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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Bill Costello and Nairn Park: Bringing Angus to the Clarence Valley

A doctor and cattle breeder who started the North Coast's first Angus stud and chaired the South Grafton Abattoir.

Who was Dr Bill Costello?

Dr William Thomas Costello, known as Bill, combined medicine with a long career as an Angus seedstock breeder on the New South Wales North Coast. He was born on 26 December 1926 and died at his home, Nairn Park near Grafton, on 19 September 2025, aged 98. The Angus Australia tribute to Bill Costello describes him as a respected figure in the Australian cattle industry and a pioneer of Angus breed development.

His honors were awarded for contributions to both the cattle industry and medicine: a Medal of the Order of Australia (AOM) and a Centenary Medal.

Why did he choose Angus cattle?

In the 1950s Costello worked and studied in England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. There he saw strong demand for Angus beef at London's Smithfield Markets, an observation that pushed him toward developing the breed at home.

Angus have a long pedigree in Britain. Scottish breeders such as William McCombie of Tillyfour had built the black polled breed in the nineteenth century, and the name Aberdeen Angus was adopted as a compromise between two northeastern types, as described in a profile of McCombie and the polled cattle of Scotland. Costello's training in the British Isles put him close to that tradition at the moment when its beef was selling well.

Founding Nairn Park Angus in 1962

Costello founded the Nairn Park Angus Stud on 4 September 1962. It was the first Angus stud in the Clarence Valley and on the North Coast of New South Wales, an area better known for dairying and mixed farming than for Angus seedstock.

He bought nine females from the Leitch family's Tunbridge Stud at Merriwa, New South Wales. The foundation sire, Barwidgee Figaro, came from Mrs Kelly's Barwidgee Stud at Caramut, Victoria, along with a mature cow, Barwidgee Nymph 2nd, and a heifer calf. In the 1960s the stud added Rossmoyne Tryst at a Victorian stud dispersal. Sourcing females from one well-regarded New South Wales stud and a sire line from Victoria was a sensible way to give a new herd depth from the start.

The Key to Costello's Success

Costello's record rests on a handful of choices that are visible in the sources: he went where the demand was, he measured his cattle, and he stayed involved with the wider industry. The material available is limited, so these points are drawn only from what is documented.

He also lived long enough to see the stud pass to a third generation, which is its own measure of how well the operation was set up.

  • He studied the market first: demand for Angus beef at Smithfield shaped his plan.
  • He bought foundation females and sires from established studs rather than starting with unproven stock.
  • He adopted performance recording early and joined the inaugural Angus Herd Improvement Group.
  • He set clear breeding priorities: fertility, structural soundness, temperament and doability.
  • He supported processing and export, chairing the South Grafton Abattoir and visiting Japan in the 1970s to explore markets.

Shows, judging and breeding priorities

Costello regularly exhibited at the New England Angus Show and Sale in Tamworth. His bull Nairn Park Jupiter was named Supreme Angus Exhibit in 1969. He was also a skilled cattle judge.

His stated priorities were fertility, structural soundness, temperament and doability, a mix that favors cattle that breed regularly and cope with ordinary pasture conditions over show-ring polish alone. Being an early adopter of performance recording meant he backed those priorities with measurements, not only with the eye.

Industry service and the Japan trip

Beyond the stud, Costello served as Chairman of the South Grafton Abattoir, a role that tied a seedstock breeder to the processing end of the beef chain. In the 1970s he visited Japan to explore export markets for Australian Angus beef.

That interest in Japan is worth noting because Australian breeders were increasingly selling into Japanese channels in later decades. The Australian Wagyu Association profile of Arthur Dew, for example, describes breeders who began as Angus producers supplying live export steers to Japan in the early 1980s.

Nairn Park today

The stud now operates from Moona Plains Station at Walcha, New South Wales, while the original Nairn Park property remains in the Costello family. It is run by his son Rob and partner Jo-Anne, with grandchildren Emma, Thomas and Lachlan involved.

For more on beef cattle and breed stories, browse the ranching section of farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about Angus breeders.

Timeline

  1. 1926Born on 26 December
  2. 1950sWorks and studies in England, Ireland and Northern Ireland and sees Angus demand at Smithfield
  3. 1962Founds Nairn Park Angus Stud on 4 September, the first in the Clarence Valley
  4. 1960sAdds Rossmoyne Tryst during a Victorian stud dispersal
  5. 1969Nairn Park Jupiter named Supreme Angus Exhibit at the New England Angus Show and Sale
  6. 1970sVisits Japan to explore Angus beef export markets
  7. 2025Dies at Nairn Park on 19 September, aged 98

Frequently asked questions

Who was Bill Costello?

Dr Bill Costello (1926-2025) was an Australian doctor and Angus breeder who founded Nairn Park Angus Stud in 1962 near Grafton, New South Wales, the first Angus stud in the Clarence Valley.

What is Nairn Park Angus known for?

It was the first Angus stud on the New South Wales North Coast. It used performance recording early, and its bull Nairn Park Jupiter was named Supreme Angus Exhibit in 1969.

What honors did Bill Costello receive?

He received a Medal of the Order of Australia (AOM) and a Centenary Medal for contributions to the cattle industry and medicine, according to Angus Australia.

Where is Nairn Park Angus today?

The stud now operates from Moona Plains Station at Walcha, New South Wales. The original Nairn Park property near Grafton remains in the Costello family.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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