In 1955, Stuart’s father Don took over sole ownership of the stud, before transferring it to Stuart and his brother Bob just two years later. At only 16 years old, Stuart had found a life-long passion for the Merino industry. He also made time for his other great passion in life, tennis. Stuart dedicated countless hours to the court and his name was adorned all over the boards at the Gulargambone Tennis Club. Stuart played his first tennis tournament at Urana, where he would eventually cross paths with Wendy, the daughter of Hereford cattle breeders in the green rolling hills of the Wantagong Valley, near Holbrook. Their romance blossomed, leading to a beautiful 61-year union that began with a knitted jumper, meant for a friend who didn’t show up, ending up in Stuart’s hands. Stuart and Wendy married in 1964, spending their first eight months of marriage living with Stuart’s parents while they built a house next door at “Warragong”, which Stuart and his father had purchased a year prior and renamed from “The Hill”. Stuart laid the foundations and rammed earth walls with the help of his brother and father, plus a couple of hardworking locals from nearby Gular who he would pick up after tennis on a Sunday and drop back the following Friday. The tennis court was the second, and most important, thing to be built. Little by little, Stuart and Wendy added to their property portfolio, acquiring small parcels of neighbouring land when it came up for sale. In July 1966, daughter Sara was born. Stuart kept great journals of daily activities and family recalled seeing the entry from that date, which simply said “Sweet Sara Jane arrived”. It became a family joke, according to Stuart and Wendy’s other children, Angus and Hugh, whose birth dates in September 1968 and September 1970 were remembered with journal entries of “I got wethers in for crutching” and “dug out the septic overflow”. In 1975, Stuart and Wendy took sole ownership of the Wyuna Merino Stud and moved it to “Warragong”. The stud was 1000 stud ewes strong by then and Stuart’s influence in the Merino industry became clear as he was elected to the Council of the NSW Stud Merino Breeders’ Association in 1979, embracing a number of significant roles. In 1987, Stuart became Vice President of the NSW SMBA as well as a delegate to the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders’ (AASMB). He served as President of NSW SMBA from 1989 to 1991 and was elected President of the AASMB from 1991 to 1994. He was also appointed to the Federal Woolplan Committee and by the NSW Government to the Trangie Fleece Measurement Service. Stuart stepped in as President of the World Federation of Merino Breeders following the death of foundation president, Don Vanrenen AO, in 1992. He was re-elected for a second term in 1998, serving until 2002. He spoke on world developments of Merino sire evaluation at the World Federation Merino Breeders’ Forum at Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1994 with Professor Euan Roberts, who was the head of the School of Wool and Pastoral Science at the University of NSW. Stuart was later awarded Life Governorship of both the AASMB and NSW SMBA. Peter Vickery, who succeeded Stuart as NSW SMBA President, reflected on his friendship. “Stuart was a wonderful person who became one of my best friends due to our mutual love of Merinos. He was a man who could express himself eloquently and could debate the issue he was passionate about in a polite and convincing format,” he said. “He was a man who was well-liked by all who met him.” Closer to home, Stuart was an active member of the NSW Farmers’ Association and was chairman of the Gilgandra branch on several occasions. He also served as President of the Macquarie Merino Field Days Association, President, Treasurer and Patron of the Dubbo National Ram Sale Association, director of the Coonamble Rural Lands Protection Board, committee member of the Gilgandra Show Society and was secretary of the Armatree Rural Fire Service for 21 years. For his service to the Merino industry and the community of Gilgandra, Stuart was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2001. Stuart’s son Angus joined the family partnership and they worked together until Stuart and Wendy retired to Dubbo in 2007. Retirement marked Stuart’s first time living in an urban area and he reignited his love of tennis, playing three times a week with a bit of ping pong and croquet thrown in too. He joined the Macquarie Club tennis group and played his last game of tennis less than a year before starting chemotherapy. His devotion to Wendy did not waiver as he became her carer until successive infections resulted in extended hospitalisation for himself. Sadly, Stuart lost his battle with cancer on 12 April 2026, just short of his 86th birthday. He was a beloved husband to Wendy, father to Sara (dec.), Angus and Hugh, father-in-law to Chris, Melinda and Sally, and adored grandfather to Michael, Sally, Sophie, Harriet, Hamish, Alex and Camilla. Inspired by the words of Angus and Hugh Beveridge. Photo caption. Kim Henderson (centre), then NSW SMBA President, presented Stuart Beveridge and Ian Wass with Life Governorship at the 2006 NSW SMBA President’s Dinner. (Photo: Carol-Ann Malouf) – 55 –
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