Bronte Rundle

In 1975, Bronte Rundle and his partner June took over the ‘Ucarro’ farm, located in the upper tributary of Carolup River, in Katanning, WA. Initially the stream running through the farm was becoming saline and the lower lying cropped areas of the farm would become plagued with waterlogging issues in the winter months. In response to this, a new idea was born and implemented: A whole farm plan to address waterlogging and salinity.

35km of contoured drains were constructed, and three to four rows of tree species including different eucalypts, were planted behind the drains to stablise the soil and to reduce wind erosion, water logging and salinity. At the time, Mr Rundle said there was a lot of Landcare activity in the region, resulting in them planting 50,000 trees across the property. This contouring idea was trailblazing at the time, with farmers travelling from far and wide to their place in the Great Southern, “Ucarro’, to see how it would all work. After implementing these new practices, the farm reported increased yields and increased stocking rates and lambing percentages.

Bronte’s son Peter, who is a politician for the Nationals, and his wife Andrea, still live on and maintain the ‘Ucarro’ Farm.