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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation |
Thirty Australian Champions
Shaping
the future for rural Australia
edited by Keith Hyde
Welcome to RIRDC's major publication documenting the experience of thirty outstanding Australians who, through their business enterprise, vision and perseverance, are making a significant contribution to the welfare and economic growth of rural and regional Australia. Each chapter is presented as a separate html file which you can view, download and print.
Alternatively, you can buy the full, colour 220-page book from RIRDC by phoning 02 6272 4819 from our Eshop.
Each chapter of the book
deals with a different crop or product, so they are arranged here in alphabetical
order of product. Please note that this publication replaces the very successful
Handbook
of New Industries published in 1997 with much material now out of date.
 Foreword |
Introduction |
Acknowledgements |
THE
CHAMPIONS:
| Avocado |
- Shephard Avocado |
| Awassi
Sheep Milk |
- Tom Grant ’s Awassi Sheep Milk |
| Cashews |
- Cashews Australia |
| Coffee |
- Skybury Coffee, Wombah Coffee |
| Crocodiles |
- Lagoon Crocodile Farm |
| Deer |
- Nola
Anderson’s Deer Farm,
- Riverina Deer Farming Company |
| Essential
oils |
- Australian
Essential Oil Company
- Mt Romance Australia, North - North Queensland Essential Oils |
| Flowers |
- Harris
Park Flowers
- Longford Flowers - Protea Pride |
| Ginseng |
- Gembrook Organic Ginseng |
| Goat
Cheeses |
- Kervella Goat Cheeses |
| Hazelnuts |
- Glenbri Farm Hazelnuts |
| Jojoba |
- Jojoba Science |
| Lychees |
- Byron
Bay Lychee Farm
- Hartley Lychee |
| Marron |
- Tom Swannell ’s Marron Farm |
| Mint
oils |
- Australian Mint Oils |
| Mushrooms |
- Huon Valley Mushrooms |
| Pyrethrum |
- Botanical Resources Australia |
| Rambutans |
- Craig-Au-Doo Rambutans |
| Riceflowers |
- Cook ’s Riceflowers |
| Tropical
Fruits |
- Kuradui
Tropical Fruits
- Zappala Tropicals |
| Truffles |
- Perigord Truffles |
| Waxflowers |
- Ebonybrook Waxflowers |
This report documents the experience of thirty outstanding Australians who, through their business enterprise, vision and perseverance, are making a significant contribution to the welfare and economic growth of rural and regional Australia. They are the new champions of the bush
Their business enterprises are leading examples of the depth, breadth and strength of new industry development in rural Australia. The thirty enterprises selected for this report were nominated by their peers within their respective industries as being outstanding examples of leading businesses within the new rural industries. Each individual or partnership was nominated by others in the industry as making a significant contribution to the development of their industry. They are outstanding examples of the bush spirit — to have a go, , to work hard, to use resources and knowledge wisely, and to make it work
The individuals driving the thirty profiled enterprises have varied backgrounds. Some are from long-standing farming backgrounds, several have quite different professional backgrounds, some have migrated to the country from the city, and several have migrated from other continents to Australia
The Corporation ’s aim in supporting this project was to document the varied experience of some of the most successful new businesses within the new rural enterprises, to celebrate their success and to assist others to learn from their experience. The thirty enterprises profiled in the following pages are not the only success stories from rural and regional Australia. There are many more which will be added to this list through the Corporation ’s ongoing support for emerging rural industries
This report is a companion to the Corporation ’s 1998 publication “The New Rural Industries —A Handbook for Farmers and Investors ”also by the same author and the Corporations two reports on “Financial Analyses of Enterprises in Rural Australia ”by Hassall and Associates
This project was funded from RIRDC Core Funds which are provided by the Federal Government
It is a new addition to RIRDC ’s diverse range of over 600 research publications, and forms part of our Emerging New Industries R&D Program, which aims to facilitate the development of new industries based on plants or animals or their products that have commercial potential for Australia
Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through our website:
• downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Index.htm
• purchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop
Peter Core
Managing Director
Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation
October 2000
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank each of the individuals and partners profiled in this text for the time they made available in their very busy lives to talk to me about their experience, to check the transcripts for accuracy and through this text to share their experience with others aspiring to make a difference in their lives in rural and regional Australia. You are the champions.
Many colleagues and industry leaders throughout rural Australia assisted me to select and make contact with my case study individuals. Thank you for your advice and guidance.
Graduate students at the University of Canberra, Andrew Pippos and Trent Schindle, assisted me with the preparation of the initial transcripts from the interview tapes.
Arawang Editorial ’s Mary Webb and Clarus Design ’s Sam Highley provided valued professional input to the final preparation of the text and photographs for publication.
My wife Jan again supported me through a number of late nights and weekends as I laboured on the text in front of the computer screen. Thank you for your support.
RIRDC Managing Director, Peter Core, provided encouragement and support to me through out the task and also a couple of firm deadlines to keep me focused on the RIRDC goal to produce a quality publication of benefit to industry. My thanks to Peter, the Corporation and the University of Canberra for their financial support to underwrite this study.
Keith
Hyde
University
of Canberra
November
2000
