Livestock has been a constant thread running through Martin Simmons’ life. From the early days in the Dubbo saleyards, to his current role as Branch Manager at Elders Dubbo and President of the Dubbo Stock and Station Agents Association, his career has been shaped by the industry and the people within it.
Martin grew up in outback New South Wales (NSW) and completed his schooling in Dubbo. His entry into the industry came during his HSC years, sparked by a day spent at the saleyards that quickly changed his direction.
“My parents sold cattle here in Dubbo, and during my HSC I had a free day so went out and watched the cattle sold,” he said.
“On the back of that, the agent they were using came over and asked if I wanted a job. From that point on I’ve been in the game ever since.
“I worked with a couple of different private agents. Before joining Elders I was actually a shareholder in a local business here in Dubbo, which gave me another level of exposure to how the industry operates.”
After that chapter came to a close, Martin joined Elders nearly 15 years ago, bringing with him a deep livestock and auctioneering background.
“Dubbo has always been home from a working life point of view,” he said.
“Being based here means you really understand the saleyard process, which is a big part of the business and a big part of the region.
“With Dubbo being such a large mixed species selling centre, that knowledge is critical for both agents and clients.”
Today, Martin leads one of Elders’ largest branches in NSW, overseeing livestock, agronomy, rural real estate and farm supplies, while still remaining hands-on in livestock and auctioneering.
Managing through drought and seasonal pressure has been one of the defining aspects of his leadership. Martin believes guiding people through difficult conditions carries its own sense of achievement.
“We’d had a three-year drought leading into 2019, which was a really hard period,” he said.
“Turning up every day and hearing what our clients were going through weighed heavily on everyone, but we focused on keeping the team engaged and connected, even through small things like social activities, because getting through it together was what mattered.”
Beyond Elders, Martin has spent the past five years as President of the Dubbo Stock and Station Agents Association, a role that has tested his leadership and advocacy skills.
“Trying to represent 12 different agents is not an easy task,” he said.
“Everyone is competitive and everyone wants to succeed, which is completely fair. From the beginning, my approach was to represent the association and the industry as a whole, and to make sure decisions were made with that broader view in mind.”
That industry-first mindset was put to the test during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Dubbo became the first set of saleyards in Australia to be shut down, which threatened supply chains and livestock movements nationally.
“The cattle were already in transit when the shutdown was announced,” Martin said.
“I made it very clear that closing a major mixed species selling centre had serious consequences for the red meat supply chain. We worked closely with government and council to put a workable plan in place.
"Reopening the yards under strict conditions was critical for the region. It was a major win and one I’ll never forget.”
More recently, Martin led a sustained campaign against a proposal to sell the Dubbo saleyards, attending council meetings and rallying support across industry and community.
“The proposal to sell the saleyards made no sense from an industry or community perspective,” he said.
“The saleyards underpin livestock marketing in this region and support a huge number of businesses.
“Through months of engagement and industry support, the council came to see the long-term value of retaining and investing in the facility, and since then the yards have continued to strengthen and contribute significantly to the local economy.
“It was certainly a lot of work, but to achieve the desired result was probably one of the biggest achievements I’m fortunate to have had in my career.”
