Gary Johnston and his son, Sam, farm and run their agribusiness on neighbouring farms on the banks of the Lachlan River, near Forbes in the NSW Central West.
Never waste an opportunity. It’s the mantra that Forbes farmer, property sales specialist and agribusiness developer Gary Johnston has lived his life by and one that his son, Sam, has also embraced. Gary lives on Walla Wallah, a 220-acre (89-hectare) lucerne and prime lamb farm on the banks of the Lachlan River, which he bought in 2011. His son, Sam, lives on Surround, an adjoining 150-acre (60-hectare) farm with his wife, Kohbe, who works in the medical imaging department of Forbes Hospital. Gary’s daughter, Claudia, and her partner also farm in the Forbes district.
Gary grew up on a dairy farm at Cobbitty on Sydney’s south-western periphery and never deviated from his desire to build a career in farming. He credits his parents and their friend, at the time the mayor of Camden, who helped finance his dream of buying a farm. “Dad and I came out to Forbes when I was 18 and we searched for the right place for about three months,” he says. “We ended up buying a 1321-acre [535-hectare] place called Merriment west of here and I lived out there on my own. My friends all thought I was mad, but I wanted to make the most of the opportunity I’d been given. At first, I was growing lucerne to supply the dairy and selling surplus on the open market. But I pretty soon worked out that I didn’t want middlemen involved.”
Gary focused on maximising the nutrient content of the hay he was growing. Having it analysed by a highly respected forage laboratory in the US confirmed the results he was aiming for and opened the door to his becoming a supplier for the thoroughbred horse industry, a relationship he has maintained for more than 30 years. “It’s a matter of finding the right balance of fertility in the soil, regenerative rotational-based farming systems and cutting at the right time,” he says. These days, 90 per cent of his hay goes directly to clients. In 2006, he was awarded NSW Farmer of the Year, he’s been a long-time councillor on the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW and was approached by Deutsche Bank to help set up the Global Agriculture Opportunities Fund. More recently, he’s opted to working with private investors developing agribusinesses and has also developed a high-end rural property sales agency, which he runs with Sam.
Sam is forging his own stellar career. After primary education at the tiny one-teacher Corinella Public School, he went to boarding school in Sydney, then completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics at The University of Sydney. He’s subsequently picked up a Bachelor of Property Valuation and these days, as well as running the farm, is the licensee in charge of the property sales division of the family business. Along the way, Sam has been involved in a number of professional development initiatives including the Horizon Scholarship and evokeAg. Future Young Leaders programs, the RAS NSW Rural Achiever Competition and the Rabobank Farm Managers Program.
It was in his first year at uni that Sam started his mission to help improve the disconnect between the city and the bush. “It all began with a conversation with an international student,” he explains. “She asked me if cotton grew on sheep and although I was surprised, it struck me how little many people knew about where their food and fibre come from. I ran into her later and she thanked me for not laughing in her face, which is what most people would have done. I got to thinking about how we could bridge the divide. A mate and I started a social media campaign called #ThankAFarmerForYourNextMeal and, by posting agriculture-related content, we grew to 100,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. I’m no longer involved, but I like to think we did our bit to create awareness of the bush and farm life and perhaps encourage people who are not from the land to consider careers in the agriculture industry.”
In 2023, Sam and Kohbe had a devastating experience of the vicissitudes of country life when their house was inundated by floods. In spite of the challenging circumstances, the couple is determined to maintain a positive attitude.
“The most disappointing part was losing our newly established garden that we’d put a lot of work into,” Sam says. “But we’ve started again and it’s slowly coming back.” Fortunately for Gary, the levee around the Walla Wallah property did hold as he had just completed a large renovation. Gary explains that the house was designed by architect Kenneth McConnel, a student of Professor Leslie Wilkinson, the first dean of architecture at The University of Sydney. “He worked with garden designer Rex Hazlewood and they collaborated on a few homesteads in the region,” Gary says. “You can see his signature style in the way he avoided wraparound verandahs and preferred to make more spacious corner verandahs. He also used bay windows to allow lots of light into the interiors. When we first moved here, the house hadn’t been occupied for seven years, so all the plumbing, guttering and wiring had to be replaced. I wanted to keep the house respectful of McConnel’s design, but to open spaces up a bit to make it more amenable to contemporary living.”
Internally, the high ceilings lend a bright and airy feel to the homestead, which is liberally adorned with artworks, including many by Gary’s former wife, celebrated Forbes artist Rosie Johnston, and several by Luke Scibberas. Externally, Gary says he was lucky to have a copy of Hazlewood’s original garden plan, and he’s been mindful of referencing his intentions and plantings wherever possible. “There are a few original trees, including a poplar, a deodar, a jacaranda and various oaks and gums and I’ve tried to fill in the details he outlined,” he says. “The stonework and hedges really lifted the garden and it looked magnificent when Sam and Kohbe were married there in 2024. It was great to see the house and garden truly fit for purpose again.” AC
