The eight-year-old Hereford Jersey cross bullock 'Big Ben' weighed in at a whopping 816 kilograms back in 1956, when it was processed at a Tamworth abattoir.

He was aptly dubbed the 'Walcha Whopper', paying homage to both his enormous size and his place of birth.

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Established in 1885 and believed to be Tamworth's oldest business, stock and station agent Garvin and Cousens hit Facebook in a big way with their regular feature of photographs from years gone by.

This week the photo was of Big Ben, who was a milking cow's calf bred by the Waugh family at Bergen-Op-Zoom in Walcha.

He was sold in August 1956 for $162.10 (81 pounds and one shilling) to the New England Meat Company.

The bullock's carcase weight was 816 kilograms (1795 pounds) and its length was 3.28 metres (10 feet, nine inches) and a girth of 2.12 metres.

Eldest of Edde and Ruth Waugh's five children, Meg Ducker, Woodbridge, Tasmania, said she was close to 15 years old at the time.

She said her and her siblings were "cross" with their father for selling their pet.

A brother of Big Ben was sold at four years old, weighing 567 kilograms (1250lbs).

Mrs Ducker said the milking cow was a Jersey Milking Shorthorn cross while Big Ben was sired by a stud Hereford bull from the Bergen-Op-Zoom stud.

The property is now being run by Meg's nephew, Oscar.

Garvin and Cousens partner Phillip Hetherington said the weights were enormous compared to the times when bullocks were usually weighing in at 550 kilograms, plus.

In early 1900s the company ran weekly horse sales, as Mr Hetherington explained, horses were the transport mode then.

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