Nehill Brothers Farm Living History Reserve

Welcome to Nehill Brothers Farm - Living History Reserve, the home of the Large Black Pig and other Australian heritage farm animal breeds saved from extinction through a breeding program at the farm.

Location:

Nehill & Alexanders Road, South Purrumbete 3260. The farm is located 36 km from Colac and 12 km North of Cobden.

Take the Cobden turnoff from the Princes Hwy between Colac and Camperdown and follow for 14 km till you see the signs and turnoff to Nehill & Alexanders Road.

Admission / Open Days:

Nehill Brothers Farm is open to the public for free entry every day but we hold Special Open Days.

The next Special Open Days.

• Sunday 15 April - Large Black Pig Day

Find out all about the Large Black Pig and meet one or two in person.

This breed was raised for decades at Nehill Brothers Farm and is now an endangered breed.

We are keen to meet other breeders and past breeders and share informatuion particularly concerning bloodlines.

Come along and meet farm specialists who can guide you and your group around the farm and tell the full story of farm animal conservation, the Nehill farm story and the special breeds being raised at Nehill Brothers farm.

You can walk around the farm and view the animals and speak to the farmers.

Parking is available inside the farm. Bring a picnic to enjoy.

Latest News:

Dairy Shorthorn Calf born at Nehill Brothers Farm Visit the farm and say hello to the newest member of the family. Born on 27 March the new Dairy Shorthorn hiefer is an important addition to this endangered breed. This is the second heifer born in the last two months. This is all part of the process being undertaken at Nehill Brothers farm of building herd numbers to create viable herds.

Open Day Success:

Our last Special Open Day on Sunday 12 February 2012 was a huge success!

With over 150 visitors throughout the day Fiona Chambers, Director of the Australian Farm Animals Trust did not get a chance to catch her breath!

Our many visitors, mostly from Colac, Camperdown and Warrnambool, all told us how much they enjoyed their visit and what an important place Nehill Brothers Farm was to the community - a unique site offering the public the opportunity to see and learn about Australia's heritage farm animal breeds first hand through guided tours.

Image Gallery:

		See all the pictures of the animals and the official launch of Nehill Brothers Farm by Governor Chernov on 9 October 2011. Left: Governor Chernov with Fiona Chambers of the Australian Farm Animal Conservation Trust and Dr. Graeme L Blackman Chair of the Australian Council of National Trusts at the launch of Nehill Brothers Farm.

Farm History

Alexander Nehill and his brothers, Peter and Joe were the third generation to live on this land. Their grandfather, Patrick Nehill, immigrated to Victoria as a 15 year old with his family, in 1852. The family came from County Limerick, Ireland which was in the grip of the potato famine. At 31, Patrick acquired the lease on 222 acres from the Crown and began dairy farming on these pastures. 6 years later he purchased the land.

The Three Brothers

Using draught horses until 1978 (when a tractor was finally bought) the Nehill brothers farmed traditionally, with the labour divided between them. Joe looked after the pigs; Peter was responsible for the Friesian dairy cattle and Alexander was the general manager. Long-established farming practices often show us how to sustainably use resources and by combining pig and dairy farming here at Nehill farm nothing was wasted. The whey produced by separating the milk to produce butter was fed to the pigs, that were fattened and sold at market – two economies operating from the same land.

Rare Breeds

Owing to Alexander Nehill’s vision, Nehill Brothers Farm - Living History Reserve is now a place where the genetic heritage of domestic farm animals can be preserved. Many breeds of livestock now face extinction. By preserving the genetic biodiversity of farm animals we ensure adaptability, disease resistance, food flavour and nutrition.

What is a rare breed and should we eat them?

It is unusual to think about eating something rare and endangered. Aren’t you putting it at risk? With rare breed livestock the opposite is true. By encouraging the farming of these animals their breeding programs can continue and their survival is assured worldwide. The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and The Australian Farm Animals Conservation Trust (AFact) are working together towards this purpose.

QR Codes

Each animal pen contains a barcode that links you to a website. Please use your mobile phone’s camera to scan the code. Ensure you have downloaded a QR application and follow the instructions generated by the app once the code is scanned. The codes link you to a website where you can read more about each animal and obtain information about the National Trust and the AFact. Enjoy learning.

Animal pictures by local children

Local students from Cobden Primary School and Terang College have produced drawings all signs at Nehill Farm.

The National Trust would like to thank Cobden Primary School and Terang College for their contribution.

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