Congratulations to Rory Treweeke, a longstanding and active member of the Australian Rangeland Society who was awarded membership of the General Division of the Order of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.  Rory received this prestigious award for ‘significant service to the rural community of New South Wales’.

Rory and his family own and manage Angledool Station near Lightning Ridge, which has been in the Treweeke family for several generations.

Agricultural and rangeland involvement

Rory’s contribution to the sustainable development and management of NSW agricultural and rangeland environments is extensive, with involvement in decision making about land and water management in the upper reaches of the Murray-Darling Basin. His involvement commenced in 1968, when he became a member of the Lower Balonne Floodplain Association in 1968, ultimately becoming the Chairman of that organisation between 1991 and 2007.  His experience in this area has resulted in his membership of the Australian Floodplain Association since 2006.  In addition, he has been a member of the Lower Balonne Water Network since 2011 and a member of the Lower Balonne Working Group since 2014.

His leadership skills and experience have resulted in him chairing many organisations, programs and projects in western NSW, including:

• Chair, Walgett Branch, Local Lands Services (formerly Rural Lands Protection Board) 1975-1999;
• Chair, Angledool/ Lightning Ridge Branch NSW Farmers Association 1986-1995;
• Chair, Walgett Rural Counselling Service Advisory Committee 1992-2003;
• Chair, Western Division Landholder Recovery Group 1995-1999;
• Chair, Barwon-Darling River Management Committee 1997-2003;
• Chair, Western Catchment Management Authority 2009-2013; and
• Chair, Murray-Darling Basin Community Committee 2013-2019.

As well as these commitments he was a Board Member WEST 2000 and WEST 2000 Plus from 1997-2006, a Member of the Great Artesian Basin Advisory Group (2004-2013), a Steering Committee Member, Murray-Darling Basin Commission Project on Total Grazing Pressure (1997-2001) and he contributed to several other programs and planning bodies.

Rural education and health

Rory’s interests have extended to education where he was the Federal President of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association from 1979 to 1985, and he is now a Life Member of that organisation.  He was a Board member of the National Centre for Research on Rural Education, University of WA from 1982 to 1986.  And we need also to acknowledge Joan Treweeke OAM who is the chair of Royal Far West, which is Australia’s only national charity dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of country children.

Local community support

Finally, Rory’s commitments to community closer to home have included being a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Lightning Ridge since 1997, Captain of the Angledool Rural Fire Brigade 1983-2010, and he has been a Justice of the Peace for NSW since 1970.

This is a tremendous record of achievement and of commitment to addressing and supporting local, regional and indeed national needs and interests, and as members of the ARS, we say congratulations Rory!