Narrabri’s Mr Ralph Schulze, AM, has been receiving congratulations from across Australia and the world following the announcement of his award of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day honours on Monday.
Mr Schulze has been a leader in the cotton industry since its earliest days, and a key contributor to Australian and
international cotton industry organisations for many years.
Mr Schulze’s award citation said his AM was ‘for significant service to primary industry through research and innovation in a range of executive roles in the cotton sector.’ He said he was humbled by the award, but felt he was simply a member of a team.
Australia’s cotton industry would be less innovative and less efficient – arguably, a shadow of its current size - without the contribution of Ralph Schulze, an industry spokesperson said.
“There are many scientists and researchers, CEOs and other industry leaders that have contributed greatly to Australia’s cotton sector.
“However, what stands Ralph Schulze apart from them all is his commitment to drive research and innovation forward at a frenetic pace.
“While individual research programs can lay claim to advancement in a narrow field or two, Ralph Schulze was enormously influential in marshalling research and innovation programs to the benefit of the entire industry.
“Even after retirement at the end of a long career in the cotton industry, Ralph Schulze continued to play a role as leader to the sector, maintaining ties and contributing advice to cotton companies and organisations.
“Further, Ralph Schulze was as committed to the wider community as he was to cotton, and this is reflected in his many memberships of community groups.
“Ralph Schulze has excelled in his dedication and contribution to the advancement of the Australian Cotton industry, initially through the very earliest research at Narrabri, in the 1960s through practical farm agronomy and farm management and in later life through his guidance of scientific cotton research and development as the first Executive Director of the Australian Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC).
“The CRDC tenure spanned a 15 year period. During this period the research and development work that Ralph oversaw led to the growth and development of today’s $2.5 billion industry.”
Mr Schulze was a member of the Organising Committee, International Cotton Advisory Committee, 1986 and 2000.
He was convenor, of the first World Cotton Research Conference, at Brisbane, in 1994.
More on Mr Schulze’s career and award in Thursday’s Courier.