Antarctica to Griffith: Dr Wendy Quayle's journey in Ag
1/4/201817 years ago Dr Wendy Quayle came to Australia as part of her work in the British survey team in Antarctica.
When, during one of her many trips between the two continents, the opportunity arose in 2001 for Dr Quayle to take on a three-year contract looking at pesticides for the rice industry, she jumped at the chance to stay in Australia.From rural beginnings on a farm in the UK, her agricultural background eventually led her to her current position as Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University's Center for Regional and Rural Futures in Griffith.
Her journey in Australian agriculture however has seen her involved in a number of different industries. These ranged from studies looking at winery waste water management to projects on weed management in irrigation channels to the development of new soil fertiliser from chicken manure.
Wendy's varied career is a result of the many diverse opportunities available in agriculture, and the concentration of different industries particular to the Griffith area.
According to Dr Quayle, she has moved with the different industries as their popularity and fortunes have changed, her background has proven relevant to the wide range of opportunities that have presented themselves in the Australian agricultural landscape. But it's her love of the practicality and application of her skills in agriculture that has kept her enthusiastic through the years.
Being in Griffith has allowed her to live in and be part of the community as well. A community in which she has seen an increased involvement from women seeking roles in agricultural positions including agronomy.
Dr Quayle has also noticed a broadening of opportunities in industry as it has matured and grown in Australia. There is no longer a single path from studying agriculture to being a farmer, the breadth of the industry has grown to include things like Agronomy, Research, Marketing and Communications.