Future Farming on the Fleurieu Peninsula

September 2026. Article by: Rick Majoor

For over five generations, the Hurrell family’s history has been woven into the landscape of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. From early settlement origins in Inman Valley to establishing their home farm at the southern hills of Myponga in 1979, Wes Hurrell has spent over 40 years steering the family business alongside his wife, Rita. Five years ago, their son James returned home to join the operation straight out of a mechanic apprenticeship, bringing a fresh perspective to the generational business.

In 2018, the family expanded by purchasing an additional 870-acre property - originally a sheep grazing farm that they initially used for dry cows and fodder production. Facing severe seasonal challenges and looking to build a sustainable future, the Hurrells set out to transform this former sheep block into a cutting-edge, robotic dairy facility.

Dairying on the Fleurieu Peninsula presents harsh environmental realities. "We are in drought six months of the year, every year. From November right through to mid-May, we have no green grass," Wes explains. Managing a dense stocking rate of nearly four cows per hectare put constant pressure on land and pastures. Meanwhile, operating two separate conventional dairies - including an aged 20-side rapid exit system - meant that both land and physical infrastructure were pushed to breaking point. Sourcing continuous labour to cup cows twice a day across multiple sites was no longer sustainable long term.

When evaluating robotic options against a brand-new greenfield 50-stand rotary, Wes discovered the capital outlay was virtually identical. However, choosing Lely came down to finding a complete package backed by reliable local support.

"Our local service dealer is just 30 minutes away, and there are close to 50 Lely robots within an 80-to-100-kilometer radius of us - that local network was hugely important," says Wes.

When startup day arrived, Lely’s Farm Management Support team had three to four specialists on-site working alongside the family. "The startup support was exceptional," Wes recalls. "Having cow-focused people there made all the difference."

To stock the new facility, the Hurrells carefully selected 300 young cows from their original 700-head herd based on balanced performance index (BPI), udder confirmation, low somatic cell counts, and teat placement. The team integrated their existing Heatime SCR collars seamlessly into the new Lely Horizon farm management software, allowing daily individual data tracking for butterfat, protein, and cell counts per cow, per milking.  

Today, the farm operates with off-grid ambitions, running on solar and battery systems while preparing for future methane bio-digester energy collection. The robotics has reshaped daily family life. "Milking cows is a physical, young person's job day in, day out," Wes reflects. "With the robots taking care of the physical side, I could easily see myself managing this well into my 70s. The technology suits every generation.

The shift has earned the family major recognition, with the operation taking out the Most Innovative Dairy Farmer title at the 90^th South Australian Dairy Awards, and James winning Young Dairy Farmer of the Year, which demonstrates the bright future that lies ahead for our industry.