A First Generation Farming Family

Premaydena Hill is not your typical family farm. Unlike many other Australian farmers, the Kelleher family were not born into this way of life.

In 2013, after 15 years working in management roles around Australia and overseas, Daniel had an ambitious dream to start a new life and career as a farmer. After searching for almost two years across some of the best farmland in Southern Australia, he came to understand that not all farms are created equal. Eventually, a property on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania caught his eye. It stood out from all the others due to its impressive carrying capacity  (i.e. how much livestock per hectare it can hold), the consistent historic rainfall records of the area, the excellent fertiliser history/management of the property and the loamy soil type which is ideal for pasture growth. But just as important for Daniel was considering what lifestyle options the area offered.  He knew from previous visits to the Tasman Peninsula that it was home to world class game fishing and surfing, spectacular scenery, a temperate climate and close proximity to a capital city. So with every box on the list ticked, Daniel took the leap and left his corporate career behind for a new life at Premaydena Hill.

The transition to into farm life has not been without its challenges. With so much to learn about machinery, pasture management, fencing, animal husbandry, maintenance and every other aspect of running a farm, Daniel’s learning curve was a steep one. When he and Ella met six months into his farming venture, she was equal parts shocked and impressed with the challenge he had taken on. But she too fell in love with the place, and one year later later they eloped on the farm. Ella had been working in Hobart as a medical research scientist, but she swapped her lab coat for a drizabone and joined Daniel in working towards his vision for Premaydena Hill.

Since this whirlwind beginning, Daniel and Ella have built a herd of 100 Black Angus breeding cows, established a three-hectare vineyard, and invested time and resources into planting native vegetation and increasing the water storage capability of the property. In 2019 they made the transition into direct-to-consumer beef sales; delivering professionally butchered sides of Premaydena Hill beef directly to Tasmanian homes and businesses.

Daniel and Ella may have become farmers in a slightly unconventional way, but for this newly established family farm, the story is far from over. With the vineyard producing its first vintage in 2021, on-site winery completed in 2022 and cellar door opening in 2023, the best is yet to come. Watch this space!