Until 1996 the Department of Wool & Animal Science at the University of New South Wales was the only Australian Tertiary institution providing comprehensive specialist training in wool and textile science and technology. Other institutions offered some training through the provision of wool science related topics as elective subjects. As such, the Department was a major source of graduates em
ployed in wool marketing and technology industries and in related research. Graduates have been and are still employed in the wool broking and exporting industries, wool processing, CSIRO, State Departments of Agriculture, The Woolmark Company, Australian Wool Innovation and AWTA Ltd. The decision of the University of New South Wales at the end of 1996 to close the Department created a void in the tertiary training of undergraduates and graduates and also reduced the facilities for post graduate training and research – a situation which further exacerbated opportunities lost with the closure of the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology laboratory at Ryde, NSW, in mid 1996. AWTA Ltd moved to minimise the effect of the closure of the Department of Wool & Animal Science by the establishment of “The AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust” with a grant of AUD3,000,000. In June 2004 Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) invested four million dollars in the AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust. The capital for the AWI investment became available after the sale of the CSIRO Prospect property. With the AWI grant, the Trust’s total capital almost doubled. The extra funding enabled the Trust to generate up to $0.5M per annum for education in the wool industry. The Trust is therefore able to fund skills development for the industry on a much larger scale than before. As a consequence of this grant the Trust was renamed the “Australian Wool Education Trust” , with 8 trustees. From 1st July 2019 the number of trustees was reduced, via a variation to the Trust Deed, unanimously supported by all trustees. The Trust is administered by 5 Trustees, 2 appointed by AWTA Ltd, 2 appointed by Australian Wool Innovation and 1 by the Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO). Objectives of the Trust
The Trustees shall hold the Trust’s capital upon trust for the application of the income for charitable purposes being the advancement of education in wool and wool textile science and technology including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in all or any of the following methods:
To support the education of students, growers and others considered to be capable of contributing to the development of the wool industry, from the growing to the textile product stage, including in such subjects as:
fibre science, including fibre and follicle development, fibre morphology and characteristics, and their effects on processing performance and product properties;
wool production, including selection, preparation for sale and packaging;
wool metrology, including testing technology, process control, Total Quality Management techniques and the prediction of processing performance;
wool and textile marketing, including trading, processing and promotion of products made wholly or partially from wool;
to fund attendance at educational conferences and to fund scholarships and prizes;
to fund educational resources, educational conferences, educational programs and educational institutions and colleges; and
to fund scientific research undertaken for the advancement of education. Application of Funds
Funds may be used to provide scholarships and/or fund an academic position. They may also be used to fund other resources as required. Funds are not restricted to any one institution. Allocation of funds is determined by the Trustees.
