I’ll always be a bush kid with Nick Turnbull

Normally we don't start a story with the ending, however, I just needed to jump in and acknowledge that as Nick and I were saying our goodbye's he said, "It's actually been bloody good to tell my story"... It's little moments like this that make it so worth it, and we feel so lucky to be able to bring people like Nick to the front through HOA... So let's get into it.

Raising four boys in Western Queensland is no mean feat, for Nick Turnbull and his brothers he says that, “Mum’s definitely the boss of the house.”

His parents are long-term managers and shareholders of the sheep and cattle property in Tambo, Queensland.

With four boys there was always bound to be one a little different…

“My brothers are pretty reserved, they keep to themselves. Anyone who knows us would know that I am definitely the different brother, a bit more out there.”

“I look like my Mum, I have the same attitude as my Mum, so I think I was supposed to be the daughter.” Nick laughs.

“Mum keeps us all in line and sorts us out. But when we used to get home from school we didn’t want to hang around the house, we were out in the paddocks and riding motorbikes.”

Images supplied by Nick Turnbull.

“We had a lot of injuries she had to sort out as well. One day we were in the cattle yards and I had a bit of an argument with my younger brother, as good brothers do. I got told to head home and so off I went. Half way home I had to climb a barb wired fence and I slipped on it and cut my calf open. I ended up needing 14 stitches.”

There was one day in junior school that would ultimately shape Nick and his future career more than any other. 

“When I was in Junior school, we got a property valuation. Dad asked if I would be interested in this type of thing and so I spent two days in the car with them.”

Straight after school he would commence studying Property Economics. It was what had interested him since an early age, however, it also meant that he felt like he was missing something later on… The opportunity to be a ‘ringer in the top end’.

So after a few years in the professional world, it was time for a gap year that would see Nick take off to Western Australia, to work for a stock contractor who was also his cousin out of Derby, way up in the Kimberley Region of WA. 

“I really regret not having a gap year after school. Mum reckons I’d still be up North if I had a gap year straight away.” 

“I feel like I’m a bit of a tough bugger having grown up in Tambo, but then being at boarding school from grade six all the way through to year 12 and then straight into University in Brisbane, then starting work in the big smoke, I started to go a bit soft. So I loved it, it was great to get back to the bush.”

“I’ll always be a bush kid. That’s who I am.”

“We were sleeping in swags every night and cooking on an open barbecue, up before 5am in the morning, having showers in the open and then getting to Broome for a cocktail and a relax every now and then.”

“Now I would love to be able to drop my phone and get away from my laptop. While I was up there, you hardly had any reception, but every few days I’d go into the station to call my girlfriend and family.”

Image supplied by Nick Turnbull.

That ‘gap year’ also helped solidify the path for Nick today, and although he had found his ‘toughness’ again, he found himself missing the action that was the Rural Real Estate arena.

“While I was up North I still knew I wanted to come back and do valuations.”

“Even while I was working up there with hardly any service, I’d still find a way to get onto Queensland Country Life Property and see what properties were transacting, just to try and keep in the loop of what’s going on.”

After starting in the Brisbane office, it was a career opportunity for Nick’s girlfriend that would see him relocate to Sydney.

“I stand out a bit in Sydney. And I am the type of person who always says g’day to the person next to me in the elevator.”

Now Nick’s career, although not entirely unique, has given him perspective and we couldn’t finish off with reflecting on some of the learnings he’s had about those important years after high school and into your early career.

“I would suggest to anyone straight out of school to do a gap year, no matter what it is.”

“The ag industry is so broad. There’s so many different avenues you can go down.”

“Be true to yourself and speak to anyone you can in the industry, just get involved.”

“I live and breathe ag. I love it. And my kids will too.”

Images supplied by Nick Turnbull.