I've known Chris Morrow for a few years now. The former Kimberley station manager has spent much of his career working cattle across northern Australia and, like many station managers, he's turned his hand to just about everything along the way, from flying helicopters and driving road trains to riding horses and, most importantly, being a husband and dad.
Chris driving a road train in 2023.
Today, Chris is based in Broome with his wife Bec and young daughter Georgina. Alongside serving as a Director of the Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association (KPCA), he runs Data Drover, a business helping northern producers improve productivity through practical, data-driven solutions tailored to their operation. Bec is a registered nurse who has spent much of her career supporting remote Kimberley communities, making them a pretty handy family to have around northern Australia (see her blog and podcast interview).
Chris with Bec and Georgina in Broome, August 2023.
But Chris hasn't left the mustering behind.
Alongside the consulting side of the business, Data Drover also operates a small mustering team currently working across the Pilbara. Seven of their planned sixteen musters have now been completed, with the hardworking crew gathering cattle across De Grey, Mallina, Sherlock and Croydon stations. Despite some late-season rain creating challenges in parts of the region, they've continued making solid progress.
One of the more traditional techniques being used this season is coacher mustering, where a small mob of quiet cattle, known as the "coachers", is gradually built throughout the day as cattle are gathered by helicopter, horseback, motorbike and bull catcher. The incoming cattle naturally settle and follow the coachers, helping reduce stress, keep calves mothered-up and make the muster flow more smoothly.
The Data Drover Mustering Team | Pilbara 2026
While coacher mustering relies on skills passed down through generations, today's producers can also use the information gathered in the yards to better understand herd performance. Alongside drafting, pregnancy testing and animal health work, Data Drover uses reproductive scanning and data analysis to help producers make more informed decisions across their business.
I reckon it's a good reminder that while the cattle industry continues to evolve, the fundamentals remain the same. Good stockmanship, hard work and understanding your cattle will always come first. These days, producers simply have better information to back up the decisions they make.
Contact Chris Morrow via Facebook: Data Drover
Or check the CJ & RL Livestock page for jobs with Chris.
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