Peter Austin bought his first Kelpie for $20 when he went Jackarooing at 18 years of age. The dog was a bit sloppy around the sheep so he sold him a year later and got his original $20 back. He then tried a Border Collie but he was a poor worker and Peter went back to Kelpies. He next bought a good Kelpie in 1974 for $30. This was Liscannor Deano. Deano turned out to be a top mustering dog as well as an excellent worker in the yards and had great backing ability. He was sold in 1978 to K. Cockins of Beaufort for $1000. "He taught me more than I knew and he ended up being a top dog".

Peter and Kate first set up their Stud in the early 1970's. At the time Peter was employed on Mt. Hesse, a large station running 20,000 Australian Merino sheep and 1,500 cattle. (Herefords). They only had two dogs and obviously needed more to handle the large number of stock on the property.

In 1976 they bought Glenville Tammy and Wyreema Jilly. They also got Suey from a farmer in Derrinallum. Right from the start they decided to run the Kelpie Stud as a commercial venture and not just as a hobby.

A year later they were offered Rockybar Ripper, a dog that went on to have a strong influence in the Stud. He cost them $1000 at 9 years of age in 1977 (which was a very high price for a Kelpie back then). Rockybar Ripper won first place in the Open Sheepdog Trial at Kerang the same they bought him and also got a 3rd in the Improvers Trial at Canberra on 87 points. " Ripper has never bred a failure" Peter Austin said. " All his progeny have worked well when given the right opportunities."

The next year (1978) the Austins took a trip through New South Wales and Queensland looking at Studs. They visited the legends of Kelpies in the area, (late) Frank Scanlon, (late) Bill Prendagast (Cudgee Kelpies) and Les Tarrant (Rockybar Kelpies). They learned a lot from the experience of these three men and returned home ready to put what they learned into their breeding program.

In 1979 they moved to their own farm at Mortlake with their 20 Kelpies. In 1982 they leased 242 hectare property at Glenthompson. Unfortunately this was right at the beginning of a very bad drought period in Australia. Peter Austin also set up Kirkmoor Livestock Services. This business carried out sheep handling work across Victoria with a team of eight main Kelpies " From a practical experience I know a man is useless in sheepyards without a working dog. that's why I use Kelpies - I'd never use another breed again. they think for themselves and they are more than versatile" Peter Austin said

 Kate and Peter Austin have sold Kelpies all over Australia and to the USA and Canada but the funniest customer would probably be the Turkey farmer from Tamworth that had 40,000 Turkeys in lots of 4000. and needed a dog to get into the pens and control them. the Austin's said they felt a bit sorry for that dog.

The Kirkcaldy Stud was well known at many of the major Agriculture shows and Field Days. In 1982 the drought hit much of Australia and Peter took 2000 sheep on the road droving . In three months he traveled them more than 900 kilometres. He said the droving life provided a wonderful training ground for his Kelpies One of his main Kelpies on the road was Glendon Brownie, a big red and tan male he bought from Queensland in 1980. In 1982 he was offered $1500 for him which was quite a bit of money then for a working dog. The drought conditions went on for years and Peter says that without the income from the Kelpies the farm would have collapsed and they wouldn't have survived.

 In 1986 Peter moved his family north to Albury on the border of Victoria and New South Wales. It was at this time he began to wind down the Kirkcaldy Kelpie enterprise but he made sure he did not lose the bloodlines he had built up. In 1991 he moved to 'Kenilworth' at Ettamogah and ran Cashmere goats to help control a weed situation with Patterson's Curse. He soon began breeding up Kelpies. His main breeding bitch was Kirkcaldy Pip and she was soon mated to Orvale Ferg. Orvale Ferg was bred by Bob Peake in Chiltern near the NSW border and had won numerous field sheepdog trials and yard trials.

 "My aim with every litter I breed is to keep the pups, start them off so I can assess them all and pick the ones I want to go on with." I will sell them as seven to eight month old started dogs. I never want to get into the situation where the Stud is as big as it once was. "

In 1983, Kate began putting their data on a computer so as to be able to keep track of all the details of their breeding program. this was at a time that very few breeders had any experience at all with computers.

 "Two characteristics have led the Working Kelpie to fame in this and other countries - stamina and fidelity, and there is no doubt a well bred Kelpie is second to none. They are tireless workers, in the most torrid conditions, from cold, raining and windy, to hot and dusty... We believe that providing there are enough dedicated breeders registering the Working Kelpie, that this great dog will continue to serve the stockman of this country for many years to come." - Kate Austin.

 In June 1982, the Kirkcaldy Stud held it's first Kelpie production sale at Mortlake. This sale got a lot of publicity at the time. There was a selection of 60 Kelpies (adults and puppies) available for sale.

In 1981 the Stud sold more than 200 puppies. Approx. 30% were sold over the phone, sight unseen, 20% straight from the property and 50% at Agricultural and Livestock shows. Sales increased over the next few years At the Gunnedah Show in 1984 he sold 23 Kelpies in 3 days." If you put them in front of people and they can see the quality they will buy. Half the pups sold were repeat orders, Every two years those people are going to keep coming back."

 "In selecting a pup, I look for good conformation, broad head, shoulders and hips well proportioned, with strong leg bones to carry the dog all day. The pup must show high fidelity and agility".

 Everywhere that Peter Austin goes with his Kelpies he is asked if he is related to Tim Austin another well known Kelpie breeder (Elfinvale Kelpies). The answer is yes! They are distant cousins but their respective Kelpies Studs are completely independent of each other and very different.

When the Kirkcaldy Stud first started in 1976 Peter and Kate were selling their Kelpie pups for $35. By the end of the 1970's they were getting between $120 and $150 a pup. By the mid 1980's that had risen to an average of about $350. By the late 1990's the puppy prices started from a low of $600 and go to over $1000. During the time the Stud has been in operation they have sold many thousands of Working Kelpies right across Australia including Tasmania and the far north of Queensland.

 Some of the best known Kelpies in the Stud have been :

Kirkcaldy Fleet(Rockybar Ripper X Glenville Tammy) Born in 1986. "Fleet was a big black and tan dog. He was an early starter, head strong and bold as a pup. Fleet had a good cast and excellent holding ability, very forceful in the yards and truck. He would work sheep, cattle goats and pigs."

Glendon Brownie (Cudgee Jeff X Tingagroo Lady) Born: 1

Liscannor Deano ( Rockybar Buff x Liscannor Dell) bought in 1974 for just $30 and sold four years later in 1978 for an amazing $1000.

Peterson Bill Clinton (Karrobar Moss X Furys Gem) Born: 1999. This is the current main sire for the Kirkcaldy Stud

Glenville Tammy (Port Patrick Taj X Glenville Jean) Born: 1986. " A big, quick covering, long, wide, casting bitch. Brilliant on large or small mobs., especially ewes and lambs. Has produced excellent dogs by several sires but particularly when joined to Rockybar Ripper. Has produced Kirkcaldy Fleet, Kirkcaldy Inca, Kirkcaldy Deb, Kirkcaldy Toffee and Kirkcaldy Vito, through this mating. These are all noted dogs within this Stud.

Kirkcaldy Perri (Kirkcaldy Volvo X Kirkcaldy Pom Born: Current Brood bitch. Blue & tan colour. Will bite cattle on command. Plenty of eye and heading ability. Current brood bitch.

Kirkcaldy Bette Midler (Kirkcaldy Perri X Scanlons Jack) "A solid bitch with medium eye on a mob but is starting to develop much stronger eye on three sheep as she gets older...This is a top bitch much like some of my good old dogs" - Current brood bitch.

Kirkcaldy Trixie (Orvale Ferg X Kirkcaldy Pippa) "Breeding many good pups for us in the Stud especially through Scanlons Jack. Strong Rockybar, Liscannor breeding." - Current brood bitch.

Tara Butch (Tara Butcher X Anita) One of the main reference sires in the Stud. Linebred to Rockybar Ripper.