TWO inspirational dairy leaders, Bill Pyle and Doug Weir, have been recognised for their leadership with scholarships established in their names by the Gardiner Foundation.
In announcing the scholarships, Gardiner Foundation chairman Mike Taylor paid tribute to them, saying: "These individuals made contributions which helped re-shape the industry and, among other things, enabled the creation of the Gardiner Foundation".
Bill Pyle, AM, has been a driving force in the dairy industry at both State and national levels. He was the inaugural president of United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, an organisation that was established during the difficult days of the dairy industry in the 1970s. At the same time, he was deputy chairman of the Australian Dairy Corporation.
Doug Weir led the Victorian Dairy Industry Authority (VDIA) from 1986 to1995, after a long and distinguished career in the private business sector. His experience enabled him to recognise the value of VDIA's assets and the need for them to be proactively managed to ensure the best returns to the industry.
The scholarships were announced at the Gardiner Foundation's Australian Dairy Leaders Luncheon.
The Bill Pyle Dairy Scholarship, awarded by the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, was presented to Matthew De Cicco, from Merrigum in northern Victoria, who has been accepted to study veterinary science at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW. It has been Mr De Cicco's ambition since age eight to become a vet.
The Doug Weir Dairy Scholarship, awarded by the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, was presented to Monique McMahon-Hide, from Ocean Grove, Vic, who has been accepted to study animal science at La Trobe University. Her interest in the dairy industry was confirmed by her participation in Cows Create Careers, a program first supported by the Gardiner Foundation and later by Dairy Australia.
