REMEMBERED: Fred Herd in a typical role, judging the Hoof Section of the Geelong Show Carcase Competition with Lara cattle breeder Don Nash.
Written by DAVID RIZZOLI .
THE late Frederick Rock Herd of Geelong, who died in December 2007, left school at the age of 16 to be the sidekick to his father, who was a drover and cattle dealer.
The droving was all by horseback from Warrnambool through various Western District towns to Geelong picking up hundreds of cattle each week and in the Otway Ranges, camping under the stars or bridges when the weather was rough.
From this humble beginning, Fred Herd built up the slaughtering and meat processing business, MC Herd Pty Ltd, founded in 1953 with three of his brothers, to the $150 million business it is today, employing over 300 workers.
In 1968, the company launched Challenge Meats in South Geelong, a leading processed meat and small goods producer.
But Fred was never happier than when he was knocking about the sale yards, buying cattle and enjoying the camaraderie and backchat between him and the other buyers and the auctioneers.
He was still attending sales as far away as Pakenham almost up until his passing, often rising at 4am to travel to a sale.
Nothing was a bother to Fred.
The writer, in his work with the Department of Agriculture at Geelong, had reason to call on Fred for the use of facilities for collection of specimens at MC Herd and this was always cheerfully granted.
When the NELCM (computer aided marketing system, which later became established as the CALM system) was being developed Fred cheerfully allowed me to use his facilities for training the assessors.
Fred Herd was the epitomy of business in Geelong, tough but fair and generous to a fault.
This was recognised when he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the meat industry and to the commmunity of Geelong.
He was the patron of the Royal Geelong Agricultural Society and the Anglesea Life Saving Club and a life member of the Geelong Amateur Football Club.
Fred died at 82, tragically, after a fall.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and four children.
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