News

ABC broadcaster takes up international appointment
One of Australia’s most senior rural broadcasters has been appointed to represent the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) on the executive of its international counterpart.

ABC Rural National Editor Leigh Radford is replacing rural journalist and author, Liz Harfull, who has served as national delegate to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) for more than 10 years and continues as ACAJ president. Read more.....

Australian rural writer named among best in the world

Australian rural writer Ashley Walmsley was named runner-up in the IFAJ Star Prize for print journalism as part of a major international awards program which saw many Aussie journalists honoured at the weekend.

Walmsley received recognition for “Asian Invasion,” published in Good Fruit and Vegetables in November 2010, with the judges saying the story showed “his journalistic astonishment of the fact that the Australian fruit and vegetable industry refused to assist in a program to eradicate the dangerous Asian honeybee.” Read more ...

International broadcast win a bitter sweet moment for Pip

Experienced Queensland ABC television journalist Pip Courtney was meant to be in Canada on the weekend, representing Australia at a major international awards ceremony for media working in the rural sector. But she cancelled the trip after her husband and ABC cameraman John Bean was killed in a helicopter crash in the South Australian outback earlier this month, along with two other colleagues. So hearing that she had won the IFAJ Star Prize for Broadcast Journalism was a bitter sweet moment for Courtney who dedicated the honour to her late husband. Read the full dedication, or find out more about the broadcast award results and judges comments where Australians won four of the five prizes.

Aussies dominate international rural media awards

In a huge night for the nation’s rural media, Australians took out almost half the major prizes at an
international awards ceremony in Canada earlier today (Sunday, September 18, Australian time).

The award winners included ABC Landline reporter Pip Courtney, who was named the world’s best rural
broadcaster for a piece that included images filmed by her husband, John Bean. She dedicated the win to
Bean, who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month while filming for the ABC.

Australians won three out of four categories in the broadcast section as well as the overall prize, and one of
three categories in the photography section. Australian journalists were also named runners-up in awards for
print journalism and a new international award for reporting on sustainability issues. Read more...

Rural successes in ABC Local Radio Awards

Last year’s winner of the inaugural Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting, Sarina Locke, based in Canberra, has been named ABC Rural Reporter of the Year. Rural journalists, presenters and radio stations scored well in the 2011 ABC Local Radio Awards which were announced earlier this month in Sydney. Read more...

Australian media crew loss cuts deep

Australia has been rocked by the deaths of three highly respected members of our national broadcaster in an outback helicopter crash in August.
The tragic accident on the shores of Lake Eyre claimed the lives of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation crew – the pilot John Ticehurst, reporter Paul Lockyer and cameraman John Bean.
The loss has been especially poignant for the rural media community as John was married to award winning ABC Landline journalist Pip Courtney. Read more...

Stock Journal editor wins national leadership award

Stock Journal editor Deanna Lush is heading to Canada in September after winning the 2011 Alltech Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, organised annually by the ACAJ and sponsored by global animal nutrition company, Alltech. As the winner, she will attend the 2011 IFAJ Congress and participate in a special three-day ‘boot camp’. The tailor-made professional development program will also involve 10 other young leaders selected from around the world. Read more...

ABC Landline journalist wins national broadcasting award

Experienced Queensland ABC television journalist Pip Courtney is heading to Canada to represent Australia after winning the 2011 Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.
Courtney’s success was announced today (Tuesday, May 31) at a gathering in Brisbane of the Rural Press Club of Queensland. She took out the overall prize in the prestigious competition with ‘Pipe Dreams’, a story about the coal seam gas industry and its impact on farmers broadcast nationally on Landline in May, 2010.
The piece also won the television category of the Star Prize, which is organised annually by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) to honour excellence in reporting on issues relating to agriculture. Read more..

Queensland rural writer to represent Australia at international congress

Queensland-based rural journalist Ashley Walmsley has won the 2011 John Deere Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing and a trip to Canada later this year to attend an international gathering of his peers.
Walmsley’s article about the Asian honeybee incursion in Australia was judged the winning entry in the national competition organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ). ‘Asian Invasion’ was cover story for the November 2010 issue of the Good Fruit and Vegetables magazine which he edits for Rural Press Ltd. Read more..

Young rural journalist award on offer

Rural journalists up the age of 35 years can now enter a prestigious national award which will give them the opportunity to attend a gathering of their peers from around the world.

The Alltech Australian Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award is being organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) in association with Alltech Biotechnology Pty Ltd.

Entries close Friday, June 3, 2011 and to qualify, journalists must be a member of a state rural press club affiliated with the ACAJ.

The winner will attend the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) annual congress in Guelph and Niagara Falls, Ontario, from September 14 to 18, 2011. In a major new initiative coordinated by the IFAJ and sponsored by Alltech, they will also participate in a special three-day ‘boot camp’ before the main congress. Read more..

Cheerful sunflower pic wins national photo award

A farmer admiring a sunflower with petals removed to form a cheerful face is the winner of the 2011 Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography. The image with the sun peeping through the farmers arm was captured by New South Wales photographer Michael Petey and published in The Land on June 10, 2010. The photo won the People Category of the Star Prize before going on to take the overall award. The Nature/landscape Category was won by South Australian photographer Mark Brake from The Advertiser, and the Production Category was won by Steve Hynes, with a photograph published in the Warnambool Standard. A photo taken by another Advertiser photographer, Tait Schmaal, was highly commended. Read more...

Win-win from growth in Australian award prizes

Rewarding excellence in rural journalism with professional development opportunities supported through corporate partnerships has proved to be a successful strategy for the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists and its affiliated state clubs.

ACAJ president Liz Kellaway said five outstanding rural journalists will be sponsored to attend the September 2011 IFAJ Congress in Canada through an expansion of the prestigious Australian rural media awards program, including major new prizes worth $10,000, and support of state clubs. Read more

Go kindly Colin Munro

Australian rural broadcasting legend and former ACAJ president Colin Munro has died at the age of 70. The former head of the ABC’s highly regarded rural department, Colin had a career spanning some 40 years with the national broadcaster.

Read more

Rabobank announces increased sponsorship for broadcast award

Australia’s best rural broadcaster will attend a gathering of their international peers in Canada next year thanks to increased sponsorship for the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting. Media Release>

ACAJ launches 2011 Star Prize awards

Interest in quality rural journalism will step up a notch next year with two international trips on offer for the first time as part of the presitigious Australian Star Prize program, organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ). Winners of the John Deere Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing and the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting will attend the IFAJ annual congress in Canada in September, 2011. Media Release>

Prestigious prize set for 2011 rural writing award winner
The Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists is pleased to announcea new partnership with the international agribusiness company John Deere which upgrades the prize for next year’s winner of the prestigious Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing.  Media Release>

Wrong turn, right result for Australian photographer
Taking a wrong turn has landed Victorian country photographer Nigel Hallett one of the world’s most prestigious awards for rural photography.
His photograph of a farmer cooling off while haymaking has been judged the best entry in the People category of the prestigious IFAJ Star Prize Award for Agricultural Photography. Media Release>

Australia leads the world in rural broadcasting

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reporter Kerry Staight, from Adelaide, has won the inaugural IFAJ Star Prize for Agricultural Broadcasting, announced this week in Europe. She was named overall winner after taking out the television category of the awards. ABC rural reporter, Sarina Locke, from Canberra, won the radio category. Media Release>

Haymaker image judged best rural photo
Making hay while the sun shines is hot work. This rural truth was the inspiration and the perspiration for the Australia Star Prize for Rural Photography’s winning picture for 2010.
Victorian photographer Nigel Hallett took the winning shot which was published in the Colac Herald. It captured a worker in the field stripped to the waist cooling off with a water bottle.
Competition judge Peter McNamara said it was a great rural Australian image. Media Release>

New Stock and Land editor wins national leadership award

New Stock and Land editor Tom Dawkins is heading to Europe next month after winning a prestigious national award for young rural journalists.

Tom has won the Alltech Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, organised annually by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) and sponsored by global animal nutrition company, Alltech.

Co-presenter of the ABC Country Hour in South Australia, Annabelle Homer, was named runner-up.

As the winner, Tom will attend the 2010 congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Belgium from April 17 to 21, with leading rural journalists and communicators from some 30 countries. The cost of his attendance, including airfares and registration, will be covered by Alltech. Media Release>

ABC journalist wins inaugural national broadcasting award
A skilful and creative radio documentary has taken out the overall prize in the inaugural Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting. Canberra-based ABC journalist Sarina Locke won the new award with a piece based around a visit to West Timor where she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Dr Russ Locke, who worked there 15 years ago, helping village women to vaccinate their chickens as part of an AusAid project. Sarina was presented with a $1000 cheque by award sponsor Rabobank at a gathering of the Farm Writers Association of NSW in Sydney today (March 26). Sarina won the overall award after winning the radio category. Listen to Sarina’s winning entry...

Adelaide-based ABC Television journalist Kerry Staight won the television category with her piece, ‘All in the Family’, broadcast on ABC Landline on February 11, 2009. View Kerry’s award-winning entry

Ian Doyle from Doyle Media Services, also based in Adelaide, was given an encouragement award in the category for online video, for a piece broadcast via the S. Kidman and Co website. View his winning piece

For judges comments and more information about the awards Media Release>

Wodonga journalist wins national award again
The writing skills of young Victorian journalist John Conroy have won him the ACAJ Star Prize for Rural Journalism for the second year in a row.
An international panel of judges has named The Border Mail journalist as the best rural writer of the year for his feature ‘Out west, where the rain don’t fall’. Media Release>

Rabobank broadcasts new media award
Major rural lender, Rabobank, has come on board as sponsor of Australia’s first national broadcast award for rural media. Finalists in the Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting will now compete for $1000 in prize money. The winner will also get to represent their country in the first ever international award for rural broadcasting, due to be announced in Belgium in April 2010. The broadcast award is open to journalists working in radio, television and preparing video and podcasts for internet-based media. “Australia has a very high standard of rural journalism and we are very pleased to recognise in particular quality broadcast media in the rural sector,” said Rabobank general manager, Rural Australia, Peter Knoblanche.“Rural broadcast journalists often work under challenging circumstances, producing stories in isolation, with limited time and resources. Media Release >

Expanded rural media awards search for best in the bush

• First national rural broadcasting award announced
• $1000 for best rural writing
• Prizes for best people, production and landscape photos
  

Three major national awards for journalists and photographers covering rural issues have been announced today by the Australian Council for Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ).
“The annual Star Prize Awards are the most prestigious national awards dedicated to celebrating excellence in our rural media, with finalists selected by Australia’s five rural press clubs,” said ACAJ president Liz Harfull. Media Release>

Win a trip to Europe - entries open for young journalist award

A national award for rural journalists will send a young Australian to Europe next year to attend an international gathering of their peers from around the world.

The prestigious Alltech Australian Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, now in its fifth year, is being organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) in association with Alltech Biotechnology Pty Ltd.

The winner will attend the annual International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) congress in Ostend, Belgium, from April 17 to 21, 2010. The scholarship will cover airfares and registration costs for the congress, up to a value of $5000. Media Release>

Planning a trip overseas?

Need something extra to help you open doors and make contacts?

Apply for your Official IFAJ Press Card today! This official card of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists is a useful tool to help you get the information you need overseas, particularly in Europe.

Rural Press Club of Victoria members are able to apply to the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) to get their card. Also don’t forget if you are heading overseas, the ACAJ can use its networks in the IFAJ to find contacts and background information for you.

The Australian delegate to the IFAJ can even set up an email contact for you.

So if you’re planning a trip overseas contact ACAJ Secretary Emily Bogue on 03 5225 6450.

ACAJ elects new president

Best-selling author and freelance rural journalist Liz Harfull has been elected president of the ACAJ. The first South Australian to hold the position, Liz brings 30 years’ experience as a journalist and public relations consultant to her new role. She will also continue to serve as the ACAJ’s official delegate to the IFAJ which links rural journalists, photographers and communicators with their peers in more than 30 countries. Media Release>

Australians sparkle in international Star Prize

Two Australians took out major awards in the prestigious 2009 Star Prize competition for journalists and photographers at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists World Congress in Texas, USA.
A photo by Evan Collis and an article by John Conroy were honoured in strong competition from communicators in more than 30 IFAJ member countries around the world.
Western Australian-based freelance photographer Evan Collis won the prize for the best photo depicting production aspects of farming in the Star Prize for Agricultural Photography, and Victorian reporter John Conroy was runner-up in the Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism which is sponsored by John Deere.
Certificates for the two winners will be presented during the Rural Press Club of Victoria’s annual awards night. The Victorian club is affiliated with the IFAJ through the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists.
link to full report

Victorian journalist in top three for international award

A Victorian reporter is among the top agricultural journalists in the world after being named as one of three finalists in an international writing prize. John Conroy of The Border Mail is the first Australian to be a finalist in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for Print. Media Release>

Victorian journalist wins national rural award.
An international panel of judges has selected Victorian journalist John Conroy as Australia’s best rural writer of the year.

The Border Mail journalist has won the Australian Star Prize for Rural Journalism for his story ‘The Drover’s Lament’.

The Wodonga-based journalist will now represent Australia in the world’s most prestigious professional competition for rural journalists working in the print sector – the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism. Media Release>

Trip to Texas for young Queensland journalist
Toowoomba journalist Arlie Douglas is heading to the United States after winning a prestigious national award for young rural journalists.
The ABC’s rural reporter on the Darling Downs, Arlie has won the 2009 Alltech Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, organised in conjunction with the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ). The Weekly Times journalist Kate Dowler, based in Hamilton, western Victoria, was named runner-up. Media Release>

Leading South Australian photographer Tait Schmaal has won the 2009 Australian Star Prize for Agricultural Photography

The competition organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) recognises the best photographers from around the country each year.

The winning photo of a young girl in a field with a backdrop of ominous rain clouds was taken by Tait for the Adelaide Advertiser. It was part of a portfolio he submitted to win the Telstra Bigpond Rural Media Photographer of the Year in South Australia.

Win a trip to Texas - entries open now for young journalist award

A national award for rural journalists will send a young Australian to the United States in July this year to attend an international gathering of their peers from around the world.

The prestigious Alltech Australian Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award, now in its fourth year, is being organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) in association with Alltech Biotechnology Pty Ltd. Entries Close March 31, 2009.

Jane Milburn joins leadership program

ACAJ secretary Jane Milburn has been awarded a scholarship from Rural Press Limited to join the prestigious Australian Rural Leadership Program for 2009-2010

National rural media awards - search for best in the bush

Australia’s rural media can achieve international recognition of their work through three national awards announced today.

The Australian Council for Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) President Gordon Collie said the Star Prize awards were open to journalists and photographers covering rural issues.

ACAJ executive changes 2008-09
The Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists has made changes to it’s leadership team at the 2008 annual meeting.
(5 September 2008)

Trip to Europe for top young SA journalist
Stock Journal Livestock Editor Catherine Miller has been announced as 2008 winner of the prestigious Alltech Award for young rural journalists. Catherine will attend the up International Federation of Agricultural Journalists World Congress in Austria and Slovenia in September.

Successful ACAJ-CSIRO Collaboration on Climate Change
A joint venture between the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) and CSIRO has helped profile vital issues on climate change facing the Australian farm sector. CSIRO prepared a major report which formed the basis of functions hosted across Australia by ACAJ affiliates.

International judging panel awards top hounour to rural editor
Good Fruit and Vegetables magazine editor Brad Cooper has been selected by an international panel of judges to receive the 2008 Australian Star Prize for Rural Journalism. The Brisbane-based journalist will now represent Australia in the world’s most prestigious professional competition for rural journalists – the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism.

Newspaper columnist named first Rural Media Icon
Well-known media advocate for regional and rural issues, Angela Goode has been inducted as the inaugural South Australian Rural Media Icon. (2 June 2008)

Alltech award winner visits Melbourne
Western Australian journalist Paul Hooper was honoured during the first day of an Asia-Pacific Lecture Tour that is taking a group of leading scientists, feed industry and bio-fuel experts to 16 countries in just 20 days to explore issues relating to increasing competition for limited grain resources. The tour is being organised by US-based animal nutrition company Alltech which also sponsors the ACAJ’s annual Young Leaders in Rural Journalism award.

As winner of the 2007 award, Paul travelled overseas in September to meet colleagues from around the world and attend the IFAJ Congress in Japan. He is pictured (left) with Alltech founder and president Dr Pearse Lyons, who presented Paul to delegates at the Melbourne whistle-stop for the tour on Monday, October 29.

Also read about Paul's experience at the IFAJ Japanese Congress.

Aussie photographer scores international success
Australian photographer Fiona Lake has won an honourable mention in the world’s top photography award for rural photographers. (5 October 2007)

Members return from Japan world congress

Australia was represented by a six member delegation to the successful 2007 IFAJ annual congress in Japan.  The team comprised IFAJ executive member Liz Kellaway, Leigh Radford, and Edwina Farley from the ABC, NSW communicator Neil Inall,  Alltech Young Leader Award winner Paul Hooper and Matthew Cawood, winner of the NSW Star Prize for rural writing. Read Edwina’s account of her Japanese experience  

ACAJ president honoured in Queensland

Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists president Gordon Collie has been awarded life membership of the Queensland Rural Press Club.

Gordon became an active member as a young reporter for Queensland Country Life in the mid 1970s. He lead the revival of the club as president from 2000 to 2003.

Alltech award winner visits Melbourne
Western Australian journalist Paul Hooper was honoured during the first day of an Asia-Pacific Lecture Tour that is taking a group of leading scientists, feed industry and bio-fuel experts to 16 countries in just 20 days to explore issues relating to increasing competition for limited grain resources. The tour is being organised by US-based animal nutrition company Alltech which also sponsors the ACAJ’s annual Young Leaders in Rural Journalism award. As winner of the 2007 award, Paul travelled overseas in September to meet colleagues from around the world and attend the IFAJ Congress in Japan. He is pictured (left) with Alltech founder and president Dr Pearse Lyons, who presented Paul to delegates at the Melbourne whistle-stop for the tour on Monday, October 29. (30 October 2007)

Aussie photographer scores international success
Australian photographer Fiona Lake has won an honourable mention in the world’s top photography award for rural photographers. (5 October 2007)

Young leader’s award opens doors for Australian winner
Winner of the 2007 Alltech Australian Young Leaders Agricultural Journalism Award, Paul Hooper, writes about his experiences in Japan where he attended the 2007 International Federation of Australian Journalists (IFAJ) conference as part of his award prize. (2 October 2007)


IFAJ Congress in Japan
Six Australian journalists and broadcasters took part in the first IFAJ Congress in Asia, held in Japan last month. The sell-out event attracted rural journalists and communicators from more than 20 countries, and provided rare opportunities to visit Japanese farms and agricultural research sites, food processors, wholesale and retail markets, and to discuss agricultural policy, including Australia’s negotiations with Japan to establish a Free Trade Agreement.

Australians off to Japan
Six Australian journalists and broadcasters are off to Japan in September 2007 to participate in the sold-out IFAJ annual congress.

The contingent includes ABC Rural national editor Leigh Radford, Melbourne-based ABC Rural Radio national reporter Edwina Farley, Farm Weekly journalist and Alltech Young Leaders Award winner Paul Hooper, NSW communicator Neil Inall, the winner of the NSW Star Prize for rural writing, The Land journalist Matthew Cawood and Australia's official IFAJ delegate Liz Kellaway.

For more information about the event go to http://www.knt.co.jp/ec/2006/ifaj-e/

Past ACAJ president awarded Queens Honour

Immediate past president Colin Munro has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2007 Queen's Birthday honours list for his service to regional Australia through the promotion and preservation of rural culture, particularly through television and radio.

The former head of the ABC's rural radio department, he spent his younger days on a property at Cobargo. Colin hosted a number of rural programs, including the Country Hour, Morning Extra, Australia All Over and Summer All Over during some 40 years with the national broadcaster. He was the ABC's Manager of Regional Liaison from 1993-2005, and Head of Rural Radio from 1985-1993. Colin was also instrumental in developing the popular television program, A Big Country.

National rural writing & photo prizes to SA

South Australian entrants have won two prestigious national rural media awards for writing and photography in 2007. The Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing, sponsored by John Deere, with a cash prize of $1,000, has been awarded to Aimee Pedler, a senior journalist with the Stock Journal.

The Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography went to Tait Schmaal from the Adelaide Advertiser. Runner-up was Louise Donges from Queensland Country Life.

Media release >

Alltech Award to top young WA journalist

Paul Hooper from Western Australia has won the prestigious Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award for 2007.

Paul, who is wool, business and transport writer for Farm Weekly, was selected from a field of outstanding candidates representing member states of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ).

Media release >

WA club launches new website

The Rural Media Association of WA has a new website. The site was launched at a special event at Victoria Park. Visit the site at www.rmawa.asn.au/