Life Membership: Bruce Wilson

3 Apr 2025

‘If you do it the right way the first time, you don’t go wrong.’ 

There’s few in the Droughtmaster community who haven’t benefited from the wisdom of the late Bruce Wilson. His Life Membership to Droughtmaster Australia is a fitting tribute for a man who was a great advocate for the breed and mentor to hundreds across the Society since 1990.

While the Life Membership was decided in mid-2024, Bruce tragically passed away on October 29, 2024. Bruce’s wife, Jeanette ‘Netty’ Wilson accepted it in his honour. 

Netty said receiving the Droughtmaster Australia Life Membership posthumously was a deeply meaningful honour for the family, celebrating his lasting impact on the breed and its community.

“Bruce would have been absolutely floored,” Netty said. “It would have made his day. To have his accomplishments honoured like that is just tremendous.

“He was so dedicated to the Society – and he always loved to go into the office and annoy the girls, that was a highlight,” Netty laughed. 

Growing up in Brisbane with a pony in his backyard, Bruce’s love for livestock never wavered. Former colleague and friend Ashley Stevens spoke at Bruce’s funeral, recalling the day 23-year-old Bruce pulled up on his two-stroke motorbike at the Veterinary Science Farm in Pinjarra Hills in 1976, declaring he’d ‘heard there was a job going.’

Applications had closed but Ashley asked Bruce what else he could do – ‘I’m bricklaying at present, but I can ride a horse and I’ve done Pony Club and more’, Bruce replied. 

So that was that. Bruce was appointed to the Beef Cattle Unit which provided research and facilities for the tuition of veterinary science students. He spent many years educating others and established several friendships, including his long-term mentor and mate, Ray Phillips, from Sunny View Droughtmaster Stud. 

Bruce went on to found the successful Valley-View Droughtmasters, and as a keen horseman, established stockhorse stud, Valliview. 

He served as a classifier  for Droughtmaster Australia, a role he carried out with immense pride and dedication. Bruce had a deep understanding of the Standards of Excellence and was a staunch advocate for their preservation. He was committed to helping other members appreciate their importance and his words continue to resonate among members today. A fellow breeder recently shared with Netty that when Bruce classified his cattle, he told him which ones to keep and which to sell if he ever had to. 

“This gentleman said, ‘I wrote them down and last year when things were dry I kept the ones Bruce said and sold the rest’,” Netty recalled with pride. 

Bruce was pivotal in helping establish the Gympie Handling School and was a judge at several major Droughtmaster feature shows. He also enjoyed many highs in the ring over the years, including Grand Champion Female at the Ekka.

While the stud’s show success brought him great pride, Netty said Bruce gained the most fulfillment from helping others, particularly the next generation. 

“People would come up to him and ask for advice and he was just so knowledgeable on breeding lines that he’d be able to help them straight away,” Netty said. 

“Bruce would just draw people in and make friends with them – that’s just what he did.” 

Bruce Wilson’s dedication to the Droughtmaster breed, commitment to upholding the Standards of Excellence, and his efforts to educate and support fellow members make him a truly deserving recipient of Life Membership. This honour is a heartfelt tribute to the impact he made and the legacy he leaves behind.