Valmont Poll Herefords was established by the late Lyell Stuart in 1957. Later the Stud was dispersed with Lyell’s eldest daughter Anne and husband Keith McLauchlan starting the Valma Poll Hereford stud.

With  genetics based from the Valmont stud and  Stonehouse hereford Stud, Keith and Anne continued under the Valma prefix, which continues today with their son Andrew and wife Caroline.

The advantage of Dorsets without horns encouraged three of Australias leading Dorset horn breeders to attempt to breed off the horns. The three breeders worked independently in three different states and using different methods, each produced the Poll Dorset at approximately the same time.

One of those foundation breeders was Lyell Stuart of ‘Valmont’, Tasmania.
From the earliest days in the Poll Dorset breeding program, Anne Stuart, later became Anne McLauchlan, was heavily involved in the recording and day to day stud work. She was to continue this close involvement throughout her whole life thus giving continuity to the breeding program.

From their Marriage on Keith also became a part of the planning and management team at Valma Downs.

From a very young age Andrew played an influential roll in the breeding program and in recent years has taken on the stud, which continues to focus heavily on carcase quality.

Valma Poll Dorsets are widely recognized for their excellent balance in trait performance, with special emphasis on muscle and early maturity.

In 1982 Keith and Anne started breeding white suffolks and registered Valma white Suffolks in 1985. Their children Sally and John took on these sheep which became Leith and Spring Valley White suffolks.

In 2017 Andrew and Caroline purchased Spring Valley White Suffolks from Sally. They look forward to continuing the great work Sally has achieved over the years offering sound rams that suit Tasmanian conditions that produce lambs to suit all conditions