It was with great sadness earlier this year the Droughtmaster Society announced the passing of Mrs Audrey Perry who had been society patron for 12 years.
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Audrey, with husband Noel, were pioneer breeders who jointly established the Strathfield Stud, one of the 19 Foundation Droughtmaster studs when the Society became an independent entity in 1962.
After due consideration, the Droughtmaster Society’s Board of Directors resolved to invite one of the society’s past presidents, John Gardner, to be the patron of the Droughtmaster Society.
“It was both an honour and a privilege to be invited to be the new patron and very humbling to follow in the footsteps of breed luminaries such as Monty Atkinson, Bob Rea, John Stewart-Moore and Audrey Perry,” John said.
John established the first Droughtmaster stud in Western Australia in 1971. His Sunnyvale Stud was run initially at Kojonup, south east of Perth, before moving to Gidgegannup, east of Perth, in 1996.
John was one of the longest serving presidents of the society with his tenure running from 1997 until 2007.
John and wife, Julie, dispersed the Sunnyvale Stud upon their retirement in 2013. They now live in Bunbury, south of Perth, however John maintains a keen interest in the progress of the breed and the society.
Society president Paul Laycock said as patron John will provide an important link to the early formative years of the breed and the society.
