P004028 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2001-05-25 human Rosanne Walker and Annette Alafaci updated 2025-11-05 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004028b.htm person Vercoe John Edward AM FTSE FAIS FASAP AACR2 28 June 1936 28 September 2005 Place of Birth Mildura, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Agricultural scientist John Vercoe was a key player in international livestock research who especially made many important contributions to Australia's cattle industry. He spent most of his professional career with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) at various divisions in Queensland. He joined the Animal Genetics Division in Rockhampton in 1964 and eventually made his way up to Assistant Chief of Tropical Animal Production (1982-1993) then Director of the Tropical Beef Centre (1993-1996). Vercoe and his CSIRO colleagues helped establish Zebu and Zebu-cross cattle in Queensland which lead to a boom in its cattle industry. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the North Australia Beef Research Council which is now an advisory wing of the Cattle Council and Meat and Livestock Australia. John Vercoe was a member of many prominent international advisory and research organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (United Nations), the International Livestock Centre for Africa and Ethiopia, the International Livestock Research Centre on Animal Diseases in Kenya and the International Livestock Research Institute. In 1997 his outstanding contributions to the world cattle and livestock industry were honoured when he was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM). 1957 1957 Education - Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgrSc), University of Melbourne 1961 1961 Education - Master of Agricultural Science (MAgrSc), University of Melbourne c. 1963 c. 1963 Career position - Postdoctoral studies in Scotland 1964 Career position - Research Scientist in the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Animal Genetics in Rockhampton, Queensland 1964 1964 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Melbourne 1973 c. 1974 Career position - Seconded to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria 1974 1976 Career position - Officer-in-Charge of the Tropical Cattle Research Centre of CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) 1978 c. 1979 Career position - Seconded to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria 1982 1982 Career position - Consultant to the Western Sudan Agricultural Research Project (World Bank/USAID) 1982 c. 1993 Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Science 1987 2005 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) 1988 2005 Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Applied Sciences (FAIS) 1990 1990 Career position - Vice-President, Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 1991 1991 Career position - President, Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 1993 1996 Career position - Director of the Tropical Beef Centre 1994 2005 Award - Fellow, Australian Society of Animal Production (FASAP) 1997 1997 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - for service to the cattle industry through research into genetic factors affecting the efficiency of beef production in tropical environments 1999 Career position - Member of the International Livestock Research Institute 2000 2005 Career position - Chair of the International Livestock Research Institute 1 Jan 2001 1 Jan 2001 Award - Centenary Medal - for service to primary industries and science and technology CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Production, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1980 - 1996)

Officer-in-Charge of the Tropical Cattle Research Centre 1974 - 197; Assistant Chief 1982 - c.1993

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1987 - 2005

 Australian Society of Animal Production Incorporated (1951 - )

Fellow 1994 - 2005

 Vercoe, John Edward (1936-2005)

Trove

 'Vercoe, John Edward', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Vercoe, John Edward Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Newspaper Article: Key figure in international livestock research Johnson, Warren and Lumb, Mick Key figure in international livestock research Melbourne 2006 The Age 10 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000