Not only a prominent identity in the Australian beef and livestock industry, Zanda McDonald was a member of our MDH family. Zanda was proud to be a farmer and worked tirelessly to share his passion and encourage others to work, join and thrive in the industry he loved.
Our Community
As a foundation member of the Trans-Tasman Agricultural Networking Group (formed in 2005), he spent time with like-minded farmers, spinning yarns and solving industry problems. As part of his role in the group, he led a number of initiatives to promote the industry and our family values to the next generation.
In 2013, Zanda lost his life in an accident at home on “Devoncourt”. In 2014, in honour of Zanda, the networking group led by Shane McManaway launched the Zanda McDonald Award.
The Zanda Mentoring Group (ZMG) has since evolved into a collective of over 150 of Australasia’s top rural leaders that envision Zanda’s values by offering recognition and support to the next generation.
One in six Australians haven’t had enough to eat in the last year and 1.2 million children have gone hungry.
Knowing this, MDH has been a proud support and highly valued partner in the Foodbank Protein Program since 2016. The MDH team joined forces with Foodbank Australia as a National Donor in September 2016 as well as a valued trim donor to the Foodbank Collaborative Supply Sausage Program in February 2017.
Now in our 6th year of supporting Foodbank and helping those in need, we’ve so far donated over 72 tonnes of protein to people who otherwise may have gone without.
AJ McDonald Encouragement Challenge
Jim McDonald (AJ McDonald) was a visionary and pioneer of the northern beef industry of Australia. Moving to the Cloncurry district in 1946 with his young family, AJ McDonald purchased Brightlands Station and began making a home for his family.
Over the next 60 years, the family worked hard to grow operations across Queensland and grew AJ's legacy into 14 properties across the state. Now, nearly 80 years later, the MDH family still live and work on Brightlands Station, following in his footsteps.
AJ was a founding member of the Cloncurry Rodeo, and his competitive spirit and resilience is something we want to inspire in young competitors. In sharing his inspiring efforts and honouring his contributions to the industry, the MDH family sponsor the Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge through the AJ McDonald Encouragement Award.
The AJ McDonald Encouragement Award aims to encourage young competitors who haven't won an event before to challenge horses in one of the biggest Stockman's Challenges in the country.
Community work
MDH is proud to support the community by contributing to local events across Queensland’s rural communities. We proudly volunteer our time and efforts in support of tradition, diversity, and community spirit in groups and events such as:
Industry participation & contribution
On top of helping local regional communities across Queensland, MDH donates time and resources to the betterment of the cattle industry across Australia. Serving on industry boards and councils, we actively contribute to industry developments.
Some councils and boards the MDH family have been involved in include:
Cooperative Research Centre Northern Australia (CRCNA)
