A bushfire swept through their property and that of a neighbour as well as timbered country around Lumley Road, burning more than 237ha of prime pasture land on January 11.

The fire is believed to have started from a tractor moving hay bales on a property nearby.

Since the fire Ms Herringe has been trying to secure new land for her pastoral business and surprised by the generosity of Tarago’s community, which has sourced hay from a number of local rural suppliers around the Southern Tablelands to help out the family.

“Wondering if anyone in the Lumley Road or Lake Bathurst area may have some country they would like to lease out for grazing,” Ms Herringe posted on the Windellama Community Facebook page on January 12. 

“Looking for about 200 acres or so for a short-term lease. Would require cattle yards and stock-proof fences.”

Ms Herringe and her neighbour lost up to 95 per cent of their pasture land. 

“We own approximately 121ha, of which about 101ha was burnt,” Ms Herringe said.

“Our neighbour Bruce owns approximately 364ha, of which about 283ha burned.”

The Herringes mainly run cattle and pasture land on their property.

“What we’ve decided to do is plant the land back to oats and then re-sow it to pasture, which will take a year or two to get back to what it was,” Ms Herringe said. 

She has appreciated the assistance of NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighter Daniel McGaw.

Mr McGaw has set up a ‘fodder drive’, approaching local stockfeed businesses and truck drivers to help.

So far he has secured help from Marulan Rural Supplies and John Fife, from Goulburn stockfeed business Fife’s Stockfeeds, who donated 20 round bales.

Local petroleum supplier Hill and Co also came to the party, providing two 200L drums of diesel to help Ms Herringe and other local farmers to power their tractors for the feeding of hay and the clean-up operation after the fire.

“I especially want to thank Tom Keatley, who donated another 20 or so hay bales, and Brett Roberts, who used his truck to pick up various other supplies,” Ms Herringe said.

“I also want to thank a gentleman called Norm and another bloke called Terry, who helped to move our cattle out of the road of the fire and down into our front paddock.”

Now the Herringes have a fair bit of work to do, repairing and replacing fences around their property, and Ms Herringe has a message of warning to other landowners.

“I urge people not to use farming machinery or things such as lawn mowers, slashers or even to ride their motorbikes in hot, windy weather, because all it takes is a couple of sparks from a hot exhaust or a slasher blade to start a fire,” she said.

“Surely you can stay inside and catch up on paperwork or another project on these sort of days.”