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Wool Education Trust

Trustees

The Australian Wool Education Trust is administered by 8 Trustees, 3 appointed by the Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd (AWTA Ltd), 3 appointed by Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI) and 2 by the Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO).

The Trust is an independent body, with policy being fully determined by the Trustees, without influence from AWTA Ltd, FAWO and/or AWI.

The current Trustees are:

Appointer Trustee Details
AWTA Ltd
  • David Ward AM: (Chairman of Trustees)
    Principal, David Ward Consulting Pty Ltd, formerly MD of AWTA Ltd, now retired.
  • Peter Sommerville : (Secretary of Trustees)
    Principle, PJS Services Pty Ltd, formerly Corporate Development Manager, AWTA Ltd, now retired.
  • Michael Jackson :
    Managing Director, AWTA Ltd
FAWO
  • Geoff Fisken:
    Wool Grower and former president of WoolProducers (currently Senior Vice-President).
    Executive Committee Member of FAWO.
  • Mr John Lewis:
    Formerly Divisional Manager, AWTA Ltd Product Testing; Managing Director, Macquarie Textiles Group; now retired
AWI
  • Cameron Archer PSM:
    Principal, Tocal Agricultural Centre
  • Brian van Rooyen :
    Chairman Australian Country Spinners
    Director Cologix Ltd
    Director Power Farming Ltd
    Director, Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI)
  • Andrew Vizard:
    Associate Professor, Faculty of Vetinary Science, Melbourne University

History

Until 1996 the Department of Wool & Animal Science at the University of New South Wales was the only Australian Tertiary institution providing comprehensive specialist training in wool and textile science and technology. Other institutions offered some training through the provision of wool science related topics as elective subjects.

As such, the Department was a major source of graduates employed in wool marketing and technology industries and in related research. Graduates have been and are still employed in the wool broking and exporting industries, wool processing, CSIRO, State Departments of Agriculture, The Woolmark Company, Australian Wool Innovation and AWTA Ltd.

The decision of the University of New South Wales at the end of 1996 to close the Department created a void in the tertiary training of undergraduates and graduates and also reduced the facilities for post graduate training and research - a situation which further exacerbated opportunities lost with the closure of the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology laboratory at Ryde, NSW, in mid 1996.

AWTA Ltd moved to minimise the effect of the closure of the Department of Wool & Animal Science by the establishment of "The AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust" with a grant of AUD3,000,000.

The Trust provided funds for the promotion and encouragement of education in undergraduate and/or post graduate training in wool and wool science and technology, from woolgrowing to the textile product stage, including such subjects as:

  • fibre science;
  • wool production, including management, breeding and preparation for sale;
  • wool metrology, including testing technology, process control, Total Quality Management and the prediction of processing performance; and
  • wool and textile marketing, including trading, processing and promotion of woollen products.

In June 2004 Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) invested four million dollars in the AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust. The capital for the AWI investment became available after the sale of the CSIRO Prospect property.

With the AWI grant, the Trust's total capital almost doubled. It is anticipated that the extra funding will enable the Trust to generate up to $0.5M per annum for education in the wool industry. The Trust is therefore able to fund skills development for the industry on a much larger scale than before.

As a consequence of this grant the Trust was renamed the "Australian Wool Education Trust" , with 8 trustees.

Application of Funds

Funds may be used to provide scholarships and/or fund an academic position. They may also be used to fund other resources as required.

Funds are not restricted to any one institution.

Allocation of funds is determined by the Trustees.



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