Our history

In the early 1960’s crown land was reserved in Orange for agricultural research.  From the beginnings of a potato research station and the first permanent plants of apples and cherries, heralded a change to permanent horticulture. Research quickly broadened to include weeds and pasture research to improve the profitability and sustainability of livestock production.

The next significant development was the construction of the main office / laboratory building in 1980 when the Orange Research Station became a regional centre.  Research activity expanded to include entomology, sheep and plant pathology. The new building included Regional Veterinary Laboratory and a brucellosis eradication team, necessitating a name change to Orange Agricultural Research and Veterinary Centre.

In 1997, a new building for the Scientific Collections Unit was  built with specialised controlled environment facilities to preserve the insect and mite collection, as well as the herbarium.  This building was later extended to include the Wool and Sheep Meat Building.  As the research station saw a major increase in building activity and staff, there was another name change to Orange Agricultural Institute.

In 2016, refurbishment of old laboratories saw the commissioning and certification of the first weed biocontrol quarantine facility (Biosecurity Insectary Containment) for NSW. This laboratory currently undergoing expansion has attracted significant federal funding for rebuilding state and national capacity to effectively manage the risks posed by weeds.

Today Orange Agricultural Institute is home to a number of co located entities, including the Central Tablelands Local Land Services & Soil Conservation Services, Lands and Water, and Water NSW. Recent refurbishment of veterinary laboratories saw the development and opening of Global Ag-Tech Ecosystem (GATE) in April 2018. The GATE is an initiative of the NSW Government for increasing connections between public research and private sector innovation to create new products and services.

Recent investment into infrastructure will see the construction of a State Control Centre  for improved response capability and centralised command for statewide emergency events such as the large scale management of biosecurity risks and natural disasters that impact primary production.

A look at the DPI GATE facility

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