ANGUS cattle breeder, Gin Gin farmer and former Agricultural Region MLC, Murray Nixon was a regional West Australian recognised in the Australia Day honours.
Mr Nixon, 79, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to the WA Parliament, to the agricultural sector and to the community.
Born into a family breeding stud cattle, Mr Nixon was raised on the family farm near Dalwallinu and attended Dalwallinu and Banksiadale Primary Schools before completing his education at Wesley College and Perth Technical College.
He share-farmed at Dalwallinu and Kalannie before buying Kallaroo Farm, Moora, in 1964 and established an Angus stud in partnership with his wife Meg.
In 1994 he and his wife moved to their current Gin Gin property which was also a registered stud.
At various times Mr Nixon was involved in other farming and pastoral ventures across WA.
A founding member of the Dalwallinu and Dandaragan branches of the Liberal Party and a long-serving president of the Moora branch, Mr Nixon was elected to the Legislative Council in 1993 representing the Agricultural Region and served two terms before being defeated at the 2001 election.
He served on a number of parliamentary committees including two in relation to native title rights and legislation.
A junior farmers state president in 1961, Mr Nixon is a member of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, Central Midland Cattle Breeders Association, Royal Agricultural Society of WA and a committee member and former federal councillor of the Angus Society of WA.
He has been involved with Dalwallinu, Central Midlands and North Midlands agricultural societies and is patron of Kojonup Agricultural Society.
In 2005 he received a distinguished service award for his work as chairman of St James' Residential College, Moora.
Apart from farming, community work and politics, Mr Nixon's other passion is Triumph cars.
