Our history

GM McKeown and family standing on the verandah of the Manager's Cottage of Wollongbar Experimental Farm c 1896In the 1880s the local Member of Parliament, Mr Thomas Ewing, made an appeal to the Minister of Mines, Mr James Fletcher, to select a site for an experimental farm in the Richmond and Tweed Rivers area. Land was selected at Marom Creek in 1886 and in 1894, Wollongbar became the second Government Agricultural College and Experimental Farm to be founded in New South Wales. The original selection of 106.5ha was covered by dense rainforest vegetation referred to as the "Big Scrub". Experimental work in the first few years of the farm's existence dealt almost wholly with testing cereal crops, oil and fibre crops, sugarcane, pulses, fruit and vegetables, and pasture grasses and legumes.

Livestock was first mentioned in 1898, when an Ayrshire bull, imported from New Zealand arrived on the farm. The initial experimental work on stock was on the disease tick fever, but in the early years of last century the research emphasis shifted to dairy where it was to remain for many decades.  The local district also benefited from the breeding of dairy cattle and pigs, and the availability of high quality stud animals.

A growing demand for rural education saw the first students enrolled in March 1902. In 1908, the Minister decided that the farm should be devoted to a dairy school and dairy experimental work, and approval was given for the erection of new milking bails and an up to date factory.  Commencing in 1911, young boys from Britain came to Wollongbar as part of the Dreadnought Scheme. These boys received agricultural training for three to six months before moving into the local workforce.

This large two-storeyed wooden house was built in 1901 to accomodate agricultural students at WollongbarAfter the Second World War, the farm focused on research.  Dairy cow nutrition and pasture development became a key focus, alongside pig nutrition, production and the control of cattle ticks. In conjunction with CSIRO, a breed of dairy cattle (Australian Milking Zebu) was developed that was specifically suited to tropical climates. In 1968, the Regional Veterinary Laboratory was established to provide a diagnostic and research service for the animal industries of the North Coast and was involved in the eradication of brucellosis from NSW.

In July 2008, Wollongbar Agriculture Institute was renamed the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute to reflect the increased diversity of research, functions and services undertaken on the site. Staff based at the Institute continue to provide internationally recognised research, advisory, policy, regulatory, and laboratory services across a wide range of areas such as soils, water, horticulture, bioenergy, plant and animal biosecurity, cattle breeding, aquatic and marine environment, fisheries, plantation forestry, industry and community liaison as well as support services.  In 2019, Wollongbar celebrated 125 years of providing services to not only the local community, but also high impact research and advice that has worldwide reach. The Institute is well placed to support primary industries with over 100 expert staff, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, climate controlled glasshouses, and more than 500 hectares of prime agricultural land used for research, demonstration, education and production activities.

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