Stone Axe Pastoral herds showcase Australia’s best Crossbred, Purebred and Full Blood Japanese Black Wagyu, resulting in beef of the highest possible quality - the definitive taste of Australian Wagyu.
With herds located in hand-selected, resource rich regions across Australia, Stone Axe Pastoral is a world-leader in luxury beef production, building one of the world’s largest vertically integrated Crossbred, Purebred and Full Blood Wagyu enterprises.
Company timeline
1975
“1976
Mr Chris Walker becomes president of Levi Strauss Company in Japan”
“1989
Mr Walker becomes President of HMV Group in Japan”
“1990
Australia received its first Wagyu genetics, a single Purebred Wagyu female from USA”
“1991
While living in Japan, Mr Walker purchases 2,000 hectares of farmland near Tarana, NSW. The future location of the Walker family’s famous Wagyu business”
“1992
Mathew Walker becomes director of the family Wagyu business”
“1993
Five Full Blood Wagyu animals are exported from Japan to USA by the Mannett Group - two bulls (Michifuku and Haruki II) and three cows (Suzutani, Rikitani and Okutani). Initially, the Australian Wagyu herd was greatly influenced by these five Full Blood Wagyu animals”
“1995
Mr Shogo Takeda exports 35 Full Blood Wagyu heifers and five Full Blood Wagyu bulls from Japan to USA. Semen from four of the bulls is exported from USA to Australia
Mr Walker purchases a 50% interest in three registered Full Blood Wagyu bulls (Hongen status), 84 registered Full Blood Wagyu cows (Hongen, Kihon and calf status) and semen from three other registered Full Blood Wagyu bulls (Hongen status). E.T. Japan acquires the other 50% interest”
“1996
Japanese government agrees to allow Mr Walker to export his Full Blood Wagyu herd to USA
The Walkers construct their own dedicated quarantine facility on Hokkaido Island”
“1997
The Full Blood Wagyu herd departs Japan for USA following quarantine. Sixty-three cows were artificially inseminated prior to departure
The herd arrives in New York, clears USA quarantine and is transported to Iowa
Japan reinstates a ban on the export of all Wagyu genetics. To this day, no further Full Blood Wagyu genetics would ever leave Japan
Over the next few years, thousands of embryos are produced at Iowa and Texas (USA) & Calgary (Canada) embryo production facilities and exported to Australia for embryo transfer at the Walker family farm.
The three sites produced tens of thousands of semen straws at the Hawkeye facility in Iowa”
“2001
The Full Blood Wagyu herd is split in two, with Walker’s taking direct ownership of 50% of the original Full Blood Wagyu herd and E.T. Japan taking direct ownership of the other 50%. Walker’s 42 Full Blood Wagyu cows remain in Iowa for a further two years”
“2003
The Walkers move their 42 Full Blood Wagyu cows to Calgary, Canada, for continued embryo collection.
The Walkers acquire E.T. Japan’s Wagyu herd (now in Texas). The Walkers now own 100% of the original Full Blood Wagyu herd that left Japan”
“2004
The Walker Family conduct its inaugural Full Blood Wagyu bull sale”
“2005
The Walker Family conduct the second Full Blood Wagyu bull sale selling 42 bulls and 19 females”
“2006
Properties remain with the Walker family. Seventeen original Japanese born and registered Full Blood Wagyu cows, 10 selected bulls and high-quality semen from 001, 002 and 003 remain at Colenso
The Walker family rebuilds its Full Blood Wagyu herd at Colenso under the AWA herd pre-fix CWW”
“2014
Colenso property and the CWW Full Blood Wagyu herd are purchased by Mathew Walker
Mathew Walker and James Robinson (at Cicero Advisory) conceive the concept for a large-scale Full Blood Wagyu business based in Western Australia; named Stone Axe Pastoral Company Pty Ltd.
Stone Axe Pastoral acquires Ginjo Full Blood Wagyu breeders
Stone Axe Pastoral appoints Don Nicol as its Wagyu geneticist and breeding expert
Stone Axe Pastoral enters into an embryo production agreement with Holbrook Vet Centre
Stone Axe Pastoral enters into a weaned calf production agreement with CalfCorp
Cheviot property granted a 634 megalitre ground water licence from Department of Water”
“2015
Stone Axe Pastoral acquires Moyhu Full Blood Wagyu heifers
Stone Axe Pastoral acquires Chokyori Full Blood Wagyu herd (rich in Tajiri genetics)
Stone Axe Pastoral’s Full Blood Wagyu embryo donor herd reaches 250 head
Holbrook Vet Centre performs its 800th Full Blood Wagyu embryo transfer for Stone Axe Pastoral
Stone Axe Pastoral secures the 3,200 hectare Cheviot property, Kojonup
Stone Axe Pastoral’s first embryo transferred Full Blood Wagyu calf is born at CalfCorp”
“2016
Stone Axe Pastoral acquires initial recipient herd in Western Australia
Stone Axe Pastoral’s 1,000th embryo transferred Full Blood Wagyu calf is born at CalfCorp”
“2017
Roc Partners makes equity investment into Stone Axe business
Stone Axe purchase Glen Alvie property located in Ebor, NSW
Scott Richardson joins Stone Axe as Managing Director
Stone Axe expands land holding in New England region by purchasing Alfreda
First Embryo transfer programs are completed at Cheviot Hills and Glen Alvie”
“2018
The first Full Blood Wagyu calves are born on Cheviot Hills and Glen Alvie
Stone Axe enters into lease with Rural Funds Management (RFM) on Dyamberin and Woodburn located in Wongwibinda, NSW
Stone Axe completes over 3,000 embryo transfers”
“2019
Stone Axe purchases Cobungra renown Full Blood Wagyu and commercial EU accredited herd and enters into lease with RFM on Cobungra Station located in Victoria
Stone Axe acquires Margaret River Premium Meat Exports Pty Ltd (MRPME), which consists of 18,000 head of Purebred Wagyu and Crossbred Wagyu”
“2020
Stone Axe Wagyu named Full Blood Wagyu Class Champion and Grand Champion at AWA Branded Beef Awards”
“2021
Stone Axe Wagyu named Full Blood Wagyu Class Champion and Grand Champion at AWA Branded Beef Awards for the second year in a row.
Stone Axe Wagyu is awarded two gold and one silver medal at the World Steak Challenge”
“2022
Stone Axe Wagyu and Cobungra Station Wagyu are awarded gold at the AWA Branded Beef Awards.
Stone Axe Wagyu is awarded three gold medals at the World Steak Challenge.”
“2023
Stone Axe Wagyu and Cobungra Station Wagyu are awarded gold at the AWA Branded Beef Awards.
Stone Axe Wagyu is awarded two gold medals and one silver at the World Steak Challenge.
Cobungra Station Wagyu is awarded three gold medals at the World Steak Challenge.”
“2024
Stone Axe Wagyu is awarded a gold medal at the AWA Branded Beef Awards in the Full Blood class and Margaret River Wagyu Beef is awarded a gold medal in the Crossbred Wagyu class and Crossbred Class Champion.
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