Sally moved to Charters Towers with her family in January 2003 having lived in Mt Surprise and Einasleigh. Her husband had gained a transfer with QR and it was a good opportunity for the kids to go to school in the town.
Sally faced some personal issues and had reached a point in her life where she needed a change. She was interested in chickens and thought people would appreciate being able to choose a local supplier of farm fresh eggs. So in July 2019, she started Royston Park Pasture Raised Eggs.
Sally says, “I love being with the animals - whether it’s being with the chooks and collecting the eggs, or being with our small stud Brahman cows, the three horses, two cats or two dogs. Every animal is compatible.”
Offering farm fresh eggs to the public wasn’t a simple journey - there is a huge amount of paperwork and regulations associated with the business that Sally has to continually navigate.
She says, “I really enjoy working for myself but sometimes it can get scary or daunting should you make a wrong decision. It’s all about being accountable for a product but being successful at the same time. What keeps me going is my goal of keeping all my customers happy with a consistently good, fresh product.”
Knowing what it takes to work for herself, Sally also ensures she supports other local businesses - she gets her feed from a local stock feed producer and uses a local trucking company to transport the egg cartons here from Brisbane.
The eggs need to be collected twice a day and there are strict requirements around storage, so being away from the farm is a rare treat. When she does get spare time, Sally enjoys taking her daughter to her barrel racing competitions or spending a day in Townsville.
