You Are Here : Home / What's on/ Upcoming events / Our people their stories: Rob Henry

Our people their stories: Rob Henry

The monthly Our people, their stories: oral histories of Northern Tasmania talks presented by the QVMAG Friends reveal the personal stories of a diverse range of people who enrich the lives of our community.

A CAREER DRIVEN by a PASSION for AGRICULTURE
with Rob Henry

Businesses in Tasmania constantly address the challenges of economic, environmental and social change to remain sustainable. The Woodrising farming business is no exception. Rob Henry will share the story of how he and his family have responded to these challenges by developing their property Woodrising in the northern midlands.

Rob Henry is the fourth child in a family of five. He grew up on the family farm, Woodrising, which was part of the WW2 soldier settlement block south of Cressy.

He was educated at Launceston Church Grammar School and as a boarder was heavily involved in sports of all descriptions. In 1970, after a year at home, he went to RMIT in Melbourne and completed a 1-year course in Farm Management and Maintenance before completing an Associate Diploma in Farm Management in 1974 at Glenormiston Agricultural College also in Victoria.

In 1991 he was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, which enabled him to travel overseas for 6 months and study sustainable farming on sandy soils under intensive irrigation.

Rob owned and managed the family farming operation on two farms totalling 680 ha at Cressy. He also managed a neighbouring estate of 1530 ha for 18 years.

As the 2nd generation at Cressy, he has overseen a major change from grazing only to grazing and irrigated cropping. The main income now being from potatoes, peas, poppies, onions, small seed crops and essential oils.

Over the years he has held various positions on Boards and advisory panels connected to agriculture. He was on the Natural Plant Extracts Board, a member of the Ausveg Vegetable Advisory Group, a member of the Forest Practices Tribunal and was the vice – chairman of Nuffield Australia.

Rob is married to Kathy, and they have a son, Mike, who has completed a degree in Biotechnology at the University of Tasmania. Mike is married to Anna, and they have two children James and Elka.