TOP SIRE 2025–2026 VALE Alan McCormack NSW SMBA wishes to acknowledge Alan McCormack’s contribution to the Merino industry Gurrundah stud Merino breeder, Alan Joseph McCormack of Walwa Merino stud, passed away on 26 March 2025, aged 76. Born into a Merino breeding family, Alan’s father was a passionate fine wool breeder and passed this interest down onto him. In his early days, Alan lived at “Bellview”, Royalla, Australian Capital Territory, where he ran a quality superfine/ fine flock. As a young Merino breeder, Alan’s ability to select good sheep was recognised early and he was always in demand to judge. The late Bill Scanes, who worked for Merryville for many years, had a high opinion of him and promoted him as a judge for local shows. Alan’s first show was at Gundagai as a superfine/fine wool judge in the days when Gundagai had three judges. Yass, which also needed three judges, followed and later Royal Canberra where, for many years, Alan was the youngest judge to officiate there. The interest of getting into the stud scene came soon after and a friendship with Winston McDonald led to the pair buying a pen of 100 one-year-old ewes at Ian Armstrong’s dispersal of Tulangi, where Winston recalls having to outbid Graham Wells of One Oak. As “Bellview” was unavailable as a stud name, Alan chose “Little Burra”, a smaller property owned by his mother, as the namesake and registered a stud with 50 of the ewes and a Koonwarra ram. The addition of two or three top Merryville rams, combined with judicious selection, enabled Alan to lift the quality of his sheep rapidly. Several successful hogget ram sales were held at “Little Burra” and later at “Walwa”, after Alan relocated from Royalla to the Crookwell/Gunning area. The stud name was eventually changed to Walwa, with a Poll Merino stud being registered later on genetics from Willandra Poll, Middle View and Walwa. The Merino community mourns the loss of Alan Joseph McCormack, Walwa, Gurrundah – a gentleman of the industry. – 56 –
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