Lindsay Cook
I was fortunate to win a Victorian Department of Agriculture scholarship (remember scholarships??) to study Agricultural Science at Melbourne University from 1963 to 1966, and graduated in 1967. In the last year or so of the course, I decided I wanted to go into research, and was lucky again to win a Wool Board scholarship to undertake a Ph D in the Agronomy Department of the University of New England at Armidale. I was unlucky with the seasons, and it took me 4 years to complete, and I graduated in 1971.
While at Armidale, I met Kerrin Cummins who was doing her Honours degree in Science, and we married in January 1970. We subsequently had two daughters, Nicole in 1975 and Kirrilly in 1978.
Because of the undergraduate scholarship, I was bonded to the Victorian Department of Agriculture. For a while I was unhappy about that bond, as I was attracted to the life of an academic, but such jobs largely disappeared in the late 1960’s, and so in the end I was grateful I had a job to go to. I ended up doing research on pasture seed production at the seed testing station, which was in the grounds of Burnley Gardens in Swan St. We moved back to Melbourne and built a home at Lower Templestowe.
I felt I needed some more experience in seed production research, so in 1976 I funded myself on a post-doctoral year at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. That was a great experience, and at the end of my work, we travelled around America for nearly 3 months. Most of our friends at Corvallis were green with envy at what we had seen and done.
In 1977 I was appointed as head of the seed section in the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, in its head office in Sydney. It was quite a change moving from Victoria to NSW, as there is a substantial difference in the climate and hence agricultural production systems. This is largely due to the incidence of summer rain in central and northern, and coastal NSW, which allows summer crops to flourish. Also cotton and rice were brand new crops for me.
I had several other positions in cropping, and as head of agronomy research, before being appointed Chief of the Division of Plant Industries in 1987. This was the job I really wanted, and I held it until retirement in 2004. I was actually forced out by a government re-organisation of primary industry departments, and the incoming CEO decided to restructure, rather than continue with existing structures in the departments being amalgamated.
In 1991, the department’s head office was re-located to Orange, which was a major issue for me, as our girls were heading to final years in secondary school, and hence tertiary education. I tried to get other jobs in Sydney, but came second in several, and of course there is no second prize.
I found Orange much too cold, for much too long. Having been brought up in Melbourne, lived in Armidale for 4 years, and spent a year in Oregon, I should have been used to cold weather. However Orange was something else.
After retirement, we moved back to our house in Sydney, which we had kept, as we felt that if we sold it, we would never get back into the Sydney house market. I indulged my hobby in woodwork, having taken up wood turning in the mid 1990’s, and moved on to making some furniture for us and our girls. I took over the garage, and bought some expensive equipment. I also got engaged in helping to establish a Men’s Shed for our local area.
In 2008 I was approached to see if I would take on the role as CEO of the Australian Seeds Authority, which I did after considerable thought. It is a half-time job, which I do from home. It does involve some travel, including one trip overseas each year. I enjoy it, as it keeps the grey matter moving, and it is an area in which I have had a long interest. I don’t enjoy the book-keeping aspect of it as much, and it took me a while to come to grips with MYOB.
Our girls are both married, and our elder, Nicole has three littlies – eldest 5 and youngest 8 months. Our younger daughter Kirrilly has two kids, one 8 and one 6 and a third just about due. I enjoy our grandchildren.
My wife Kerrin developed an interest in local and family history, and has researched and written a number of books in both areas. She has fully researched our various families, and written books on the history of several townships near Orange, and on the gold mining areas of the central west of NSW.
Go to the Memories Section to see Lindsay Cook's Memories of Balwyn High School
While at Armidale, I met Kerrin Cummins who was doing her Honours degree in Science, and we married in January 1970. We subsequently had two daughters, Nicole in 1975 and Kirrilly in 1978.
Because of the undergraduate scholarship, I was bonded to the Victorian Department of Agriculture. For a while I was unhappy about that bond, as I was attracted to the life of an academic, but such jobs largely disappeared in the late 1960’s, and so in the end I was grateful I had a job to go to. I ended up doing research on pasture seed production at the seed testing station, which was in the grounds of Burnley Gardens in Swan St. We moved back to Melbourne and built a home at Lower Templestowe.
I felt I needed some more experience in seed production research, so in 1976 I funded myself on a post-doctoral year at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. That was a great experience, and at the end of my work, we travelled around America for nearly 3 months. Most of our friends at Corvallis were green with envy at what we had seen and done.
In 1977 I was appointed as head of the seed section in the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, in its head office in Sydney. It was quite a change moving from Victoria to NSW, as there is a substantial difference in the climate and hence agricultural production systems. This is largely due to the incidence of summer rain in central and northern, and coastal NSW, which allows summer crops to flourish. Also cotton and rice were brand new crops for me.
I had several other positions in cropping, and as head of agronomy research, before being appointed Chief of the Division of Plant Industries in 1987. This was the job I really wanted, and I held it until retirement in 2004. I was actually forced out by a government re-organisation of primary industry departments, and the incoming CEO decided to restructure, rather than continue with existing structures in the departments being amalgamated.
In 1991, the department’s head office was re-located to Orange, which was a major issue for me, as our girls were heading to final years in secondary school, and hence tertiary education. I tried to get other jobs in Sydney, but came second in several, and of course there is no second prize.
I found Orange much too cold, for much too long. Having been brought up in Melbourne, lived in Armidale for 4 years, and spent a year in Oregon, I should have been used to cold weather. However Orange was something else.
After retirement, we moved back to our house in Sydney, which we had kept, as we felt that if we sold it, we would never get back into the Sydney house market. I indulged my hobby in woodwork, having taken up wood turning in the mid 1990’s, and moved on to making some furniture for us and our girls. I took over the garage, and bought some expensive equipment. I also got engaged in helping to establish a Men’s Shed for our local area.
In 2008 I was approached to see if I would take on the role as CEO of the Australian Seeds Authority, which I did after considerable thought. It is a half-time job, which I do from home. It does involve some travel, including one trip overseas each year. I enjoy it, as it keeps the grey matter moving, and it is an area in which I have had a long interest. I don’t enjoy the book-keeping aspect of it as much, and it took me a while to come to grips with MYOB.
Our girls are both married, and our elder, Nicole has three littlies – eldest 5 and youngest 8 months. Our younger daughter Kirrilly has two kids, one 8 and one 6 and a third just about due. I enjoy our grandchildren.
My wife Kerrin developed an interest in local and family history, and has researched and written a number of books in both areas. She has fully researched our various families, and written books on the history of several townships near Orange, and on the gold mining areas of the central west of NSW.
Go to the Memories Section to see Lindsay Cook's Memories of Balwyn High School
