For more than 140 years, the Rea family have supplied milk to Saputo Dairy Australia’s Allansford plant in south-west Victoria.
In his 86 years, Tony Rea has seen ‘marvellous inventions’ and technologies that have revolutionised the milking process and been actively involved in the local dairy industry for decades.
Back in 1888, Tony’s grandfather was one of the first six farmers to supply to the original Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory in Allansford.
Over the years, there's been many changes yet one thing has remained constant, milk supplied from the Rea's dairy.
Tony grew up on the family’s original 183ha farm just outside Allansford.
In 1963, he purchased a 54ha farm in the area, milking a herd of 45 cows.
He recalls that one of the biggest shifts in how milk was produced and collected came in 1966, when the farm stopped using traditional milk cans and installed a milk vat.
He described the change as marvellous and signalled a new era of efficiency and quality in dairy.
In the decades that followed, he expanded milking capacity and upgraded the dairy infrastructure from a walk through to herringbone, until he finally built their first rotary dairy in 1982.
In 2010, he handed the reigns of the dairy business to his son Simon and his wife Pep, who now operate the 460ha property.
At that time, Simon’s brother Eugene also purchased a second farm from Tony nearby.
Simon grew up on the farm and after finishing school, spent time in Melbourne and overseas before returning to the dairy.
He now milks around 570 Friesian cows and manages a team of three full-time employees and one part-timer.
Yet, while the scale of the dairy business has increased, the underlying philosophy remains grounded in family, community and loyalty.
“We’ve had close ties with the Allansford plant for generations,” says Simon.
“I guess loyalty is one of our big things so when the plant was purchased by Saputo, it made sense to stay.
“Living in a small community, I know a lot of the workers because we play sport and socialise together so not too much changed.”
Tony’s contribution to the industry and local community have also extended far beyond his own farm gate. He served as a director of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter for 27 years and chaired the Sungold Field Days for around 35 years, championing innovation and connection between farmers, industry and community.
Despite the challenges faced by the industry, Tony remains pragmatic and optimistic about its future.
“Being able to work on the land, you can’t beat it,” says Tony.
“You’re working with nature all the time, whether it’s good or bad, you just take what comes and make the most of it.”
He retired about 20 years ago yet still turns up to the farm most days, finding small jobs to do from checking the electric fencing to scarifying the dairy shelter.
Simon says it’s because he’s got milk ‘in his veins’.
“Dad just has this happy knack of turning up at the right place at the right time to pick off a little job,” says Simon.
“That’s perfect for an 86-year-old.”