McCOLL, James Carvel AO (1933-2013)

Modified on Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:53 by Con — Categorized as: Biography - All, Biography - OGCA Gallery of Notable Old Collegians, Biography - Students, Geelong College, Biography of Government, Administration and Politics

McCOLL, James Carvel AO (1933-2013)

'Jim' McColl.

'Jim' McColl was appointed a member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in recognition of his 'distinguished service to primary industry through policy and strategy advisory roles in the agriculture, fisheries and natural resources sector, and to conservation and the environment.'

'Jim' McColl graduated with BAgrSc in 1956, and with MAgrSc in Agricultural Economics in 1973, both from the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.

'Jim' has had considerable experience in public and private sectors, and in academia, in a wide range of positions and areas of responsibility.

In his early years, he had valuable experience in irrigation and water resource management initially in irrigation research and extension with the Victorian Department of Agriculture (1956-63) northern and north-eastern Victoria, then as a private farm management consultant in the irrigation areas of northern Victoria and southern NSW.

From 1970 to 1976, he was Chairman and Managing Director of McColl Partners Pty Ltd, an agricultural and resource management consulting company based in Melbourne, Victoria. From 1973 to 1976, he also was Senior Lecturer in Farm Management Economics, University of Melbourne.

In 1976, he was appointed as Director of Agriculture and Fisheries in South Australia and subsequently in 1980 as Director-General of the South Australian Department of Agriculture until resigning in 1985 and joining the Industries Commission (now Productivity Commission) as a full-time Commissioner with which he served until 1986.

A major involvement has been in several important agricultural policy inquiries and reviews. These include membership of the Review of Agricultural Policy in Australia (1981-82), presiding over several inquiries as a Commissioner with the Industries Commission; as Royal Commissioner, Royal Commission into Grain Storage, Handling and Transport in Australia (1986-88); and as Chair of National Reviews of Agricultural and Related Education (1990), and of Rural Adjustment (1997).

'Jim' McColl (Prefect, 1950).

He has served as inaugural Chairman, Australian Fisheries Management Authority (1992 – 2000), and as Presiding Member, South Australian River Murray Catchment Water Management Board (1998 – 2001). He joined CSIRO in 2001 as a Visiting Research Fellow, with research interests in water management and policy and structural adjustment. In 2005, he received the Eureka Prize for Water Research jointly with Professor Mike Young. In 2006, he was awarded a Centenary Medal for Agriculture, University Of Melbourne in 2006, and in 2010, he was awarded the Australian Medal of Agricultural Science. The Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (AARES) in 2009 recognized his contribution in electing him a Distinguished Fellow and Distinguished Life Member. He retired from CSIRO in 2010. In 2013, he was appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

'Jim' first attended Essendon Grammar School before becoming a boarder at the College from 1946 to 1950 where he was a member of Mackie in 1946/7 and Warrinn from 1948 to 1950 and nicknamed 'Spring'. An outstanding sportsman at College, he was a member of the 1st Football XVIII from 1948 to 1950 and its Captain in 1950; a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1949 and 1950; the Athletics Team from 1947 to 1950 and its Captain in both 1949 and 1950; and also a member of the Relay Teams of 1949 and 1950. He won the Under 15 Sparrow Cup in 1947 and the Under 16 Ewan Cup in 1948. He crowned these achievements with winning the College Cup in 1950 as well as becoming a School Prefect and Cadet Lieutenant that year. He generously donated photographs and several of his awards including the trophy for the Geelong College Cup to the College Archive. 'Jim' died in October, 2013.

'Jim' McColl was inducted into the Old Geelong Collegians' Association (OGCA) Notables Gallery at Geelong College in October 2014.

Sources: J McColl; Ad Astra December 1986; Ad Astra July 2013 p40; Ad Astra July, 2014 p51; OGC 1945.