Person

Vercoe, John Edward (1936 - 2005)

AM FTSE FAIS FASAP

Born
28 June 1936
Mildura, Victoria, Australia
Died
28 September 2005
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation
Agricultural scientist

Summary

John Vercoe was a key player in international livestock research who especially made many important contributions to Australia's cattle industry. He spent most of his professional career with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) at various divisions in Queensland. He joined the Animal Genetics Division in Rockhampton in 1964 and eventually made his way up to Assistant Chief of Tropical Animal Production (1982-1993) then Director of the Tropical Beef Centre (1993-1996). Vercoe and his CSIRO colleagues helped establish Zebu and Zebu-cross cattle in Queensland which lead to a boom in its cattle industry. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the North Australia Beef Research Council which is now an advisory wing of the Cattle Council and Meat and Livestock Australia. John Vercoe was a member of many prominent international advisory and research organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (United Nations), the International Livestock Centre for Africa and Ethiopia, the International Livestock Research Centre on Animal Diseases in Kenya and the International Livestock Research Institute. In 1997 his outstanding contributions to the world cattle and livestock industry were honoured when he was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM).

Details

Chronology

1957
Education - Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgrSc), University of Melbourne
1961
Education - Master of Agricultural Science (MAgrSc), University of Melbourne
c. 1963
Career position - Postdoctoral studies in Scotland
1964 -
Career position - Research Scientist in the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Animal Genetics in Rockhampton, Queensland
1964
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Melbourne
1973 - c. 1974
Career position - Seconded to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria
1974 - 1976
Career position - Officer-in-Charge of the Tropical Cattle Research Centre of CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)
1978 - c. 1979
Career position - Seconded to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria
1982
Career position - Consultant to the Western Sudan Agricultural Research Project (World Bank/USAID)
1982 - c. 1993
Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Science
1987 - 2005
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
1988 - 2005
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Applied Sciences (FAIS)
1990
Career position - Vice-President, Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics
1991
Career position - President, Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics
1993 - 1996
Career position - Director of the Tropical Beef Centre
1994 - 2005
Award - Fellow, Australian Society of Animal Production (FASAP)
1997
Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - For service to the cattle industry through research into genetic factors affecting the efficiency of beef production in tropical environments
1999 -
Career position - Member of the International Livestock Research Institute
2000 - 2005
Career position - Chair of the International Livestock Research Institute
2001
Award - Centenary Medal - for service to primary industries and science and technology

Published resources

Newspaper Articles

  • Johnson, Warren and Lumb, Mick, 'Key figure in international livestock research', The Age (2006), 10. Details

Resources

See also

Rosanne Walker and Annette Alafaci

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