Kath's secret to happy life revealed
When WA’s oldest stud sheep breeder Kath Wade celebrated her 90th birthday she said her advice for a long and happy life was keeping active.
The nonagenarian is no stranger to hard work and is still running her farm, Greenville, with the help of her daughter Helen since her husband Bill died six years ago.
About 30 close family and friends turned up for the birthday celebrations on Thursday at Mrs Wade’s farm, just outside of Wickepin, the town she grew up in.
Mrs Wade said she had seen many changes in her time in the area.
“Wickepin has changed a lot,” she said.
“I remember in Wickepin years ago each Saturday night everyone would come out on the town and I would always look forward to that.”
One highlight of her life on the land was selling the lot one ram in the Elders 100 Years of Service sale at Katanning in 2004 for a record of $19,320, or 9200 guineas.
Mrs Wade said before the change from pounds to dollars in 1966 all stud stock were sold in guineas and commercial sheep were sold in pounds and shillings.
Mrs Wade said she loved living at Greenville and had no interest in moving into a nursing home.
“There are always people coming and going out here and I am never short of company or support,” she said.
Mrs Wade’s involvement with agriculture has spanned a lifetime and has included being an integral part of Leyfields with her first husband Ken.
Together, they ran a cattle stud, followed by an artificial insemination breeding centre and clover grading shed.
Mrs Wade’s passion for agriculture extended to the Merino when she married Bill and helped with his stud, Greenville.
