Inverell's Ray Harold Mepham was the first person to artificially breed Murray Cod, and now his dedicated work for our environment and his extensive volunteering efforts over the course of more than half a century has been recognised by the Queen.
He has been posthumously honoured with an Order Of Australia medal, in the general division, for his service to conservation and the environment. He was one on the list of 1190 Aussies recognised in The Queen's Birthday 2021 Honours List, announced by the Governor-General.
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"On behalf of all Australians, congratulations to all recipients. Each of these individuals are unique and their story deserves to be shared widely and celebrated," the Governor-General said.
"Collectively, they speak to who we are as a nation. There are countless examples of selflessness, commitment and dedication. There is diversity and there are examples of exceptional achievement in almost every field imaginable."
For Mr Mepham, the OAM sits alongside other recognitions for his long-standing work.
In 2020, he was given and outstanding service award by MP Adam Marshall for his exceptional contribution to the conservation of Murray Cod, the icon and apex predator of the Murray-Darling River System and is considered a pioneer of the NSW aquaculture industry.
He had also been presented with the Paul Harris Fellow for Inverell Rotary Club in 2007, a Highly Commended in the Rural Services Category in the 2000 Inverell Business Awards, Inverell Jaycees Citizen of Year in 1993, and in 1982, was awarded the Long Service Award for the Bush Fire Council of NSW.
Since then, Mr Mepham had undertaken ground-breaking efforts in establishing aquaculture in NSW in his life-long dedication.
From 1966 until 2021, he was the Proprietor and Artificial Fish Breeder of native fish, including Murray Cod, Golden Perch and Silver Perch.
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