Nearly 190 years of farming.
A new generation of genetics.

The property

The McKay family has farmed Royden at Evans Plains, NSW since 1838. What began as a dairy operation has evolved through generations — transitioning to beef farming in 2013, and formally establishing the Royden stud in 2021 under Hugh McKay.

The farm carries a long history of registered stud cattle, with Friesian breeding records dating back to the 1950s. The Royden Angus stud carries that tradition forward, built with the same commitment to quality but entirely reimagined for the modern beef industry.

Hugh McKay, Royden stud principal

Hugh McKay

Hugh grew up on the family farm and developed an early interest in cattle genetics that shaped everything that followed. After completing an Agribusiness degree in Wagga Wagga, he went on to work across some of Australia's most demanding beef operations including large-scale commercial farming on King Island, a genetics and AI-focused role in Central Victoria, and managing a large mixed enterprise in Central West NSW with a strong emphasis on production efficiency and profitability.

Throughout that time Hugh was quietly building the Royden genetics program, running AI and embryo transfer programs, and making multiple trips to the United States to personally select and source elite Angus sires and donor cows. The result is a stud program that is self-made, evidence-driven, and focused entirely on producing animals that work in real commercial beef systems.

Contact Hugh