Team Toomby are passionate about helping put the heart back into Rural Australia and believe this can be achieved through skills development and industry-based training programs.
- Vision -
To make vital and ongoing contributions to the Local Community and the Rural Industry, by providing opportunities for people to access safe, quality and current skills development and industry-based training programs.
- Mission -
To provide safe, quality and current skills development and industry-based training programs to people seeking opportunity to upskill or learn new skills for their personal and professional pathways.
- Values -
Respect ǀ Integrity ǀ Honesty ǀ Equality ǀ Pride
Be Passionate - Never Give Up - Make it Fun!
We acknowledge our nation's First People and the Traditional Land Owners of the area where Wonderland Station is located,
the Wulgurukaba and Bindal People, and pay respect to their cultures, their ancestors and to the Elders past, present and future generations.
Geoff and Vicki Toomby run a small herd of commercial cattle at Wonderland Station, located about 32kms north-west of Townsville City, North Queensland, and deliver skills development and industry-based training programs on-site at Toomby Horsemanship and the Toomby Horsemanship Ultimate Rural Training Centre.
Familiar
faces throughout North Queensland and the Northern Territory, Geoff
and Vicki have been opening their gates and travelling across
the top end delivering training programs and clinics in
Horsemanship, Working Dogs and Horses, Stock Handling and
Mustering, as well as guiding individuals seeking career pathways
in the Rural Industry. Geoff's extensive experience working
with horses and livestock in the bush and Vicki's deep
knowledge of handling horses and working experience hauling
livestock, has enabled them to develop their unique techniques.
Whilst Geoff and Vicki remain the heart and soul of Toomby Horsemanship, they have a team of people working alongside them, helping with the day-to-day running and delivery of programs. Together they are known as 'Team Toomby', dedicated to imparting their combined skills, knowledge and experience to others.
In 2014 the Toomby Horsemanship Ultimate Rural Training Centre was formed to deliver training programs, using current industry practices and a thing or two they have picked up along the way from the Ringers and Stockmen of yesteryear.
Past, present and future students are all an extension of the Team Toomby Family, with a genuine interest in each student’s progress throughout their career and across their personal lives. This is the passion that drives Team Toomby, providing programs that encourage, support and develop young people and putting heart back into the Rural Industry.
Geoff started as a carpenter before settling into the life of a Ringer working across properties in North Queensland. After a while, Geoff had gained himself a bit of a reputation for his horsemanship and people training skills. Properties started requesting him to visit to train both their horses and workers.
Born and bred in the bush, Geoff joined the Rodeo Circuit of the North, performing as both a Rider and Judge. Due to the type of work he had been doing, Geoff had found himself with a chronic back problems, this took a serious turn the day a horse came over backwards on top of him.
Geoff spent two years convalescing, had two stainless steel plates surgically implanted in his back and a peice of bone relocated from hip to spine. Fortunately his surgery was a success, which he attributes to the skills and professional abilities of Dr Bruce Low - 'a brilliant Orthopaedic Surgeon!'. Adding to his recovery and abilty to return horses was the introduction to Ross Emmett and his Emmett Therapy.
Training Stockman became a huge part of Geoff's life, with his true passion evolving back around 2001, the day a man named Brett Kraftt saw a demonstration delivered by Geoff and Vicki at Tennant Creek, NT. An invitation was extended to do a demonstration at Newcastle Waters to show the CEO of Consolidated Pastoral Companies, Ken Warriner, and all the staff, their horsemanship and stock handling training skills. From this, an offer was made for Geoff and Vicki to start formal training of all their staff, which continued for around 12 years until CPC was sold. Both Geoff and Vicki identify this opportunity as their starting point in delivering nationally accredited training programs, it was through this opportunity that they have been able to continue on and delivery their unique horsemanship, stock handling and rural training programs.
Geoff's list of qualifications include:
Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment - TAE40110
Diploma of Agriculture - RTE50103
Diploma of Rural Business Management - RTE50403
EMMTECH Tutor
EMMETT Practicioner
Bowen Therapist Accredited Member of the Bowen Therapy Acadamy of Australia - Registration No. 7613
Vicki comes from a well-known family, pioneers of the local area. On her Mothers side, Townsville-based dairy farmers, while her Father's family operated bullock teams in and around Kempsey, Central NSW.
Both Vicki's parents are tributed in the Rodeo Hall of Fame, Norah Holden was an Australian Bronc Riding Champion, Dally Holden an Australian Champion in many rodeo events. Dally and Norah ran the very successful, H5U Rodeo from 1951 - 1971, at their property in Townsville.
Dally Holden was a legend in his own right, with RM Williams designing a pair of jeans known as the 'Dally Holden Jeans' in tribute to him.
Being raised around the Rodeo scene, it's no surprise that Vicki and her 3 Sisters went on to have their own successful rodeo careers and their family name is regarded as 'Australian Rodeo Royalty'.
Dally and Norah had the first livetock
transport business in North Queensland, with
Vicki driving, hauling cattle and other goods for around
16 years.
Whilst Vicki comes from successful stock, in her own right she is well-known for her horsemanship skills, with her talents second to none. Vicki often shows this through the many manouvres she performs - a side-pass, backing, riding without bridle, just to name a few - whether she is barrel riding or fixing fences, its all done with the same drive, determination and passion.
Vicki is experiened in training alongside Geoff, focusing on the skills development components within our nationally accredited training programs and skills development clinics, as well as one-on-one riding lessons. Vicki holds the following qualifications:
Diploma of Agriculture - RTE50103
Diploma of Rural Business Management - RTE50404
Bas works alongside Geoff and Vicki, helping in all areas of the daily runnings at Wonderland Station, as well as assisting with training delivery for the Ultimate Rural Training Centres and Horsemanship Clinics.
Bas was introduced to Team Toomby through the Rural Operations Training at our Ultimate Rural Training Centre, where he formed the interest pursuing his career in this industry and spends most of his days continuing to learn and develop new skills, as well as teaching both Geoff and Vicki a thing or two.
Bas's qualifications include:
Certificate III in Rural Operations - AHC32816
Juliane is a Tutor with Team Toomby, and applies her own personal blend of skills, knowledge and experience, along with a thing-or-two she picked up from the Toombys.
Juliane is also available to treat horses with the Toomby Equine Muscular Therapy (TEMT), and people with the EMMETT Therapy.
Juliane's list of qualifications include:
Diploma of Agriculture - RTE50103
Diploma of Rural Business Management - RTE50403
Assosciate Diploma for Applied Science & Tropical Animal Production
Ella is a familiar face at Wonderland Station, working around the property almost every day after school and from sun-up to sun-down over the weekends, she truly enjoys the life.
Ella can always be found helping Vicki, riding, caring for and feeding the horses, mustering, branding a cow or two, and just doing whatever needs to be done, because that's how she is.
Ella has a couple of years of school to
go, yet her commitment, dedication and love of being around
Wonderland and the horses, in-fact all the animals - she
never misses patting the cat as she walks past - look set
to see her acheive a successful career in animal
care.
B-J is a long-term member of Team Toomby, when her love for horses began, so did her riding lessons and guidance from Vicki.
B-J and Brendan have volunteered a lot of their personal time to help with clinics and other events, being available set-up and prepare for the day ahead.
B-J and Brendan also help by supporting
others through the learning process of building better
horsemanship and teamwork skills.
Along with the wonderful support provided by Juliane as Tutor for Team Toomby, her partner Sam and their two girls, Zoe and Hanna, are always around helping anyway they can.
Having been raised around Toomby Horsemanship, both girls have grown up with a love for horses and all animals. Zoe's love for animals and being around Toomby Horsemanship has been projected through photography, she is the one behind the camera at many Team Toomby's events, a keen eye that captures some truly beautiful images.
Toomby Horsemanship
Wonderland Station
1486 Hervey Range Road, Alice River
07 4788 8222
gandvtoomby@bigpond.com
