Our history

The Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute (WWAI) has a long and distinguished history in agricultural research.

  • Agricultural research commenced at Wagga Wagga in 1892 when the Department of Agriculture established an Experimental Farm on the site.
  • Farrer joined the Department in 1898, working mainly at Wagga Wagga but also at Cowra and other experiment farms. 1901 saw the release of his most famous wheat variety, Federation. Farrer’s early maturing wheats enabled a rapid expansion of wheat growing in Australia.
  • Nathan Cobb planted the first trial of more than 200 wheat varieties in 1893. Cobb, a plant pathologist at Wagga, worked with the wheat breeder William Farrer, who was located at ”Lambrigg”, near Queanbeyan. From 1896, the Wagga Wagga site was also educating farmers at the Experiment Farm School.

William FarrerThe seeds of a research institute

Farrer was followed by other cereal breeders, notably Pridham, working from Cowra and assisted at Wagga Wagga by Robert Hurst. The Second World War interrupted efforts to combine baking quality with disease resistance and high yield. When Eddie Graham was appointed Minister for Agriculture in 1944, he indicated that a Wheat Research Institute should be established in the wheat belt. He appointed a Wheat Research Institute Advisory Committee of farmers, millers, bakers, shippers, Dr S Macindoe from the Department and Professor Waterhouse from the University of Sydney. In 1945, a proposal was submitted by Dr Macindoe for the establishment of a Wheat Research Institute to address the breeding of rust resistant wheat varieties with superior baking quality.

Wheat Research Institute and Agricultural Research Institute a reality

In 1950 the Foundation Stone for the Wheat Research Institute was laid opposite the buildings for the Wagga Wagga Agricultural College, opened in 1949. The founding director, Dr Albert Pugsley, was appointed on 1 July 1953 and the first research staff in agronomy, plant breeding and plant pathology in August that year.

The official opening of the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) took place in October 1954 and by the end of 1955 the staff had grown to 17 including people in cereal chemistry, soil chemistry and general chemistry, a weeds agronomist, an assistant who later became the laboratory craftsman, one farm hand and office staff. Two of the first group of appointees were Ron Martin, long time wheat breeder, and Dr Fred Mengersen, oat breeder, both located at Temora. These breeders were already employees of the Department of Agriculture prior to 1953. Temora Experiment Station has continued to be a part of the Institute since that time.

The ARI was run as an autonomous institute under Dr Pugsley, with the College responsible for farm management and assisting with staff matters. The ARI’s role continued to expand and collaboration with CSIRO led to some of their staff in pasture research being located at the Institute. The library wing (B Block) was built in 1965. Les Bird, cereal chemist, and following him, Dr Allan Smith, soils chemist, took on the role of deputy/associate director. The early 1970s saw research broadened into crops such as barley, canola and pulses. The first manager was appointed in 1973. Dr Pugsley retired in 1975 and was succeeded by Dr Smith. In 1976, the Agricultural College became part of Riverina College of Advanced Education, the forerunner to Charles Sturt University. The farm was split and separate administrative arrangements made. The Conference Room wing (D Block) was opened in 1979.

Shift to a research focus

In 1981, the Department was decentralised into regions, and in 1992 it restructured again and became program-based. Research expanded into new areas, such as ruminant nutrition; the animal house opened in 1985. The National Wine and Grape Industry Centre was formed by Charles Sturt University, NSW Wine Industry Association and NSW Agriculture in 1997. When the local advisory and regulatory staff moved to the site in 1998, the Institute was renamed Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, a Centre of Excellence for Southern Farming Systems and Viticulture. In 2004, NSW Agriculture has become part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Institute and Charles Sturt University formed an alliance called the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Innovation Park.

Wagga Wagga became the Centre of Excellence for Southern Farming Systems and Viticulture in 1998.

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