Vale Major General the Hon Michael Jeffery

The recent passing of our Patron, Michael Jeffery, is a great loss to the nation. General Jeffery’s service to Australia has been outstanding including a very distinguished military career followed by his service to Western Australia as Governor and then to the nation as Governor General.

Following his time as Governor General, General Jeffery continued to ‘serve’ via his involvement with many organisations some being the Royal Flying Doctor Service and his Outcomes Australia that promoted organ donating, addressed obesity and included the Think Tank, Future Directions International and his beloved Soils for Life.

I was privileged to have a Governor General/Minister relationship with Michael Jeffery during my time in the Australian Parliament and then while chairing a subcommittee of Soils for Life. I was delighted when he agreed to become the Patron of The Mulloon Institute and he has been an inspiration to me, the Board and our employees over the past few years.

General Jeffery leaves wonderful legacies with many organisations and none more so than those of us that shared his passion for healthy soils. He very much understood the role of soil, water, plants and animals in repairing and rebuilding our landscapes and their role in regenerative agriculture. The Federal Government also acknowledged his leadership in this area when they appointed him Australia’s National Soil Advocate and more recently instigating the Healthy Soil Award in his name.

Michael Jeffery will be greatly missed by many Australians. We at The Mulloon Institute send our condolences and warm regards to his wife, Marlena, and his family at this sad time. We have lost a great Australian, but we will be inspired by the legacies he leaves.

Regards,
Gary Nairn AO
The Mulloon Institute - Chairman