Generations of business connections

by Nick Rowe
Few businesses can claim a history stretching back 140 years, but for rural services company Alex Scott & Staff the milestone reflects generations of family ownership and strong connections with farming communities across Gippsland.
The company will celebrate the milestone with a community event titled "Back to Alex Scott" this Saturday at the Dalyston Recreation Reserve, bringing together staff, clients and community members to reflect on the company's long history.
Livestock manager and director of Alex Scott & Staff Neil Darby, who has worked with the company for 41 years, said the anniversary reflected the company's history and the people who built their careers there.
"It's a family-owned business and still is today," Mr Darby said. "For a company to continue through five generations is pretty rare."
The company traces its origins back to 1886, when it began as Howard & Scott Auctioneers, operating as a stock and station agency servicing Victoria's growing rural districts.
Over time the business expanded across rural services including livestock, property and insurance, eventually becoming the company now known as Alex Scott & Staff.
Mr Darby said the Warragul branch had a long history in the district, dating back to the mid-1930s when it became the company's first sub-branch while the Alex Scott head office was in Dandenong. The company's head office is now in Korumburra.
Over the decades several well-known local stock agents and managers have led the branch, including Ted Poliness, Clive Walkinshaw and Kevin Young. Mr Walkinshaw spent more than six decades with the company, while many other staff also have built long careers within the business.
Mr Darby said long service among employees had always been a hallmark of the company. "I've been here 41 years," he said. "But there are plenty of others who have also spent decades with the business."
In 1993 the company formally became Alex Scott & Staff, with long-serving employees offered shares in the business - reinforcing the company's tradition of staff loyalty and ownership.
Mr Darby said the rural services industry had changed significantly during his time in the business, particularly the way livestock were bought and sold.
One of the biggest changes locally came with closure of the Warragul saleyards in 2019, followed by closure of the Pakenham facility. Those changes forced agents and farmers to adapt, with livestock now transported to other selling centres including Leongatha, Sale and Yea.
"A lot of our business now involves cattle being marketed directly to processors rather than through the saleyards," Mr Darby said. "We're still buying young cattle for clients, growing them out and marketing them at the right time."
Even with the changes, Mr Darby said Gippsland remained a strong cattle region. "The beef job is very good at the moment," he said. "There may be fewer farmers than there once were, but many operations are larger and more lifestyle farmers are entering the industry."
Another development has been establishment of a calf market at Lardner Park, now an important selling centre for farmers in the region. Mr Darby said Alex Scott & Staff worked with Lardner Park during the COVID period to help finance construction of the calf shed and selling pens, allowing the calf market to be established. "It's been a really good outcome for farmers in the district," he said.
While livestock remains a core part of the business, the Warragul office also operates a busy real estate division.
Branch manager Rebecca Nooy said the property side of the business had evolved significantly over the years. "The way real estate is marketed today is very different to what it was decades ago," she said. "Everything is online now — from listings through to auctions and inspections — whereas years ago much more of that happened through local advertising and word of mouth."
Despite the changes, Ms Nooy said the strength of the business continued to lie in its long-standing relationships with clients. "We have clients who have been dealing with Alex Scott & Staff for generations," she said. "That's something we're really proud of."
Community involvement has remained an important part of the company's identity. Mr Darby said the business had long supported local organisations and events, including sporting clubs, agricultural events and community initiatives.
"We've always believed in giving back to the communities we work in. It's been part of the culture of the company for a long time."
The Back to Alex Scott event will feature live music, afternoon tea provided by the Country Women's Association and a panel discussion involving several long-serving team members sharing stories from their time with the company.
For Mr Darby, the milestone is about recognising the people behind the business. "There's been a lot of good people come through the company over the years," he said. "It's those people and the relationships with clients that have kept the business going for 140 years."
The "Back to Alex Scott" celebration will be held from 1pm to 5pm at the Dalyston Recreation Reserve, 20 Tulloch Street, Dalyston.