about the murray grey breed

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7 Lazy 11 Murray Grey cattle are now in their fifteenth year.  Our decision to assemble a performance proven herd of registered Murray Greys was inspired by observing the quality of some Hereford and Murray Grey crosses in a commercial Hereford herd.  Murray Grey bulls were used on first calf heifers.  The results of this cross found calving ease with low birth weights followed by good growth and superior performance in the feed lot.

In the United States, the Murray Grey is the greatest unknown asset available for all segments of the U.S. beef industry from producer to consumer.  Murray Greys are a pure English breed founded in Australia.  They are an original Aberdeen Angus breed with shorthorn influence.  There are many misguided accounts on how the Murray Grey was developed.  We are very fortunate to have made contact with John Henwood, a family member of the cattle ranchers who were the original breeders of the Murray Greys.  John recently published a book, “The Days That Are No More, The Sutherlands of the Thologolong Station,” which give the true history of the breed.
 
John Henwood’s grandfather, Peter Sutherland, laid the foundation that originated the Murray Grey breed.  In 1885 Peter Sutherland, along with his cousin J.G. Sutherland and brother in-law J.H. Cushing, purchased the Thologolong Station in the Victorian Upper Murray River Region.  Station is an Australian name equivalent to the term ranch in America. 
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Peter became the managing partner of the Thologolong Station which, by all accounts, ran several hundred head of cattle and several thousand head of sheep.  It is apparent that at the time of Sutherland’s purchase of the Thologolong Station, it was stocked with Shorthorn cattle.  At this point in history, the cattle in Australia were predominately shorthorns. 

In 1887, Peter Sutherland (who went on to become a legend in the Australian cattle industry) brought in the best Angus genetics of the times.  The term Stud is commonly used in Australia to refer to purebred registered stock.  Peter purchased sons and daughters from the most elite Angus cattle imported from Scotland, England and New Zealand.  These Angus bulls were put on the original Shorthorn cows of the Thologolong which produced an outstanding cross that inadvertently led to the development of the Murray Grey. 

Helen Sutherland, wife of Keith Sutherland (son of Peter Sutherland), was the most instrumental individual for actually establishing the Murray Grey breed.  Helen claims 1914 as the foundational date of the breed.  The elite Angus bulls on a washy roan Shorthorn cow produced Mulberry (Murray Grey) calves with superior muscling and conformation. Keith had no interest in using these crosses for seed stock; however, Helen was the force in retaining the best of these crosses as seed stock.  Helen purchased eight Mulberry (Murray Grey) females at the Thologolong stud and commercial dispersal sale on October 6, 1932, by doing so she retained sole ownership of the original Mulberry (Murray Grey) breed.  If it wasn't for Helen, the Murray Grey would have never become a breed. 

A neighboring property owned by the Gadd family purchased grey bulls from the Sutherlands from the 1930’s onward and also played a significant role in the development of the breed.  Up until 1959 the new breed was called Mulberries, Sutherland Greys and Scottish Greys.  In 1959 George Simpson of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture suggested the breed be called Murray Greys. Murray Grey became the official name in 1962. 
 
7 Lazy 11 Murray Greys owes a huge debt to the Sutherland family for their great work in creating the breed.  We are especially grateful to John Henwood (Grandson of Peter Sutherland) for compiling the historical facts of the Murray Grey’s origins and his cousin Fiona Sanderson (daughter of Helen Sutherland).  Fiona was raised with the development of the breed and is a much-respected cattle judge throughout Australia.  Fiona is very gracious with providing us with her invaluable knowledge of the Murray Grey.  Fiona validates the fact that the breed is predominately Angus with only the input of Shorthorn residing from the original light roan cow of impeccable conformation.  These original crosses were bred to very select high quality Aberdeen Angus in order to qualify for purebred status.
 
The Murray Grey is a unique breed that is based in the very best of foundational Angus Genetics.  In Australia, Murray Greys are proven leaders in desired beef cattle traits: docility, calving ease, feed conversion, carcass quality, longevity, black hided regardless of hair color, fertility and good milkers with sound udders.  They dominate all breeds in Australia’s hoof and hook competitions and are their leading export of grass finished beef to the Pacific Rim countries.
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7 Lazy 11 Murray Greys are built upon very strict conformational standards.  We are very thankful to all the commercial and purebred breeders who purchase our genetics.  It’s a true blessing to be able to work with such unique cattle and the great people who purchase them. ​







 


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Hereford/Murray Grey cross cow with a 75% Murray Grey calf. Both are from 7 Lazy 11 genetics.

Shorthorn cattle on Thologolong - a photo probably taken in the early 1900's by Gordon Sutherland. Photographer: Gordon Sutherland. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

Stud Angus cows of very high quality on Thologolong, with Peter Sutherland on horseback in the background. They have great length and depth of body with tremendous heads and top structure. Photographer: J.G. Sutherland. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

Thologolong Michael, born in 1957 was one of the most significant stud bulls in the Murray Grey breed. His dam was Thologolong Riverina, from a Mulberry breeding line called Cocoa. Mac McAulifie, who owned the Tyrone Stud at Tumbarumba, generously agreed to return him to Helen Sutherland and transfer him to the ownership of the Michaelong Stud in exchange for a young bull called Michaelong Colonial Boy. “The Days That Are No More” John Henwood.

Three cows near the present homestead at Thologolong in 1961 had an important influence on the development of the Murray Grey breed. They are from left: Thologolong Riverina, the mother of Thologolong Michael; and hologolong Broadicea, the mother of three influential bulls - Thologolong Caesar, Michaelong Roman Invasion and Michaelong Chocolate Soldier. The three cows went back to Helen Sutherland's original Mulberry families: Milo, Cocoa and Cinnamon, Murray and Fiona Sutherland are standing beside the cattle. Photographer: Lionel Krone. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

Peter Sutherland on horseback, with one of his most influential stud Angus bulls in the foreground. The bull, King of Richmond, was purchased about May 1898 from the prominent Angus stud owned by D.G. Clark. - Richmond Vale - at Carrajung Gippsland. King of Richmond was a more than worthy successor to the Thologolong stud's first important bull bought when the stud began in 1887. Photographer: J.G. Sutherland. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

Two Angus bulls being judged at Albury show. The one on the right is a Thologolong bull, according to Alec Barlow, who worked at Thologolong for many years and was adamant in his support of the 1914 date as the foundation year of what are now called Murray Greys. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

Thologolong stud cattle were regularly entered in the Albury show from 1898. Thologolong Ollie was a championship winner for the station at the show. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.

A memorial to the origins of the Murray Grey breed at Thologolong was unveiled during the International Murray Grey World Congress on 14 April, 1991. It was unveiled by Bill Peach, a grandson of Peter and Ina Sutherland, who was well known as the compere of the ABC TV's This Day Tonight current affairs program. Photographer: Steward Crutchett. "The Days That Are No More" by John Henwood.