering livestock services to the surrounding areas of the Central West and Western Plains. This was outside my comfort zone to not be in a team but inherently developed my ability to work independently and fulfilled the urge to work full time with livestock. Contracting has only strengthened my livestock skills and awareness by seeing and understanding different operations, allowing an analysis across the board of what can work well in different environments and settings.

• Founded and managed a livestock services business, overseeing day-to-day operations, client relations, and financial management.
• Provided specialised livestock care and handling services, ensuring high standards of animal welfare and safety.
• Built and maintained strong client networks, delivering reliable and tailored services to farms and agricultural businesses.
• Managed budgets, invoicing, and cost control, achieving consistent profitability and business growth.
• Operated and maintained agricultural equipment safely and efficiently.
• Developed and implemented work schedules, improving productivity and service delivery.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills in livestock health, pasture management, and seasonal farm operations.

• At Auctions Plus as a market operator I developed ongoing relationships with customer clients whilst achieving a greater insight to the livestock and machinery market. I learned how to operate computer programs such as Excel at a high level as well as data input and analysis. Some of the responsibilities I had included advance clients livestock sales into our system through data extract and troubleshoot ongoing problems with existing or new clients.
• Traveled to clients livestock sales to ensure satisfaction and improve relationships
• Extract and input data from Excel into designed programs to develop catalogs
• Answer client phone calls and troubleshoot technical problems

• Working with Paraway revisited my agriculture skills in both the livestock and farming side through a mixed farming operation on both Merrimba and Old Bundemar station. I have maintained farmland suitable for cattle and sheep and completed all relevant husbandry tasks. Over the two years I have assisted with farm machinery operation/mechanics and working with large amounts of livestock in yards and paddocks. Furthermore I additionally spent a year on the farming side specifically to grow and enhance my knowledge on an aspect of agriculture that was not my strength.
• Assisted in the feeding, handling and care of livestock, including cattle and sheep
• Successfully managed a herd of Angus cattle, including vaccinations, marking, and castration
• Installed fencing to secure the property and keep livestock safe
• Diagnosed and treated livestock-related illnesses
• Monitored feed and water supplies, ensuring the proper nutrition of livestock
• Successfully transported a wide variety of agricultural products, including hay, livestock, grain, and produce, to various locations, in a timely and safe manner
• Utilized hand tools, power tools, and machinery to assemble components
• Assisted in crop production by performing tasks such as planting, cultivating, and harvesting using specialized machinery.
• Ensured proper soil preparation for optimal crop growth using plows, harrows, or rotary tillers.
• Improved farm productivity by operating and maintaining various types of farm equipment, including tractors, cultivators, and irrigation systems.
• Trained new employees on the safe operation of various farming implements, promoting a culture of safety across the workforce.