WIDELY respected Riverina cattle and sheep producer, lotfeeder and farmer Gordon Paterson passed away on Sunday, aged 88.

Mr Paterson forged a pastoral and farming empire from his original property, Hell’s Gate, between Balraynald and Hay, that in later years covered more than 75,000ha of prime country stretching from Victoria’s Western District into the NSW Riverina.

Gordon Paterson. Image: ABC

He came out of ‘semi-retirement’ in 2008, following the passing of his son Lachlan, who developed motor neurone disease. The diverse JHW Paterson & Son business today is managed and operated by Lachlan’s son, James. At one point soon after Lachlan’s passing, Hell’s Gate was put on the market with an asking price of $17 million, but later withdrawn.

Mr Paterson grew up on a small irrigation farm outside Swan Hill, but always wanted to own a large livestock property. In the 1960s he and his father bought 13,000ha Hells Gate, which at the time was a sheep station with no staff and very little infrastructure.

When wool prices collapsed the family switched to cattle and later set up a feedlot. Today Hell’s Gate grows irrigated and dryland cotton, feeds cattle in a 25,000 SCU licensed feedlot and produces prime lambs.

At one point Hell’s Gate feedlot was the largest supplier of lotfed trade steers and heifers in southern Australia to Coles supermarkets, later extending into large-scale Wagyu feeding operations. The business also owned and operated a second smaller 1200 head feedlot near Geelong, specialising in Wagyu.

Mr Paterson was widely regarded as an innovative and dedicated agri-businessman who made valuable contributions to Australian agriculture on his holdings across Victoria and New South Wales,  reflecting his lifelong commitment to the farming industry. He was considered a mentor among many young people making their way in the beef and sheepmeat industries, across the Riverina and elsewhere.

Deal-maker

Gordon Paterson made countless shrewd livestock deals over the years, involving both sheep and cattle, often moving against the prevailing market trends of the day.

In 2019 at the tail end of the drought, he made a bold play in buying a third of a yarding of relatively cheap sheep at a large Wycheproof sale, having earlier sold his own breeding ewes at higher prices as the drought started.

“On the basis that the first buying opportunities in a market cycle or an auction can often be the best or cheapest, the Paterson operation bought large lines of scanned crossbred ewes out of the sale,” Sheep Central website reported at the time.

“I was replenishing the sheep I sold at the start of the drought — when it started to look a bit ugly I sold all my sheep and I‘ve just bought a few back – that’s all,” Mr Paterson told Sheep Central.

“I thought it was time to get back in, given Hells Gate recently received 30mm of rain,” he said. “Any time you get a bit of rain like that (after drought) in the Riverina and you don’t have a go, you shouldn’t be in the Riverina.”

“Something has gone wrong with the cycle if it is not,” he said. “But you’ve always got to get the next rain though haven’t you?” he said.

In 2022, when Gordon Paterson was 86, his business outlaid $63 million buying the 20,000ha Kooba Ag Hay district aggregation, adjoining Hell’s Gate.

At the time of his passing, he farmed and grazed 65,000ha in the Riverina include Pevensey Station, Chillagoe, Glenmea, Berawinnia, Dales and Loorica in addition to Hell’s Gate, and another 10,200ha in Victoria’s Western District including Clifton, Iramoo, Glenlivett, Vermont and Kurrumbee.

Property agent Danny Thomas did some huge business deals with Gordon Paterson over the years, including his purchase of Kooba Ag from Chris Corrigan.

“Gordon was a hero of mine – he was a calculated risk-taker, prepared to make bold moves. He’d have a real punt – not half a dabble – having done his sums and research,” Mr Thomas said.

“He made his moves based on high convictions. Kooba Station was my favourite property deal ever, because Gordon did it in his 80s, and the terms were cash, 30 days, unconditional.

“Talk about coming in strong – and the two (Paterson and Chris Corrigan, of Patricks Stevedoring fame) got on famously. I thought I was going to get squeezed between two business titans, but it was the opposite, and they were wonderful to deal with.”

“On top of that, a week before the deal, Gordon was out grading roads on Hell’s Gate, and fell backwards out of his grader. He was still recuperating, but unstoppable.”

Mr Paterson is survived by his wife of 65 years, Verna and grandson James.

Funeral details are yet to be advised, but will be added here once released.