They were thrilled to now not only own two dairy farms but to also be honoured as award winning dairy farmers.

The 2016 Sungold Field Days on Wednesday awarded the couple its Rural Achiever of the Year award.

Mr Murfett said he and his wife only regarded themselves as a couple who were lucky enough to have their dream of farm ownership come true.

“We never came from a dairy background. We had a go. We never dreamt of owning two farms but we saw an opportunity and took it.

“It is amazing to be award-winning dairy farmers.

“Maybe it will be a push off to do a few more things,” Mr Murfett said.

Sungold Field Days chairman Tony Rea said Alister, 40, and Renee, 35, were young people who had come to the south-west from Tasmania to take up the challenge of dairying.

‘They had no family here but made a wonderful success of dairying,” Mr Rea said.

He said couples such as the Murfetts helped to belie the perception that there were few young people in dairy farming.

Mr Rea said he had been told the average age of dairy managers in 10 years time would be 35 years old.

Dairying had wonderful future and those involve should not “give up,” he said.

Mr Murfett worked in the sheep, cattle and forestry industries in Tasmania before deciding his future was in dairying.

Mrs Murfett worked in veterinary nursing before the couple moved to the south-west in the early 2000s.

Both worked on dairy farms in the Nullawarre area before they took up two stints as sharefarmers, each of three years,

The roles gave them the experience and enough equity to get finance in 2008 to buy a 145-hectare farm at Framlingham on which they milk 230 cows.

Despite dairying going through a difficult time 18 months ago, the couple bought another farm at Framlingham that had lots of development potential. The couple ran both farms with only one worker for 12 months before hiring a second employee.

The Tindall family of Muntham near Casterton were runners-up for the award.