Kathleen Lovelock, John Griffith and Leith Boully.
2026 Australia Day Awards announced this morning have honoured several people for their contribution to the Australian cattle, sheep and cropping sectors.
Recipients in this morning’s honours list include (in alphabetical order):
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division
Nationally respected leader in water governance, environmental stewardship, and rural sustainability, the late Leith Boully, for significant service to conservation and the environment.
Her career spanned senior leadership roles across Australia’s major water, conservation and agricultural policy bodies, including Sunwater Ltd, the National Water Commission and the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council. In 2023 the Leith Boully Award was established in her honour.
Former Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Senior Vice President, Sheepmeat Council of Australia treasurer and Meat & Livestock Australia director Geoffrey Ashton-Jones for significant service to the environment, to primary industry, and to the community.
Graham Spencer-Laitt, founder of the Milne AgriGroup, one of the largest integrated agribusinesses in Western Australia, for significant service to the community of Western Australia through philanthropic governance and benefaction.
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division
Western Australian grain grower Rodney Birch, owner and managing director of Catalina Farms, who has served in industry roles including chair of Pulse Western Australia and deputy chair of Grain Growers, for service to the grains industry.
John Griffith (right) receiving the RW Vincent Award from Malcolm Foster at the 2016 Royal Queensland Show.
Former Australian Agricultural Company managing director and Chief Executive Officer John Griffith, Bulimba, Qld, for service to primary industry.
Mr Griffith was also a founding director and manager of the New England Livestock Computer Marketing (NELCM) project at the University of New England (UNE), a key precursor to the development of computerised sale by description technology and forerunner to today’s AuctionsPlus marketing system.
In 2016 Mr Griffith was named as the recipient of the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association’s prestigious RW Vincent Award.
The award recognised Mr Griffith for a range of achievements, including his early work in the establishment of Breedplan; helping develop electronic cattle marketing systems that became the precursor to today’s AuctionsPlus online marketing platform; and the development of integrated production systems and a large composite breeding program within the Australian Agricultural Co.
After graduating in economics at UNE, Mr Griffith went to the US where he gained a Master of Science at the University of Missouri. On returning to Australia in 1972, he became an associate director and lecturer at the Agricultural Business Research Institute at UNE.
After leaving AACo, Mr Griffith turned his attention to the live export trade, through the establishment of a company called AustAsia. As the managing director, he built the AustAsia business into one of the largest exporters of live cattle into Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. He also spent time as a director of the North Australian Pastoral Co.
Agricultural consultant and stud Merino breeder Graham Peart, a director of the agricultural consulting firm Hassal and Associates, now RMS Accountants, for service to the wool industry.
Mr Peart is the business manager of GRASS (Gulargambone Rural Association for Sheep Selection) and has served in many industry roles including as chair of the Economic Research Advisory Committee of the Australian Wool Corporation and as a director of Wool International.
David Lovelock and Kathy Lovelock, of Canterbury and associated studs, of New Norcia. Picture: Bob Garnant
WA stud cattle breeder and former Cattle Council of Australia WA representative Kathleen Lovelock for service to the beef cattle industry.
Mrs Lovelock was the president of the United Beef Breeders Association and the WA branch of the Australian Brahman Breeders Association, and ran the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia cattle judging arena for 34 years.
In 2025 Mrs Lovelock was inducted into the Royal Agricultural Society of WA Hall of Fame.
Also honoured this year was Frank Shadforth from Seven Emus Station, a longtime Gulf Country cattleman who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to the indigenous youth of the Northern Territory. Mr Shadforth fed, clothed, accommodated and trained many young people in the north to become valued stockmen in the cattle industry.
A worthy recipient of the OAM. John introduced business analysis to the pastoral beef industry. Rather than reacting to changing seasonal circumstances he introduced a more proactive and flexible approach to management. A key to the implementation of these changes was education of staff at all levels. As already mentioned he was also involved in many innovative additions to the beef supply chain from computer aided marketing through to branded sales. John ran a lean business, that delivered increased turnover and consistent profits. A fine example for the industry. Thank you John.
Celebrated John's award on Australia Day and our time to together at Australian Agricultural Company in the 1990s. John introduced agricultural business principles honed at the spring of Agricultural Economics at the University of New England and the Agricultural Business Research Institute into Australia's oldest company. It was no easy task to convince conservative board members including icons Don Macdonald and Gordon Reid as well as traditional northern station managers. However, he did it in spades and led the company in a collegiate way to make it a happy and satisfying workplace. Annual Managers' and Headstockmens' forums were opportunities to celebrate achievements and map strategies.
John, a true gentleman and well deserving of the Medal
Noel Haug
Congratulations John Griffith - well deserved! A great thinker, a true innovator, a pioneer in so many initiatives for the betterment of the overall Australian beef industry. Fond memories of your contribution to the EQA Steering Committee (later to become MSA), your analysis, persistence and genuine desire to lift the quality, performance and status of Australian beef has not gone unnoticed. Thank you.
Congratulations John, worthy recognition for your contribution to the cattle industry and the broader application to Primary Industry. An astute thinker and mentor.
I regard John Griffith as the first of the 'modern era' Australian pastoral company managers, moving away from the old 'cattle harvesting' mentality that had applied for the previous decades into a more sophisticated model, including lotfeeding, backgrounding and spelling country. A deep thinker who was not wedded to the pastoral operations conventions of the past, and a great contributor to early cattle industry R&D. Richly deserved, John!