Vale J.B. Forsyth
It is with great sadness we note the passing of John Forsyth. John was the Principle in charge of Citrus for the NSW DPI during the 1980’s and 90’s. John spent his career with the DPI serving in many roles and places throughout the state eventually becoming the head of the citrus portfolio working out of head office. In those days the budwood and seed operation was entirely run on DPI research stations and came under the control of John.
John along with Pat Barkley were the backbone of the seed and budwood operation. Pat looked after the science and John looked after the operational matters. It was a period when governments everywhere began to withdraw funding and started looking to industry as the main source for funds for everything from research to industry support schemes, like budwood and seed. Although industry was paying for the seed and budwood the funds would end up in consolidated revenue not DPI coffers which made it hard to argue for the DPI to continue to run our scheme.
Nowadays, the scheme that became Auscitrus is self funding and stands alone. If it wasn’t for the efforts of John and Pat Barkley keeping the scheme under DPI funding for the period of change then no doubt it would have folded and not survived. We can be sure that without the efforts of John and Pat Auscitrus would not be sitting in the strong position it is today ready to supply industry with the high quality clean material we need for now and the future.
On a personal note John helped me greatly in my first period in the chair of what became Auscitrus. He helped me learn what was required and was instrumental in making it a true national scheme. We travelled together many times to Dareton research station and on quite a few international trips in the early days of ISCN. I thank him in particular for his forthright guidance and patience.
Thanks John your legacy lives on.
Gary Eyles
Chairman
OUR OVERVIEW
Auscitrus is the trading name of the Australian Citrus Propagation Association Incorporated.
We are a national “not for profit” industry organisation comprising citrus growers and nurserymen from each State. Auscitrus is responsible for supply of citrus budwood and seed in Australia and operates under a Deed of Licence with NSW Department of Primary Industries at research institutes at Dareton and Camden.
