The livestock industry lost one of its most passionate and diverse leaders and innovators with the death of Phillip Kirkby, Narrabri, when he lost his battle with Parkinson's disease, aged 80.
He was an honorary life member of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders' Association and the Australian Stock Horse Society, of which he was a founding member and also director for 26 years. He established the renowned Wave Hill Santa Gertrudis and Kirkbys Australian Stock Horse studs.
In 2019 he was also awarded the Warwick Show and Rodeo Society Warwick Tribute to Australian Campdrafting.
He served as a Narrabri Show president for seven years, a pony club instructor for 40 years, a member of the Royal Agricultural Society for 50 years and had judged horses and cattle in every state in Australia and had shown four different species at Sydney Royal Show (cattle, horses, sheep and chooks).
With his brother Clive, he was also closely involved in the research and development of using roller drums to feed molasses and urea to cattle on poor quality roughage with researchers from the University of Queensland, with which he also worked on the research and development of a technique to freeze stallion semen.
During his 12 years as a councillor with the Santa Gertrudis Association he was also among a delegation of cattleman who lobbied for the creation of the industry research body, the Beef Co-operative Research Centre, and he was a founding member of the Australian Beef Association.
His funeral will be held on Friday, July 3, at the Moree Cemetery at 11am.
A full obituary will appear in a later edition.