Pieter Conradie, ARS President. Email: Pieter.Conradie@daf.qld.gov.au
Welcome to the April edition of the Range Management Newsletter. The Australian Rangeland Society was established in 1975 and is an independent and non-aligned association of people interested in the management and sustainable use of resources in the rangelands.
The Society is led by dedicated volunteers who are willing to give off their time and expertise. One such person is Ron Hacker. The Australian Rangeland Society has been very fortunate to have him as a long-term member contributing in various roles to advance the Society including Council member, President of the Society, Chair of the Publications Committee, Editor in Chief of The Rangeland Journal, a member of several Australian and International Rangeland Conference Organising Committees and since 2017, a Fellow of the Society. His contribution in these roles lifted the profile and standing of the Society dramatically. Dr Ron Hacker was recently awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) and we congratulate him on this achievement.
We are also part of a bigger rangeland community. The XII International Rangeland Congress to be held in Adelaide from 2 to 6 June 2025 will provide an opportunity to interact with like-minded people from all over the world. This is an event not to be missed and with a call for abstracts already open it is timely to note the dates in your calendar. This newsletter includes an update to the congress as well as an obituary for Jim O’Rourke who was heavily involved in organising the congress before he passed away recently.
Please remember our AGM will be held via Zoom on 22 May at 6pm AEST. It will be much appreciated if you can attend this meeting. Members will also participate in the election of a new Council member. Further details about the AGM can be found later in this newsletter.
With many interesting articles including an update on the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, I trust you will enjoy reading this issue.
Kind regards,
Pieter
Stock at a waterhole on Old Man Plains Research Station near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory