‘Superstar’ auctioneer realises ambition to run rural agency
A CHAMPION auctioneer is making one of the biggest calls of his life by taking over the Ray White Townsville Rural and Livestock business.
But Liam Kirkwood is being denied the chance for a shot at the national auctioneering title because of the cancellation of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Mr Kirkwood shrugged off that lost opportunity and is happy, at 23, to step up as one of the youngest principals of a Ray White rural agency.
“I’ve worked in the Ray White Townsville office since January 2019 and before that I was always a livestock buyer, ever since I left school,” Mr Kirkwood said.
“I’ve always held the ambition of being a principal because I’ve always been around people owning businesses who have taught me a lot and given me lots of opportunities with their businesses.
“So when this opportunity came up, I thought there may be big rewards down the track by taking on my own business.”
Mr Kirkwood grew up around livestock in Maitland, NSW, before doing a traineeship with JBS as a livestock buyer in Brisbane and then working across Queensland.
It was his calls at the weekly Charters Towers saleyards that helped prepare him for a shot at the Young Auctioneer Competition, which he won at last year’s Royal Brisbane
Show, qualifying him for the national competition.
He was unsure if he would still be able to compete at next year’s national event but said it was one of those things you had to accept and move on.
Outgoing Ray White principal Kevin Currie, who has worked in the industry for more than 50 years, and his daughter Trisha will continue to work in the business during the transition.
Mr Currie said he would continue to work in a limited way while he was able and was confident about the future of the beef cattle industry.
“The cattle market is strong and there’s plenty of cattle coming on to the market. It will continue that way. People need to eat,” Mr Currie said.
Ray White Rural managing director Stephen Nell said Mr Kirkwood was a superstar and they felt blessed to have such a talented person align with them for the future.