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About the AWA

Australia’s pre-eminent body supporting, promoting and advancing Wagyu production

Wagyu - world's luxury beef

The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) was formed in 1989. For more than 30 years the work the Association has undertaken in maintaining a continued focus on genetic improvement has underpinned the progress of the Wagyu sector. Our global member base is now more than 1,000 members from 30 different countries. Our vision for the future is to support our membership, promote the Wagyu sector and advance production to benefit the entire Wagyu community.

The AWA maintains the world’s largest Wagyu database for parentage and genetic analysis with over 22,000 sires and 150,000 dams registered in the system. Each year, more than 25,000 calves are added into the database. Analysis is undertaken by a leading genetic evaluation system on 14 key Wagyu production traits and four selection $indexes reporting the results every two weeks so breeders can make the informed breeding decision with the latest information. Over 100,000 genotypes are included in this analysis across 250,000 animals spanning up to ten generations. 

Research and development

The AWA is at the forefront of research and development for Wagyu. Projects that have contributed to the past decade of enhanced value in Wagyu include:

Honouring our forebears

The Australian Wagyu Association began from humble beginnings but has grown in knowledge and reputation due in part to the tireless efforts of our past presidents and members, honoured with Life Membership, Hall of Fame or 25-year membership awards.

  

AWA Honor Roll

AWA staff

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Matt McDonagh

Chief Financial Officer

Jeanette Rawlings

Financial Officer

Kate Coghlan

Marketing and Communications Manager

Emily Rabone

Communications Officer

Eleanor McNaught

Communications and Design

Heather Frazier

Events Manager

Bradley Hayden

Carcase Camera Technician

Aaron van den Heuvel

AWA-PTP Project Manager

Katie Dailey

Technical Services Manager

Carel Teseling

Member Services Manager

Caroline Triebe

Member Services Officer

Hannah Kirkwood

Member Services Officer

Henry Newell-Hutton

Member Services Officer

Natalie Poole

Member Services Officer

Quinn Dalton

Member Services Officer

Kate Blanchard

Member Services Officer

Emma Gray

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STAFF Matt Blue

Dr Matt McDonagh

Chief Executive Officer

To contact Matt, please call 02 8880 7701

Australian Wagyu Association

Suite 6, 146 Marsh Street,
Armidale NSW 2351
STAFF Jeanette

Jeanette Rawlings

Chief Financial Officer

To contact Jeanette, please call 02 8880 7702

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale office
STAFF Kate

Kate Coghlan

Financial Officer

To contact Kate, please call 02 8880 7711

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale office
STAFF Emily Blue

Emily Rabone

Marketing and Communications Manager

To contact Emily, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office
STAFF Ell

Eleanor McNaught

Communications Officer

To contact Eleanor, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office
STAFF Heather

Heather Frazier

Communications and Design

To contact Heather, please call 0432 949 764

Australian Wagyu Association

Sydney office
STAFF Bradley Copy

Bradley Hayden

Events Manager

To contact Bradley, please call 0412 461 392

Australian Wagyu Association

Albury office
STAFF Aaron Blue

Aaron van den Heuvel

Carcase Camera Technician

To contact , please call 02 8880 7704

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale office
STAFF Katie

Katie Dailey

AWA-PTP Project Manager

To contact Katie, please call 02 8880 7712

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office
STAFF Carel Blue

Carel Teseling

Technical Services Manager

To contact Carel, please call 02 8880 7703

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale office
STAFF Caroline Blue

Caroline Triebe

Member Services Manager

To contact Caroline, please call 02 8880 7706

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale office
STAFF Hannah

Hannah Kirkwood

Member Services Officer

To contact Hannah, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office
STAFF Henry

Henry Newell-Hutton

Member Services Officer

To contact Henry, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office
STAFF Natalie

Natalie Poole

Member Services Officer

To contact Natalie, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Armidale Office

Quinn Dalton

Member Services Officer

To contact Quinn, please call 02 8880 7716

Australian Wagyu Association

Kate Blanchard

Member Services Officer

To contact Kate, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Emma Gray

Member Services Officer

To contact Emma, please call 02 8880 7700

Australian Wagyu Association

Our directors

President

Laird Morgan

Senior Vice President

Robyn Elphick

Junior Vice President

Glen Wright

Treasurer

Hamish McIntyre

Director

Jeremy Cooper

Director

Gina Lincoln

Director

Dean Pollard

Director

Richard Puddicombe

Director

Adam Withers

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Laird Morgan

Laird Morgan

President

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected] or call please call 02 8880 7700

Laird is the owner/operator of Lillyvale Feedlot and Arubial Wagyu. A fourth-generation beef farmer, he is a graduate of Marcus Oldham and will bring to the Board an understanding of Wagyu strengths in comparison to the beef industry.

List of Committee Responsibilities:

President

Genetic Improvement Committee Member

Audit and Finance Committee Member

Corporate Affairs Committee Member

Conference and Competitions Committee Member

 

Robyn Elphick

Robyn Elphick

Senior Vice President

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

Robyn is a third-generation beef producer, running Sunnyside Wagyu alongside her partner and parents. Located in Northern NSW, Sunnyside runs a Fullblood herd selling seedstock as well as a F1 and F2 commercial herd. Robyn has off farm qualifications in law, business and mediation with skills in legal analysis, risk assessment, critical analysis, negotiations and business communications. Robyn is a passionate Wagyu producer and will look to add value to the board by promoting collaborative and constructive governance in the continued development and innovation of the Wagyu sector.

List of committee responsibilities

Senior Advice President

Corporate Affairs Committee:  Chair

Audit and Finance Committee Member

 

Glen Wright

Glen Wright

Junior Vice President

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

Glen is a grazier, property developer and an investor. His life passion and is building Wright Pastoral to be a leading crossbred and Fullblood Wagyu enterprise. Glen is continuing to breed, background and produce quality, high-marbling Wagyu Beef for consumers across Australia and around the world. Under Geoff Willett’s mentorship, Glen began producing Wagyu in 2013 at Koreelah, on the NSW border and has since added additional properties around Ebor. The company runs 1,500 breeders and is continuing to expand with a goal to build their base to 3,000 breeding females.

List of committee responsibilities

Junior Vice President

Conference and Competitions Committee: Chair

Genetic Improvement Committee Member

Hamish McIntyre

Treasurer

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

List of Committee Responsibilities:

Treasurer

Audit and Finance Committee: Chair

Conference and Competitions Committee Member

 

Jeremy Cooper

Director

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

List of Committee Responsibilities:

Corporate Affairs Committee Member

Conference and Competitions Committee Member

 

Gina Lincoln

Gina Lincoln

Director

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected] or call please call 02 8880 7700

Gina Lincoln is a well-respected consultant to the beef industry. Gina has extensive experience in feedlot management and Fullblood herds, having spent 12 years as general manager of Peechelba Beef Feedlot and seven years with Blackmore Wagyu overseeing the breeding, feeding and operations of the company.

List of committee responsibilities

Genetic Improvement and Conference and Competitions Committee Member

Dean Pollard

Dean Pollard

Director

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected] or call please call 02 8880 7700

Dean Pollard is synonymous with Sahara Park Wagyu, breeding Fullblood genetics for the past five years and a member of the AWA since 2012. A keen advocate for BREEDPLAN, Dean is keen to improve the overall Wagyu genetics for the Australian industry.

List of committee responsibilities

Audit and Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee Member

Richard Puddicombe

Richard Puddicombe

Director

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

Richard has been the Station Manager at Burindi, owned by Paraway Pastoral Co, since 2008. Richard was the driver behind introducing Wagyu bulls into the Paraway programme in 2012, using them over quality Angus heifers. Richard has significant experience running large scale commercial operations delivering a premium product and is committed to seeing the AWA support and promote the advancement of the Wagyu sector.

List of committee responsibilities

Corporate Affairs and Genetic Improvement Committee Member

Adam Withers

Director

For general board enquiries, please email [email protected]

 

List of committee responsibilities

Audit and Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee Member

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AWA events

Nutrition

Wagyu Long Lunch takes centre stage

New major event at Beef Australia 2024
Events

AWA takes on Canada and USA in September 2023

AWA International Tour 2023

AWA events

Nutrition

Wagyu Long Lunch takes centre stage

New major event at Beef Australia 2024
Events

AWA takes on Canada and USA in September 2023

AWA International Tour 2023

Corporate Information

AWA Constitution, strategic plan, Bylaws and appeals policy

The Australian Wagyu Association governing documentation is outlined within these documents and provides directives on how we operate, how we serve our members and how we plan to support, advance and promote Wagyu.

The Bylaws outline our day-to-day operations and the responsibilities of our Members and updated regularly in alignment with AWA Board directives.

Through the Appeals process, and in line with our Constitution and Bylaws, the AWA undertakes formal investigations within the principles of natural justice.

Learn More

Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
  • AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
  • AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
  • EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
  • EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
  • Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
  • AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams.  As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
  • The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
  • The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.

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