Old Aggies Newsletter - November 2018

Significant Funding Boost for Primary Industries

The NSW Department of Primary Industries were given a major boost in capital expenditure in the last state budget. It appears that Government has at last recognised the importance of the Agricultural sector to the state and Australia and has provided nearly $50 m in additional funding to increase investment in Research and Development as well as Biosecurity.

Many of us have deplored the run down in the facilities across the state with many stations and laboratories sadly neglected so it is welcome news to see this broad application of funding across the state.

The DPI has generously provide the following details of where this funding will be applied:

• $7.8 million for world-leading genome technology to double productivity gains for plant and livestock industries at Wagga Wagga, Menangle and Tamworth
• $6.2 million to protect against emergency plant and animal disease and pathogens at Menangle
• $5.6 million to expand and upgrade marine aquaculture facilities to triple kingfish production in Port Stephens
• $4.3 million towards glasshouse facilities for new grain and pasture research in Cowra and Glen Innes
• $3.3 million for research to improve the biological control of pests at Grafton and Orange
• $1.7 million to improve access to government services for customers and the primary industries sector at Wagga Wagga
• $1.4 million towards plant pathology to protect against incursion of exotic pests at Wollongbar
• $1.2 million to upgrade biosecurity collections to support world-leading risk identification and control at Orange
• $1 million toward new agronomy infrastructure for soil and plant processing at Trangie
• $0.9 million to improve industry engagement capability at Dareton
• $0.45 million to improve pest insect and weed diagnostics capability at Wagga Wagga and Orange
• $6.8 million to improve research facilities, equipment and safety statewide
• $6 million to improve biosecurity emergency management, protecting primary industries statewide.

Old Aggies shirts

Some years ago we advertised in the Newsletter that Mr Owen Simpson had offered to get made dress shirts in either blue or bone colour with a special ‘Old Aggies’ emblem on the shirt pocket.

Owen has checked with his seamstress lady and she can still get the shirts in both the blue or bone colours and virtually all sizes. The cost of the shirts with the ‘Old Aggies’ emblem plus postage is $40.00.

Members who would like to buy a shirt are requested to contact Owen direct, either by Email: ockersimpson@hotmail.com or by phone: 0416 042 317.

Request for information

John Bowler, Editor is requesting articles for publication along with photos of interest to Old Aggies. Please keep short and photos with captions appreciated: jkpbowler@bigpond.com, (02) 6365 6182.

Central Coast ‘Old Aggies’ luncheon, 1 November 2018

Our yearly luncheon was held at Gosford Leagues Club, with 23 in attendance, down from previous years. Apologies were received from 21 members. We welcomed our President Frank Doughty, Secretary Graham Linnegar and Treasurer Col Short again and we are really appreciative of the effort that they make to get to our luncheon and all the other get togethers throughout the year.

We also welcomed two new members Geoff and Glenda Griffiths, and caught up with Andrew Beattie who hadn’t been for a few years. We also welcomed Bill and Sheila Trimmer from Orange, who made a special effort to attend.

In talking to our members who apologised for not attending the luncheon two issues stand out – health and travel. A couple of members advised they were playing golf elsewhere (lucky them!!) while others were having medical procedures or had been struck down with illness.

However in spite of all this we had a very good time catching up with former colleagues and enjoying a lovely buffet with a bewildering variety of choices at a very reasonable price.

After the lunch Co-ordinator Geoff Warr thanked every for coming and read out all the apologies. Our president Frank then addressed the meeting, giving a brief update from what he knew of the Department and the fact that a new Head Office in Orange is to be built on the old Orange Hospital site.

To finish off two lucky door prizes of bottles of wine were drawn, the winners being Ken Archer and Frank Doughty. Our next luncheon will be held again on the first Thursday in November, so keep the date free.

Central Coast luncheon photos

New Head Office for DPI in Orange

Minister for Primary Industries the Hon Niall Blair MP, announced earlier this year that a new Head Office would be built in Orange on the site of the old Orange Base Hospital. The new building will be a modern three storey, energy efficient complex and house about 700 staff.

The new building will be constructed by private industry and leased to the NSW Government. It is estimated to cost $30 m.
In addition to staff from Primary Industries the facility will accommodate staff from Local Land Services, Dept of Premier and Cabinet, and Planning and Environment. Dept of Industry also includes Land and Water, Forestry, Vocational Education and Training as well as Industry and Investment.

The Department first moved to Orange in 1990, as an initiative of the Hon Ian Armstrong MP, the then Minister, to a new purpose built facility with a 30 year lease.

For those who can remember, staff from Sydney commenced the relocation to Orange during 1990 and were originally housed
at Bloomfield Hospital. We did lose some key staff at the time due to a whole range of reasons involving partners, employment and education of children but the majority of staff enjoyed the move and many have opted to retire in Orange.

Alstonville Annual Old Aggies Luncheon

A good roll up at the Federal Hotel for the Alstonville Annual Old Aggies Luncheon on Monday the 17 September, people travelled from Tweed Heads in the north and from Sydney in the South and a few points in between. About 30 people attended and had a great lunch and early afternoon reminiscing old times when Agriculture was Agriculture.

Unfortunately the amateur photographer missed out on any good shots, or was it the subjects, and no photos were suitable for printing. Will definitely need to practice before next years function which is pencilled in for Monday 16th September 2019, put it in the diary now – Geoff Jacobs.

Updated membership changes

We have had several requests for changes of address to be included in the newsletter. Existing privacy laws limit publication but many members appreciate the changing circumstances of fellow members and workmates. Please provide feedback to the editor if you object to the publication of changes to your contact details in future newsletters.

Orange lunch 10 October 2018

This year we had to find a new venue at the Oriana Motel as the previous venue closed. Attendance exceeded 50 and everyone enjoyed a chat and prelunch drinks before the meal was served at 12.30pm. There were over 50 apologies as many were travelling overseas and around Australia.

It was nice to welcome Andy Royal and Arthur Gilmour for the first time. Whilst most who attended were from the Orange area, Colin and Barbara Short and Graham Linnegar travelled from Sydney, Col Foster from Wentworth Falls, Rod Hoare and Helena Warren from Crookwell, Keith and Philippa Woodlands from Parkes and Roy and Jenny Menzies from Bathurst.

Bob and Nancy Trounce who have been regular attendees at Orange moved to Port Macquarie the week after the lunch and trust that they might catch up with the coastal lunches.

After organising the Orange Lunch for over 16 years, I must step down now and am happy to announce that Len Banks will take on the challenge.

I have enjoyed everyone’s support and the Executive Committee attendance during this time. I would also like to thank Col
Begg, John Bowler and Barry Jensen for their assistance. My daughter, Janelle, has been a great help with the computer invitations to ease my job.

Please give Len Banks the support you gave me and Frances and I look forward to attending the future Orange Lunches – Peter Witschi.

Orange luncheon photos

In remembrance of John Fisher

11.6.1948 to 3.9.2018

John was born 11 June 1948, educated at Hurlstone Agricultural High School and achieved top academic marks.

In February 1966 he was awarded a traineeship with the Department of Agriculture and graduated from Sydney University with First Class Honours in Agricultural Science in 1970. He was appointed to Tamworth Research Station, but immediately seconded to Wagga Wagga Research Institute to undertake a project ‘Breeding of Improved Wheat Varieties for Irrigation Areas’ funded by the Wheat Industry Research Committee and Arnotts.

It was expected that the breeding project would be approximately 2 years – he was there for 25 years. In that time he released nine new irrigated wheat varieties – Egret, Jabiru, Avocet, Corella, Grebe, Lark, Swift, Triller and Babbler. If it had a bird name it was John’s.

John started his role in management jobs while still at Wagga, initially as Program Leader, Cereal Products in 1993. John and his family came to Orange in 1995 to the position of Program Leader, Weeds, within NSW Agriculture and Fisheries. This was a challenging job – firstly, the Department had undergone a major structural change (again) and secondly, any job imposing regulation of farmers, albeit for their long-term benefit,

is a challenge. John met that challenge with his calmness and positivity that we have all recognised as one of his strengths.
In 1999, John was promoted to Program Leader, Environmental Planning and Management. Then in 2003, John was appointed as Acting Program Manager, Agricultural Resource Management theoretically for 6 months and was eventually appointed permanently to the position in 2005, with broader responsibilities of irrigation, soil management, information mapping and management as well as environmental issues.

In 2006, John was appointed to the position of Director, Regional Relations and Education, a Senior Officer position in the Department with broad community, leadership and education responsibilities.

John retired at 60 in 2008, and returned to plant breeding as a hobby. He chose Salvia to play with and made the Make a Wish Foundation a beneficiary of any royalties that may have resulted from his new varieties.

His greatest reward from this hobby was to win a prize at the UK Chelsea Flower Show in the Best New Plant category with his Salvia variety, ‘Love and Wishes’. John was generous in sharing knowledge and experience with garden enthusiasts across the State.

John was also committed to community service. Through the Rotary Club of Orange he made a great contribution in various roles and was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow Award this year. He and Jill gave great personal support to a Sudanese family as they struggled to fit in with life in Australia.

Through his work, his hobbies and his community service, and most importantly his family, Jill, Ruth and Casey, Alice and Clinton and Matilda. John has had a great influence on many of us and we will remember him with fondness and admiration; and each of us is better off having known John as a friend. Thank you.

From notes prepared by Len Banks.

Guest exhibitor Australian National Field Days

NSW Department of Primary Industries was the guest exhibitor at the 2018 Orange Field Days in October.

A very broad ranging display, highlighted the range of research activities, farm productivity advancements as well as the various assistance and support programs available to primary producers, was supported by a huge cast of Departmental Officers from across the state. (Requests to the Department could not give me the numbers by the time of printing, our estimate was well over the 100 over the three days – Ed.)

The interactive displays created great interest and really got visitors involved in the range of activities and accessing a great range of technical and management information, as well as financial personal mental health support.

The particular focus was on the digital technologies and the one stop-shop website developed in conjunction with Farm
Table entrepreneur, Ainslie Landale from Deniliquin.

The increasing Biosecurity and Regulatory functions of the department did received significant focus.

The display complemented the work of the Local Land Services which took over the old Department of Primary Industries building at the rear of the guest exhibit.

The Director General, Scott Hansen, said that the display benefitted the Department as well as the client base and it was particularly valuable in providing interaction between departmental officers from the various disciplines and locations across the State.

Although the Department of Agriculture was guest exhibitor at the ANFD in 1992, this was the first large scale public exhibition since the major restructuring of the Department some five years ago. Many Old Aggies will remember the Agviews staged at Camden Park in 1988 and 1990 and the interaction and friendships that developed within the organisation as a result, as well as a huge
lift to the public profile of the Department.

Photos courtesy Jane West, ANFD.

History of research stations and experiment farms

We have had a request for information on the history of the Research Stations and Experiment Farms. If any Old Aggies have copies or know of any references/locations of old reports or brochures outlining the establishment of the various institutions,
could they please let me know at jkpbowler@ bigpond.com

If you could also write down and send your memories of the work of the various stations and outline other activities and social history of life on the stations, it would be appreciated. Stations like Wollongbar, Glen Innes and Cowra with the association with the Dreadnought Scheme, had a particular impact on the local communities.

Similarly the contribution of Departmental staff in some of the smaller towns and communities was very important in the rural scene.

Sydney luncheon

To confirm your booking use the contact details in the above table or submit the form below.

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