Leading livestock geneticist wins prestigious Helen Newton Turner Medal

Internationally renowned livestock geneticist, Dr Keith Hammond, will today receive the prestigious Helen Newton Turner Medal at a special ceremony in Queensland.

The Helen Newton Turner Medal recognises excellence in livestock genetic improvement and science and aims to encourage and inspire scientists.

Helen Newton Turner Medal Trust Chairman, Barry Buffier, today congratulated Dr Hammond on his achievements in animal breeding and genetics since starting his career as a trainee with the NSW Department of Agriculture in 1961.

“Dr Hammond can look back on a very distinguished career in animal genetics and all he has helped achieve for livestock producers, in particular the beef industry,” Mr Buffier said.

“His passion and enthusiasm for applied research for the beef industries led to the establishment of the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at Armidale which has prospered to become an internationally recognised research group.

“High on Dr Hammond’s list of achievements is the lead-up to the development of the genetic evaluation systems such as BREEDPLAN which AGBU introduced to the beef and dairy cattle industries of Australia, as well as the development of breeding objective and selection index procedures now used widely in the industries.

“He also created specific selection criteria that have been taken up by our cattle industries through the National Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme and the commercialisation of BREEDPLAN.

“As director of the AGBU from 1976-1992, Dr Hammond championed the science of animal breeding throughout Australia and beyond.

“It is no secret that technology and its application to livestock production always fascinated Dr Hammond. In fact, in the early 1980s he was instrumental in starting research into the development of electronic animal identification systems.

“Since 1993 Dr Hammond has been working with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Rome to develop programs and policies for the management and development of animal genetic resources on a global scale.”

Dr Hammond will receive the Helen Newton Turner Medal at the AAABG Conference in Noosa, Queensland, on Monday, 26 September, 2005. He will deliver an oration themed Animal Breeding and Genetics in a Changing World following the presentation.

Media Contact: Brett Fifield 02 6391 3311, 0427 029 511