PERTHSHIRE'S William McLaren has been given the honour of judging the Angus classes at the forthcoming Sydney Royal Easter Show.

William, of the famous Netherton Aberdeen-Angus, herd flies out with wife Karen on April 9, ahead of his judging appointment.

With Angus Australia celebrating its centenary year, the 2019 Angus Feature Show will form an important part of Sydney Royal and no fewer than 350 head of the breed expected at the event – a number which could indeed have been higher had it not been for the terrible drought the country has recently experienced.

"To be invited to judge the black Angus classes is a great honour for myself and my family," said William. "I have been told that this will be the first year ever in history that Angus cattle from every state in Australia will be represented in one show, and it will indeed be the biggest show of Angus ever held in the country. We are really looking forward to the show and to touring some of the herds and catching up with friends in the days after."

Run by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales, the event runs from April 12-23 and expects some 850,000 attendees with almost $7million being invested each year back into agriculture in NSW via youth education, rural programs and competitions.