William Beak

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William Beak
MBE
Chairman of Livingstone Shire Council
In office
1921–1927
Preceded bySamuel Thomasson
Succeeded byThomas Smith
Councillor at Broadsound Shire Council
In office
1911–1919
Councillor at Livingstone Shire Council
In office
1919–1921
Councillor at Livingstone Shire Council
In office
1933–1936
Personal details
Born(1878-01-15)15 January 1878
Mount Hedlow, Queensland, Australia
Died5 June 1966(1966-06-05) (aged 88)
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Occupationgrazier; local government politician
Known forHelping establish the Poll Hereford breed of cattle in Australia

William Beak MBE (15 January 1878 – 5 June 1966) was an Australian cattle breeder and local government politician.[1]

He is best known for introducing the Poll Hereford breed of cattle into Australia.[2][3]

Early life[edit]

Beak was born on the family property "Pennard" at Mount Hedlow in 1878, and was the sixth child to his parents, Henry Beak and Essie Beak (née Matchett).[1][4]

He attended Mount Hedlow State School, a local primary school which opened in 1880 and closed in 1920.[1][5]

After finishing primary school, Beak learnt cattle husbandry from his father, who founded the Henry Beak & Sons pastoral company in 1905 after acquiring a number of Central Queensland cattle stations following a severe drought.[1] This included May Downs Station near Clermont which Beak managed in 1904.[1]

In July 1908, Beak's father and mother both succumbed to influenza within a week of each other.[6][7]

Beak settled on a property called "The Meadows" between Nerimbera and Nankin.[8]

Career[edit]

Cattle breeding[edit]

In 1913, Beak purchased two "freak" hornless Herford bulls in an attempt to produce polled progeny.[1]

In 1919, Henry Beak & Sons became the first Australian company to import Hereford cattle from the United States of America. One of the imported Herfords, Polled Gemnation, was mated with progeny from the "freak" hornless bulls which established the Polled Hereford breed.[1]

Beak is credited with helping establish the Australian Poll Hereford Breeders' Association in 1922 which later became the Australian Poll Hereford Society, becoming its patron in 1932.[1]

In recognition of his work establishing the breed in Australia, Beak was elected as a life member of the American Polled Hereford Association.[1]

In 1930, Beak's shipment of Poll Hereford beef to the Smithfield Markets in London received high praise, and was described as a "serious competitor to Argentine chilled meat" by the Corporation of London's chief meat inspector.[1][9][10]

In 1936, Beak sold his property "The Meadows" situated between Nerimbera and Nankin to the Central Queensland Meat Export Company.[11] Beak and his wife then relocated into Rockhampton where they moved to a house on the corner of Denham Street and Agnes Street in the suburb of The Range.

With an interest in stud cattle breeding and carcass judging, Beak published The Key to Divine Designs and their Guidance for the Improvement of Beef Quality in 1956, in which he endorsed the controversial theory of telegony.[1] This was followed by 1957's Passing on more discoveries by a layman in which Beak claimed a person could judge the internal features of fat steers by tapping them with their fingers and listening for sounds.[1]

Local government and public office[edit]

William Beak (front row, centre) after his election as Livingstone Shire Council chairman, 1921

Beak served as a councillor on Livingstone Shire Council from 1904 to 1905, before serving on the Broadsound Shire Council from 1911 to 1919.[1]

He returned to Livingstone Shire in 1919 where he again served as a councillor until 1927, six of those as the shire chairman after he was elected unopposed in 1921.[1][12] He served as chairman until his defeat in 1927.[13]

He again returned to Livingstone Shire Council in 1933, seeing out his last three years as a councillor, finishing up upon his defeat at the 1936 local elections.[1][14][15]

In addition to his local government duties, Beak was also a chairman of the Rockhampton Harbour Board from 1924 to 1926.[1] He also served as chairman of the Central Queensland Racing Association and as a member of the local hospital board.[1]

Personal life and death[edit]

Beak married Flora McKenzie on 6 March 1913 at the homestead on Calioran Station at South Yaamba.[1][16]

Beak's wife Flora died on 26 September 1941, and was buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery on 27 September 1941.[17]

Beak died in Rockhampton on 5 June 1966 and was buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery on 7 June 1966.[1][18]

Just five days after his death, Beak was honoured in the 1966 Birthday Honours with an MBE in recognition to his service to the beef industry.[19][20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s McDonald, Lorna (1993). "William Beak (1878-1966)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 13. Australian National University. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Poll Herefords in Australia". The Farmers' Weekly. 27 April 1950. p. 22. Retrieved 13 April 2024. Mr William Beak of Rockhampton, Queensland who is recognised as the founder of Poll Hereford cattle in Australia...
  3. ^ A T E (5 July 1945). "Polled Hereford men at Rockhampton". Queensland Country Life. p. 9. Retrieved 13 April 2024. Mr W Beak, patron of the Polled Hereford Society, and founder of the breed in Australia.
  4. ^ "Mr William Beak". The Capricornian. 26 January 1928. p. 27. Retrieved 13 April 2024. A native of Central Queensland, he was born on Pennard Station...
  5. ^ "Mount Hedlow State School". Archive Search. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 April 2024. Start date: 01/01/1880; End date: 31/12/1920
  6. ^ "Death of Mr. H. Beak". The Morning Bulletin. 21 July 1908. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Death of Mrs. H. Beak". The Morning Bulletin. 27 July 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  8. ^ Glenormiston (19 May 1923). "The Meadows: Home of Polled Herefords; Nucleus of Stud Farm". The Capricornian. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Enterprise of Mr W Beak - praise for Hereford beef in London; Mr Forde's congratulations". The Evening News. 18 October 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Polled Hereford Beef: Smithfield display". The Central Queensland Herald. 18 December 1930. p. 45. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  11. ^ ""The Meadows" sold". The Evening News. 13 March 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Livingstone Shire Council". The Capricornian. 30 July 1921. p. 34. Retrieved 13 April 2024. For the position of Chairman of the Livingstone Shire Council, Mr W Beak who had been a member of the Council for four or five years was returned unopposed...
  13. ^ "Livingstone Shire: Mr. W. Beak defeated; Mr. T. Smith triumphs". The Morning Bulletin. 11 April 1927. p. 10. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  14. ^ "85 per cent poll: Livingstone election". The Morning Bulletin. 10 April 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 13 April 2024. ...the successful candidates being Messrs G H Whiting, W. Beak...
  15. ^ "Count completed: Livingstone and Fitzroy Shire elections". The Morning Bulletin. 21 April 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Personal news: Beak-McKenzie". The Morning Bulletin. 3 April 1913. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Funeral notice: Mrs Flora Beak". The Morning Bulletin. 27 September 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  18. ^ "North Rockhampton Cemetery Burial Index" (PDF). Rockhampton Regional Council. January 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2024. Surname: Beak; Christian names: William; Age: 88; Sex: M; Death date: 5 June 1966; Burial date: 7 June 1966; Compartment: 4; Section: 1; Grave no: 22; Religion: CE
  19. ^ "Award: 1088568". Australian Honours Search Facility. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1966. Retrieved 13 April 2024. In recognition of service to the beef cattle industry
  20. ^ "Commonwealth and state list in full". The Canberra Times. 11 June 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2024. MBE: William Beak, Rockhampton, services to beef cattle industry
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