Angus cattle were first bred at Coolana in 1933 by Arthur Gubbins who wanted to breed replacement bulls for his own business.  In 1972 Arthur’s son John Gubbins established the Coolana Angus Stud.  The first stud bull sale was held jointly with other studs at Cobra Killuc in 1974, selling 12 bulls grossing $12000.

Now run by John’s son, Mark Gubbins, the current operation is a commercially based Angus Stud, using performance recording processed by Breedplan, and the Angus Group EBVs as a guide to strict visual classing.  Particular attention is paid to calving ease, while maintaining high growth rates and good muscling.

On joining the family business in 1984, Mark developed an interest in Angus genetics.  In the following years the expansion of the genetic pool, performance recording and cattle numbers has taken the annual sales figures to another level.  Eighteen stud bulls were sold from Coolana in 1985, compared to 285 bulls sold in 2014, with three successful sales per year now held across two states.

In 1995 Mark formed a successful relationship with Dick Whale, taking the level of breeding to new heights.  With the use of Genetic Type Summary evaluation (GTS – scored visual assessment), along with a sound understanding of valuable performance recording, Mark and Dick have implemented a selective breeding program aimed at developing a high quality, even line of females and males, to meet the needs of the modern commercial beef industry.

Seeking high standards of selection, Mark has been lucky enough to travel the world researching and analysing genetics which will complement the current breeding program.  Visiting studs and viewing cattle overseas has allowed him to place heavy emphasis on viewing the female line and progeny of a sire, rather than just concentrating on the sire itself.  This focus is an integral part of Coolana’s holistic approach to beef breeding and favourable client outcomes.

We deliberately choose not to show our cattle, instead concentrating on the day-to-day tasks involved in our outstanding and proven approach to producing top genetics which perform well under high stocking rates. Coolana cattle are bred for both the grass-fed and feedlot markets.

Our AI and Backup sires are selected for their high fertility, structural integrity and confirmation, high growth rates, combined with carcass excellence and heavy muscling.

Coolana Angus revolves around a (mainly) spring calving operation, and with its expansion into South Australia (see Property Profiles), has allowed us to increase cattle numbers and offer a greater genetic selection.  We pride ourselves on our ability to provide an even line of bulls, so that a buyer purchasing either one or ten bulls at a time can expect consistent results.