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HE MAY NO LONGER BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN POTATO
INDUSTRY, BUT SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S WAYNE CORNISH HAS LEFT BEHIND A
LONG-STANDING LEGACY THAT HAS HELPED THE INDUSTRY DEVELOP TO
WHERE IT IS TODAY. DIMI KYRIAKOU SPEAKS TO THE WINNER OF THE 2016
AUSVEG LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
Potato industry stalwart looks back on a
lifetime of achievements
I
wasn’t sure what to expect
from Wayne Cornish when I
asked to visit his farm in South
Australia and conduct a video
interview about his contributions
to the Australian potato industry.
It was certainly an odd
request, given that Wayne left
the industry some time ago
to focus on growing cherries
and figs on his farm in Kenton
Valley, along with sheep and
cattle. Unbeknown to Wayne,
he had been selected as the
winner of the AUSVEG Lifetime
Achievement Award to be
presented at the 2016 National
Awards for Excellence, and we
were planning to show the video
at the event.
Fortunately he agreed to the
interview without a moment’s
hesitation, proving that despite
the time that has passed,
Wayne continues to readily
volunteer his knowledge to help
the wider industry. It is also why,
decades on, many of his former
colleagues have fond memories
of their time working with
Wayne, and acknowledge the
extraordinary contributions
he has made to the vegetable
and potato industries
throughout his lifetime.
These days, the farm at Kenton
Valley is defined by endless
rows of cherry and fig trees
draped in white and black
netting, which dip and rise over
the rolling hills throughout the
property. It is a picturesque
and peaceful part of the
country, with the rural silence
punctuated occasionally by
sheep and cows in the distance.
At one stage, this farm was
a bustling potato hub, mainly
producing the Kennebec
variety for the processing
market. As a passionate
sixth-generation farmer, it was
only a matter of time before
Wayne decided to become more
involved in shaping the future
of the Australian potato industry.
“I think it’s crucially important
for people to be involved in their
industry organisations, simply
to create and establish policy
to drive things in a true and
correct manner, to make sure
that industry is cohesive and
working together and to make
sure that government policy
reflects what industry wants and
needs,” he says.
Wayne’s industry involvement
began at a local level and soon
escalated to the national level,
where he became President
of the Potato Growers of
Australia and the inaugural
Chair of the Australian Potato
Industry Council. A passion
for agripolitics also led Wayne
to become the President of
the South Australian Farmers
Federation and later the Vice
President of the National
Farmers Federation.
“Initially, I was with the
vegetable industry organisation
at a national level prior to
AUSVEG being created, and
I’m proud to say I was part
of the committee that set up
AUSVEG,” he explains.
“We came up with the name
AUSVEG during a meeting
that was being held in the
New South Wales Farmers
Association building. I recall
the day very clearly and I’m
proud to say I uttered the word
first and it stuck. So we have
AUSVEG today and it’s done
very well.”
For countless years, Wayne
juggled the responsibility of
running his farm alongside his
passion for furthering the potato
industry. There was an endless
list of challenges to overcome
during this time, including the
decade-long drought where
Wayne led the development of
drought policies and review of
assessments as Chair of the
Rural Advisory Group, all the