First Winners Of Leslie Awards

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31061, 17 May 1966, Page 18

First Winners Of Leslie Awards

Sir Andrew Linton and Mr F. Parsons, of Patea, are the first winners of Allen Leslie awards. The awards, each worth 300 guineas, are made by the Veterinary Services Council, which will hold its annual conference in Christchurch today. The awards are made to farmer members of the veterinary club movement who in the opinion of the council, have done most to further the interests and development of the club system since its inception. Sir Andrew Linton, who is chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Production and Marketing Board, was the first chairman of the council, and held this position for many years. Mr Parsons was one of the original sponsors of the veerinary club movement in Taranaki, from which it has spread throughout the country.

Mr Leslie played a leading [role in the establishment of the club movement in New Zealand. A few years ago Professor D. McFarlane, dean of the Veterinary School at Sydney University, said he believed that historians might show that Mr Leslie had made the greatest contribution to the advancement of veterinary science in New Zealand in laying the pattern of the veterinary club movement with a group of farmers in the Eltham area. For a period Mr Leslie was chief executive officer of the council. Earlier, from 1930 to 1935 he was on the veterinary staff at Lincoln College, where his! interest in animal health problems concerning farmers gave a vitality to veterinary work at the college. While he was there Ashley Dene was the largest sheep research unit of its kind in New Zealand and probably in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mr Leslie died in 1962. Mr A. L. Friis, of Tauranga, chairman of the Veterinary Services Council, said during the week-end that on his death Mr Leslie left the residue of his estate to the council, the income to be used for awards to persons who in the opinion of the council had done most to further the interests and development of the club system.

The awards would alternate between farmer members of the movement and veterinarians employed by the club movement. In the first instance the awards were being made to farmer members. There could be one cr two awards on each occasion. The first awards to farmer members and veterinarians would take into account the whole period since the inception of the movement, but thereafter the awards would be made on the basis of the previous two years.