Speakers

Bruce Allworth
Bruce Allworth graduated from Sydney, and worked at Massey and Mackinnon. In addition to operating his own sheep and cattle consultancy business, and sheep and cattle enterprise, Bruce has completed a Masters and PhD, is a Fellow of the College, a registered sheep specialist and Diplomat of the European College, and has been the National Coordinator for the OJD Program, the Inaugural Chair of the Sheep Sustainability Framework, an AVA Auditor of AWI’s Flystrike program, and a past President of the Sheep Vets. Bruce is currently the lead for the vet Production Animal Group at CSU at Wagga and former Director of the Fred Morley Centre.

Mary Carr
Dr Mary Carr was appointed Chief Veterinary Officer in December 2018.
Dr Mary Carr has been a Veterinary Officer with PIRSA Biosecurity SA-Animal Health since 2008.
Mary completed a Masters in Veterinary Public Health Management through Sydney University in 2012 and become a member by examination of the Epidemiology Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 2015.
Mary provides a strategic leadership role in the Biosecurity - Animal Health department. The mission of the Animal Health program is to protect and facilitate market access, livestock productivity, public health and consumer confidence through the health, welfare, quality, safety an image of South Australian livestock and livestock products.
Mary has knowledge and experience in animal health disease surveillance systems; emergency response preparedness; on-farm biosecurity practices and livestock identification and traceability. Mary has worked with both the extensive (sheep cattle and goats) and intensive (poultry, pigs and dairy) production systems.
Mary is particularly interested in using epidemiologically sound scientific practices to under pin surveillance programs, policy development, risk management and facilitate trade. Other areas of interest include data capture and epidemiological analysis especially using geospatial techniques.

Tom Clune
Tom Clune graduated from Murdoch University in 2015 and has worked in mixed practice in regional Western Australia and Perth. In 2018 Tom commenced a PhD looking into the timing, magnitude and causes of foetal and lamb loss in maiden ewes across southern Australia. He is a member of the ANZCVS, Sheep Medicine chapter and is involved in teaching animal science and veterinary students in animal handling, reproduction and pathology. Tom runs a small flock of composite ewes on the outskirts of Perth and has continued to work in mixed and emergency practice whilst completing his PhD.

Tatjana Dobrijevic
Tatjana (Tanya) is a graduate of the University of Adelaide where she recently completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in animal science. Her love of livestock, developed through life on her family’s hobby farm and various cattle and sheep showing experiences, prompted her to investigate red gut in lambs as the topic of her honours project. Following on from her studies, she wanted to pursue a career within the livestock industry and is currently working as a livestock project officer with the Victorian Farmers Federation.

Elsa Glanville
Elsa is a livestock veterinarian particularly interested in sheep reproduction, farm systems and livestock disease. She is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Science, Sheep Medicine. The work presented here was conducted whilst employed with the Mackinnon Project, though she now works with the Animal Biosecurity team in the NSW Department of Primary Industries and is based on a sheep farm in the NSW Central Tablelands.

Tim Gole
Tim Graduated from the University of Queensland in 2006. He completed his memberships in Sheep Medicine 2019 (to spite the drought) and achieved a graduate certificate in Agribusiness in 2021. Tim’s second proudest achievement was being the co-founder of The Western Rivers Veterinary Group Central West NSW and the North Australian Veterinary Group in NW QLD. His proudest achievement however was to create a viable sheep Consultancy and production services called For Flocks Sake Pty Ltd. Its purpose is to help producers grow their best sheep and make every ewe a winner.

Kelly Graham
Kelly is the Associate Director of Livestock Veterinary Operations for Zoetis Australia. After graduating from Sydney University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Kelly spent the first 12 years of her career as a mixed animal veterinary practitioner in south west and central NSW. After leaving private practice, Kelly worked in clinical research and development roles for 10 years at multiple pharmaceutical companies prior to joining the commercial team at Zoetis in 2017.

Mark Hutchinson
Professor Hutchinson is the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and a Professor within the Adelaide Medical School at the University of Adelaide. Mark is also President of Science and Technology Australia, the peak body in Australia that represents 90,000 scientists.
Professor Hutchinson’s research explores the “other brain” or the other 90% of cells in the brain and spinal cord. These immune-like cells are termed glia. Mark’s research has implicated the brain immune-like cells in the action of drugs of dependence and the negative side effects of pain treatments. He has pioneered research which has led to the discovery of novel drug activity at innate immune receptors. His work has enabled the translation of compounds at the lab bench to clinical agents used at the bedside.

In his role as Director of the CNBP he is responsible for the research program of the ARC Centre of Excellence with $50M of funding headquartered at The University of Adelaide, with nodes at Macquarie University and UNSW, Sydney, the RMIT, Melbourne and Griffith University Qld. The CNBP is partnered with universities and companies in Europe, the US and China, as well as other Australian institutions. Prof Hutchinson’s work with the CNBP is to "Discover new approaches to measure nano-scale dynamic phenomena in living systems” and allow the first minimally invasive real-time visualisations of the “other brain”.

Bruce Jackson
Bruce is a veterinarian with 46 years’ experience in animal health, having spent 15 years in large animal practice and 31 in Government Veterinary Officer positions. Bruce retired from Biosecurity Tasmania in 2017 and now runs a sole trader veterinary consultancy, mostly doing work that is too specialized or time-consuming for veterinary practitioners, such as complex disease outbreak investigations, trial work, workshops, research projects and facilitating situations involving negotiations with regulators.

Caroline Jacobson
Caroline Jacobson has worked in mixed practice in Australia and the UK, and for the 20 years worked in sheep production research. She lectures nutrition, livestock health and production to veterinary and animal science students, and recently led projects for Meat and Livestock Australia investigating abortion and lamb mortality for maiden ewes, the role of dystocia as contributor to lamb mortality, and post-weaning management to improve weaner survival and lifetime ewe reproductive performance. In her spare time she is a long suffering supporter of the Fremantle Dockers, and will let you decide if that’s a sign of good resilience or poor clinical reasoning.

Bea Kirk
Dr Bea Kirk graduated from Murdoch University in 2006 and worked in mixed practices in both New Zealand and Victoria, before starting at the Mackinnon Project in 2011. She has an MVSc on gastrointestinal nematodes in prime lamb flocks in western Victoria; facilitated a MLA Producer Demonstration Site trial on the use of electronic ID in commercial flocks, and has been involved with numerous other projects related to the sheep industry. Bea obtained her Memberships in Sheep Medicine in 2021 and is involved with teaching DVM students. She lives on a sheep and cropping farm in western Victoria and is passionate about applying research in practical ways applicable to commercial farm enterprises on a day-to-day basis to improve animal health and welfare as well as profitability.

Deb Lehmann
Deb graduated from Murdoch University in 1981. With husband Greg Johnsson they established the Veterinary Clinic on KI. Their passion has been to assist farmers improve livestock health and production and farm business profitability. Deb became involved with footrot eradication in 2004 with a University of Sydney custom vaccine pilot trial. She assisted with more extensive trials on both Kangaroo Island and King Island until 2012. Deb has continued to eradicate footrot from many farms each year following disease control with vaccination combined with foot-bathing. Deb’s insight into the way sheep heal following control of severe footrot led to her palliative treatment and salvage of sheep with burnt feet on Kangaroo Island in January 2020.

Danila Marini
Danila graduated from The University of Adelaide in 2013 with a B. Animal Science and first class honours and completed a PhD on self-medication in livestock at the University of New England in 2017. Their research interests focus on animal behaviour and welfare as well as relieving pain and stress in livestock. Danila currently works at CSIRO as an Experimental Scientist with the animal behaviour and welfare field with a primary focus in sheep welfare. As well as working as an Animal Research Ethics officer.

Sean McGrath
After growing up in Millicent, SA, Sean graduated Veterinary Science from Charles Sturt University in 2010. He then worked in Terang, Victoria and had a brief stint in Esperance, Western Australia. In 2014 he and his wife returned to Millicent and took on the family business, that being the Millicent Veterinary Clinic and in 2021 they purchased the neighbouring Kingston Veterinary Clinic. Sean works primarily with production animals, predominately beef cattle and sheep, with a growing focus on advisory work, both in groups and with individual clients.

Mary McQuillan
Dr Mary McQuillan graduated from the University of Adelaide in 2016 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree. Mary is a production animal veterinarian and was the principal investigator on the 2019-2021 “Unlocking the keys to ewe survival” Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) funded project. Mary is also a research associate with Charles Sturt University (CSU) and is currently undertaking a Doctor of Veterinary Studies at CSU with expected completion at the end of this year.

Caitlin Pfeiffer
Dr Caitlin Pfeiffer is a Lecturer in Veterinary Epidemiology (One Health) at the University of Melbourne. She is a veterinarian and former livestock consultant at the Mackinnon Project. Her PhD completed in 2018 investigated passive and syndromic surveillance in Australia’s sheep industry. Her current research focuses on spatial epidemiology, the effects of bushfire on livestock and wildlife, and teaching and training for epidemiological capacity building in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia. In her teaching at Melbourne, Caitlin co-coordinates a multi-disciplinary One Health subject for undergraduate students and teaches epidemiology and research skills in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

John Plant

• Graduated from Sydney University in January 1962 and spent the next 6 years in the field with the Gundagai Pastures Protection Board.
• Joined NSW Agriculture in May 1968 as a Veterinary Research Officer specialising in sheep reproduction and perinatal mortalities. From 1992 until 2000, was the Program Leader (Flock Health), NSW Agriculture located at Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute.
• In 1988, registered as a Veterinary Specialist in Ovine Medicine.
• In 2007, awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007 for services to veterinary science and the sheep industry Author or co-author of numerous papers published in Australian and overseas journals and in Conference and Workshop Proceedings.
• Recognised nationally and internationally as a specialist in the sheep health and production area. Presently a part-time veterinary consultant.
• Life Member of Australian Sheep Veterinarians and Honorary Member of the UK Sheep Veterinary Society.

Luzia Rast
Luzia has a practical background as field veterinarian in mixed private practise and government veterinarian in Australia. She was a member of the Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health group of the University of Sydney to coordinate two research projects in Laos and Cambodia for improving productivity and profitability of large ruminants. Luzia completed a PhD on the clinical and financial impact of internal parasites in cattle and buffalo in Laos. Since May 2013, she is a member of the production animal group at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga as a ruminant lecturer and researcher. Her interests include veterinary public health, farm level knowledge, practices and attitudes on livestock health and disease surveillance.

Narelle Sales
Narelle commenced field and laboratory research on ecto- and endo parasites of livestock in the early 1980’s focusing on the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina, sheep body louse Bovicola ovis, and insecticide resistance following employment by the then NSW Agriculture. Over a decade and a half ago Narelle had the opportunity to diversify into immunology, protein science, molecular biology, and bacterial diseases. She subsequently has been involved in research projects as diverse as BRD in feedlots, arthritis in lambs, Erysipelas in pigs, and immunoassay and on farm molecular based diagnostics development while continuing the study of flystrike and lice insecticide resistance.

Shaun Slattery
Shaun is a Local Land Services District Veterinarian based at Narrabri since 1991, currently covering the Narrabri and Walgett Shires in north-west NSW. This industry funded government role has a strong focus on livestock disease surveillance as well as regulatory functions. In the 1990s Shaun worked on cotton pesticide beef residue campaigns and at the same time turned an interest in internal parasites into ANZCVS Sheep Medicine membership. Shaun has had a strong involvement with Emergency Animal Disease responses including the 2001 UK Foot and Mouth Disease campaign, the 2007-08 Equine Influenza response and in 2018 the NZ M.bovis response.

Robert Suter
Robert’s forty-year veterinary career, graduating from Murdoch University in 1981, has ranged from private practice through university to government to being a veterinary consultant with Apiam Animal Health, but always with a bent for sheep. Along the way, he has been active in AVA matters, being the President that saw the ASV become the SCGV, whilst dealing with the live export ban. He is a Member of ANZCVS in Medicine of Sheep and has a Masters degree in Epidemiology. That interest in patterns of disease in populations across landscapes over decades leads to this paper.

Colin Trengove
Colin is a lecturer in ruminant health and production at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy campus, University of Adelaide. Following graduation from Murdoch University in 1979, Colin returned to South Australia to pursue a career interest in ruminant nutrition and health. This spans employment in Primary Industries, mixed veterinary practice, livestock consultancy and academia as well as completing his MVS at the University of Melbourne. His research interests have focussed on the influence of mineral nutrition on productivity and health including his PhD on the aetiology and epidemiology of rib fractures in lambs.

Bruce Watt
After two years in practice in Victoria and two years at Kansas State University I spent four memorable years with Dr Fred Morley and Prof Doug Blood. While our endeavours became the Mackinnon Project, I decided to try my hand at farming.

My wife Kate and I moved to Condobolin in 1983 to set up a mixed practice and commence cropping and running merino sheep and cattle. I became involved in a range of rural organisations. In 2004 I received the NSW Regional Achiever of the Year Award.

In 2006, we left for Bathurst where I commenced as District Veterinarian. I was awarded the University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science Alumni Award for Community Achievement in 2015. Last year I was tickled pink to be named the inaugural Small Ruminant Veterinarian of the Year and this year received the NSW CVO’s award.

In about 2010 I completed my Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics, then dabbled in a master’s degree in urban design. I have recently been elected to Oberon Council. We run Angus cattle on our home property. I have four adult daughters and now 2.5 grandchildren.

Andrew Whale
Andrew Whale studied at CSU in Wagga and has been working as a sheep veterinarian at Livestock Logic in Hamilton, Victoria for 10 years. His role is predominantly consultancy-based working with sheep farmers looking to improve their livestock farming businesses. He is passionate about livestock farming and the livestock veterinary industry.

Scott Williams
Scott holds a Masters in Agricultural Animal Medicine and Production from the University of Melbourne. His 30-year+ career has included veterinary practice, farm consultancy, the pharmaceutical industry and agricultural RD&E management. His company Forest Hill Consulting provides services in animal health and welfare, as well as facilitation, strategic planning, governance and evaluation. Scott is Chair of the Sheep Sustainability Framework, Deputy Chair of the Victorian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, member of the Melbourne Veterinary School Advisory Board, part-time EO of Veterinary Schools of Australia and New Zealand and director of Central Highlands Water.

Peter Windsor
Peter Windsor is Professor Emeritus and formerly Professor of Livestock Health and Production at The University of Sydney (USYD), so pseudo-retired to manage the consultancy ‘Production Animal Welfare and Health Services’. Peter graduated as a veterinarian in 1977 (USYD), completed pathology residencies as a Fulbright scholar at Cornell University NY and San Diego Zoo CA in 1980-2, a PhD in ruminant neuropathology in 1988, then a thesis of selected published works for a DVSc in 2007 (USYD). He has specialist veterinary registration in Pathobiology, is a Diplomate of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management, and continues leading and collaborating in many projects funded by international livestock industry agencies and businesses, contributing >250 peer-reviewed journal and book chapter publications, with >6741 citations, especially in South East Asia where considerable efforts have been made to control & eradicate FMD; see @ https://mekonglivestock.wordpress.com. This work aims to improve global food and fibre security, deliver one health approaches to emerging infectious diseases, advance animal welfare and promote ecosystem sustainability in livestock production systems.