THEY might be city born and bred, but the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW’s immediate past president, Glenn Dudley, and his wife, Jenny, are both passionate about the bush and rural life.
While both are still actively involved in the Royal, it will be a much more relaxed show for the couple this year.
Since stepping aside from the top job last year – handing the baton to Schute Bell Badgery Lumby managing director, Robert Ryan, and his wife, Suzanne – Glenn and Jenny have refocused their lives around their Southern Highlands property, “Buonar”.
Originally a weekend escape, the property is now their full-time home, and the couple have slipped comfortably into country living, overseeing a small commercial beef operation, working on their sprawling garden and becoming more involved in the local community.
They’re also enjoying hosting regular family visits, particularly extended ones which involve their seven grandchildren.
Glenn and Jenny have looked forward to this new chapter in their lives for some time as they both developed a love of all things rural early in life.
For Jenny, it was a ride on a horse when visiting relatives who owned a farm on the then quite rural Central Coast at Wyong.
“I was 11 at the time and I was hooked immediately on the country lifestyle,” she said.
Glenn developed a broader interest in agriculture while studying for an economics degree while at university in Sydney, which included economic history and agrarian studies in New Guinea.
The couple describe themselves as “earthy but not flowery” people who love outside work.
“Having a connection with animals, the earth and plants helps you to prioritise – we’ve found a lot of peace and serenity here,” said Glenn of “Buonar”, which they bought at Robertson in the mid 1980s and which has now become their full-time base after selling their Sydney home earlier this year.
“We both loved the idea of living in the country, and bought here at Robertson despite concerns from family members – some people thought we wouldn’t really enjoy the quiet country lifestyle,” Jenny said.
Glenn and Jenny bought the 20 hectare (50 acre) “Buonar”, on the edge of Robertson, in 1985 and another similar sized block next door a decade later, originally as their weekend escape from hectic careers in Sydney.
At the time of the first land purchase Glenn was heading up Port Kembla-based copper products supplier, Metal Manufactures Limited, and an electrical business manufacturing electrical and data cables, while Jenny was teaching at PLC Croydon.
On buying “Buonar”, which is believed to have been named after a racehorse bred on the property many years before, the Dudleys stocked it with Poll Herefords to run a small-scale commercial beef operation.
They also set about developing the property, planting many trees – such as eucalyptus, sassafras and coachwood – and renovating the house, which sat in an empty paddock, and spending weekends and holidays in the country.
With an interest in agriculture, and moving in Sydney’s corporate circles, Glenn connected with Sydney solicitor, Adrian Howie, whose family has a long involvement with the RAS, while he personally is a councillor and board member with interests in horses and the wood chop, and is today one of the society’s vice presidents.
In 1998 a position on the RAS’s Domestic Animals Committee arose and Adrian successfully nominated Glenn to fill the vacancy.
“The RAS needs a combination of not only skill and passion for agriculture, but also business skills, and I felt I had those to offer,” Glenn said.
From the start Glenn had a particular interest in the Cattle Committee – later spending time on that committee – and in the years to come was to also hold the position of acting chief executive on two occasions, as well as treasurer.
He took on the role of RAS president in 2008.
Traditionally viewed as an older, male-dominated entity, Glenn said he was keen to encourage the involvement of both women and youth in the RAS during his years as president.
“In the past there had been a view you had to be male and over 50, and bring a lot of experience with you to join the RAS, but that’s not the case,” he said.
The male domination of the RAS council had already started to change with the appointment of accountant, chairperson of the Rice Marketing Board, and Araluen orchardist, Robyn Clubb, as the first woman on the governing body in 1994.
“I felt the RAS needed more youth involvement from 25, 30, and 35 year olds to ensure its future, and more women involved to get the balance right – that’s what’s expected in running an organisation today,” Glenn said.
During the six years of Glenn’s presidency he was instrumental in setting up the Youth in Agriculture initiative with its emphasis on career opportunities in agriculture for young city people.
“We wanted to demonstrate you didn’t have to own a farm at Condobolin to work in agriculture – you could also have a career as a scientist and work in the sector,” he said.
