Australian Wool Innovation farewells Ellie Bigwood, starts search for new boots-on-the-ground WA staff member

Australian Wool Innovation is on the hunt for a new WA-based representative, with its first industry relations officer based on the west coast heading to the State’s north for a new challenge with the Pardoo Beef Corporation. Ellie Bigwood has been applauded by AWI after representing WA for the 12 months of her four years at Australia’s key wool marketing and research body, which included navigating the various challenges posed by COVID-19. She was the first and sole WA-based representative for AWI, working with growers from Northampton to Esperance and giving a crucial face to an organisation headquartered in Sydney. AWI has confirmed it will continue to fund a boots-on-the-ground role in WA, with AWI chief executive John Roberts saying the role had been crucial to connect with growers in Australia’s fourth-biggest wool exporting state. “As COVID hit and travel restrictions made interstate and overseas travel difficult Ellie returned home to WA from Sydney where she was based in 2020,” he said. “She worked closely with woolgrowers and the wider industry and racked up thousands of kilometers doing on-farm visits and presenting the latest news from our research, development and marketing activities.” Ms Bigwood, who grew up in Frankland River, has taken up a new position with Pilbara-based Pardoo Beef Corporation as its health, safety, environment and quality coordinator. She said she loved her time at AWI after rising from its Young Graduates program in 2018 to being appointed AWI’s first WA-based industry relations officer in February last year. “(The Young Graduates) was an 18-month training program, with three-month rotations through AWI departments to support projects in research, development and marketing,” she said. “This included six months in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and London, which was certainly a highlight. “It was amazing to see Australian wool being scoured, combed, dyed, weaved or knitted into beautiful products across the globe. “ Ms Bigwood said the experience reinforced that wool industry stakeholders from farm to fashion were all integral parts of the global wool supply chain. “The most rewarding part of my career with AWI was relocating to WA full-time in March 2020,” she said. “The WA wool industry put their trust in me to communicate AWI’s research and marketing projects, and to feed back to AWI the local issues that were affecting their wool growing businesses. “I’m grateful for the networks, mentors and friendships from this journey.” Ms Bigwood said being from a wool growing property in Frankland River, she was honoured to give back to the industry that was a big part of who she was. “I’m thrilled to be recruited by Pardoo Wagyu which trades as Pardoo Beef Corporation,” she said. “Agriculture and pastoral industries are among the riskiest sectors. “It’s fantastic that Pardoo, in alignment with their growth trajectory, have taken the next step in its health, safety and environmental management, by filling my new role.” Ms Bigwood said the Pilbara environment was vast, remote and hot, but with these challenges came the huge opportunity for professional growth. “I hope I can apply these new skills to create a positive culture toward safety on-farm,” she said.