Dave Corcoran in the saleyards where his passion for livestock, his clients and his craft never wavered. Photo: Delta Agribusiness.
Few people leave a mark on a community the way David Anthony Corcoran did – a farmer, stock and station agent, rugby man, mentor and devoted family man who gave generously of himself to the people and places he loved.
He passed away on 23 March after a sudden illness. He was, by any measure, one of Boorowa’s finest sons, his loss deeply felt across Boorowa, the South West Slopes and beyond.
Born in Boorowa on 21 August 1955, Dave was the son of Jim and Thora Corcoran and one of five brothers alongside James, Christopher, Mark and Robert who grew up on the historic family property ‘Ballyryan’, just four kilometres from town.
The Corcorans were Boorowa’s first family in every sense of the term, being the first family to settle the area, Irishmen far from home blazing a trail west with courage, conviction and a tenacity that would forge an enduring connection to the land.
That’s thanks to their ancestor, Roger Corcoran, a farm labourer from County Tipperary, who’d been transported to NSW in 1816 after his death sentence for involvement in an anti-British uprising was commuted to 14 years in the colony.
Alongside his cousin Ned Ryan – also a political prisoner – and after receiving his ticket of leave in 1823, Roger claimed land at Burrowa (now Boorowa) establishing Corcoran’s Plains – a pastoral run that would grow to 31,000 acres.
The two cousins would encourage further Irish migration to the district, their influence so profound it was often referred to as Corcoran County – a character that endures to this day in the Irish names in the town cemetery, the stained-glass window dedicated to Daniel O’Connell, Liberator of Ireland, in St Patrick’s Church and in the town’s popular annual Irish Woolfest.
It is a remarkable lineage – from convicted Irish rebel to pillar of the community – and one whose spirit David Corcoran carried proudly into his own life and work.
After attending St Joseph’s Primary, Dave went on to board at the prestigious St Ignatius College Riverview – where he excelled in sport – graduating in 1973 before returning home to work the land.
After making a considerable contribution to the family farming enterprise, his career took a turn in 1992 when he joined Elders as a wool representative in the Boorowa and Young region, going on to work across a wide range of marketing and management roles covering wool, real estate and livestock.
It was his passion for livestock sales that drove his career forward, taking him to the Elders Goulburn branch under Steve Ridley.
His acumen in livestock marketing and his absolute dedication to doing right by the people who trusted him underpinned his appointment as Elders’ branch manager in Young.
In 2006, Dave joined Delta Agribusiness with a brief to build a livestock and property business within the company.
He would later become a director, shareholder and general manager of Livestock Marketing across Delta’s broad network of agencies – a senior position he served with distinction to the very end.
The ultimate team player, he was, in the words of Delta Agribusiness managing director Gerard Hines and executive director Chris Duff, “a cornerstone of the business and the team we built together”.
“When we first knocked on his door, Dave believed in what this business could become, and he dedicated nearly two decades to making that vision a reality,” they said.
“The strength of our livestock business today is a testament to his leadership, his passion, and his unwavering commitment to doing things the right way,” said Gerard and Chris. “He had a rare gift for building genuine relationships across the supply chain, with clients, colleagues and industry peers alike. Those who knew him will carry those friendships long after his passing.”
Gerard and Chris also remembered Dave as a tremendous mentor who, “believed deeply in the future of agriculture and in the people who drive it forward. He was deeply passionate, led by example, and always made time for the people around him.”
The Australian Livestock & Property Agents Association (ALPA), of which Dave was a past president and life member, described him simply as, “a wonderful human being in every respect” – a gentleman who, in their words, few in the industry’s history could better personify.
After joining ALPA’s NSW State Management Committee in 2008, Dave was elected to the national board in 2010 and served as president from 2013 to 2017.
Even after stepping down, he continued on the Eastern Regional Advisory Committee until 2020, at which point he insisted it was time to hand his seat to someone “up and coming” – thus ensuring strong succession within ALPA.
Highly respected stock and station agent, Bill Frew, a friend of Dave’s for more than 55 years, remembered him warmly: “David was a dear friend – we played rugby together, we worked closely together. He was meticulous, forthright, the eternal perfectionist who dotted every I and crossed every T. He earned an incredibly loyal following because he truly understood the principles of loyalty, and he had an amazing connection with all parts of the rural community.”
But if Dave’s professional life was impressive, his life at the Boorowa Rugby Club – the “Goldies” – was where his legend was built.
Known to all as “Croc”, Dave was a fixture in the Goldies back line throughout the 1970s and 80s, good enough to earn representative honours with the south-west team.
As those who played against him well remember, if “Croc” tackled you, there was no doubt you stayed tackled.
His commitment ran so deep that in 1979 he played both codes – pulling on the Goldies jersey on Saturday and backing up for the Boorowa “Rovers” Rugby League team on Sunday, with many a fond memory of playing alongside Pat Carmody in the centres for both.
Last weekend, the Rovers observed a minute’s silence before their game in his honour.
But it was with the Goldies that Dave’s heart truly lay, and his contribution to the club was something altogether unmatched.
He served as club secretary, club president (1979–1980), and captain/coach from 1980 and was vice-captain of the famous 1985 First XV premiership-winning side.
That 1985 grand final tells you everything about Dave Corcoran.
With wife Anne heavily pregnant, he played and won the game on Saturday, participated wholeheartedly in the silly Sunday celebrations, and had Anne at the hospital on Monday in time for the arrival of their son Tim. Anne has apparently since reflected, with characteristic good humour, that she probably could have driven herself.
In the late 1980s, the Goldies honoured Dave with life membership – but he never stopped showing up.
Recognised as Club Person of the Year in 2020, he had long since become a father figure to the whole team, and in many ways he literally was.
When his son Andrew, known to all as Cheese, was their coach, Dave would linger at the edge of the Thursday training huddle until one of the boys called out, “Get in here, Croc” – and he would step into the circle with a grin.
The first to fire up the barbecue after Tuesday training, he was a tireless sponsor and volunteer, and always the club’s most devoted believer.
Off the field, Dave was also known to wield a pen – writing for the Boorowa News under the nom de plume “The Black Dot” during his club secretary years, a detail that speaks to a man who quietly did far more than anyone ever asked of him.
Above all else, Dave Corcoran was a family man.
He adored his wife Anne and was immeasurably proud of his three children – Andrew, Tim and Lou – and his 13 grandchildren, balancing a life of extraordinary community contribution with the love and presence of a devoted husband and father.
The tributes have been as wide-ranging as the life he lived – from the rugby club to the saleyards, from the boardroom to the barbecue. But they keep returning to the same things: that Dave Corcoran was a gentleman, a King of the Goodies, and ‘a very successful man in every aspect of his life’. It is hard to imagine a finer epitaph.
It is a sentiment that rings true to all who knew him, in communities far and wide that will feel his absence for a very long time.
Certainly, Boorowa is a lesser place without him.
The funeral to celebrate the life of Dave Corcoran will be held at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 69 Queen Street, Boorowa on Wednesday 8 April at 1 pm.
Prepared with thanks to Australian Livestock & Property Agents Association (ALPA), Delta Agribusiness and Boorowa Rugby Club.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
