13/10/2026
Great post by the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association honouring the Lovicks, Stoneys, and McCormacks, the families who carved our alpine heritage into the landscape.
Wishing everyone heading along to the MCA get-together this weekend a fantastic run and plenty of good yarns around the campfire.
🐎 MONDAY MEMORIES - MERRIJIG – HOME OF THE HIGH COUNTRY CATTLEMEN
When people think of Victoria's legendary Mountain Cattlemen, there's a good chance they think of Merrijig, nestled at the foot of the mountains just outside Mansfield.
For many, that connection comes from the iconic Australian film The Man from Snowy River, which brought the spectacular landscapes, horsemanship and characters of our High Country to audiences around the world.
But Merrijig's reputation as the home of the Mountain Cattlemen goes back much further than the movies.
For generations, three prominent grazing families in particular – the Stoney's, McCormack's and Lovick's – have helped shape the history, traditions and identity of this small community.
🐎 THE LOVICK FAMILY
The Lovicks' connection to Merrijig dates back to 1860, when William Lovick settled on the Delatite River. In 1873, he built the Merrijig Hotel, becoming part of the foundations of the growing community.
For generations, the Lovicks drove their cattle into the mountains each summer, developing an extensive knowledge of the country - they also famously pioneered High Country horseback tourism, beginning guided rides in 1967 and introducing generations of visitors to the mountains.
Later still, the family would become synonymous with the Man From Snowy River movie.
Today, this long and varied history has seen the family working towards establishing a museum in Merrijig to preserve and share the district's cattlemen heritage.
🐎 THE McCORMACK FAMILY
The McCormack story began in Ireland, when John McCormack left County Tipperary and arrived in Victoria in 1841.
In 1866, John, his wife Frances and their children made the journey to Merrijig by bullock wagon, bringing cattle and horses with them. The journey from Woodstock, via Benalla, took 14 days.
John selected 640 acres at Merrijig, where the family established their farming and grazing interests.
More than 150 years later, the McCormack's continue the family tradition of summer grazing, moving their Angus cattle from their Merrijig property, Leonora, into the mountains around the King Valley.
Bruce McCormack, a fifth-generation Mountain Cattleman, has spent much of his life working in the mountains.
Like many cattlemen families, they also turned their hand to tourism and are one of the few who still run trail rides into the High Country today.
🐎 THE STONEY FAMILY
The Stoney family is another name deeply woven into the history of Merrijig and the surrounding mountains.
Generations of Stoneys have worked cattle in the High Country, developing a strong connection to the Howqua district and the traditional summer grazing runs.
Graeme Stoney, a former MCAV President and Victorian Member of Parliament, played a significant role in the Association's fight to retain High Country grazing throughout the 1980s, including the negotiations surrounding the establishment of the Alpine National Park in 1989. He continued advocating for the Mountain Cattlemen during his 14 years in State Parliament (1992–2006), including strongly opposing the removal of cattle grazing from the Alpine National Park in 2005.
A passionate historian and author of local books, Graeme has been instrumental in developing the new Mansfield Heritage Museum, which will preserve and showcase the wider district's history, including its High Country grazing heritage.
THREE FAMILIES. GENERATIONS OF HISTORY. ONE SHARED HERITAGE.
Of course, the Stoney's, McCormack's and Lovick's are far from the only families who helped build Merrijig's cattlemen heritage. Families such as the Purcell's, Weston's, Rosses and many others have their own important place in the story.
Most have moved away from grazing over the years, but their contribution to the industry, the district and the traditions of the Mountain Cattlemen are no less important.
This weekend, as we celebrate 50 years of the MCAV Get Together right here in Merrijig, it's a fitting opportunity to recognise the families who have been part of this history, both past and present.
And while Hollywood helped put Merrijig on the map, the real history of the Mountain Cattlemen was being written in these mountains long before the cameras arrived.
📷High Country History Hub - Charlie Lovick, Bruce McCormack and Graeme Stoney
