Warwick’s most influential people: Counting down from 30-11
From fierce community advocates to agricultural dynasties and industry leaders, these are the identities who earned spots 30-11 in Warwick’s most powerful.
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It’s no secret by now that Warwick is a city full of both up-and-comers and local legends helping to create the vibrant, growing community we love.
To celebrate just a few of the Rose City’s best and brightest, the Daily News is revealing Warwick’s 50 most influential figures for 2021.
Without further ado, these are the rankings 30-11 of Warwick’s most powerful people:
30. David Cassels
Moving to Warwick more than a decade ago to take over and rebrand one of Warwick’s biggest car dealerships, David Cassels and Cassels Automotive have gone from strength to strength.
While Covid has wreaked havoc on car imports and sales, Mr Cassels’ business acumen in his 13th year at the helm has kept the region’s sales ticking over and many Warwick residents in jobs.
Mr Cassels has also donated more than $40,000 to lifesaving charity LifeFlight in the past several years and has sponsored major events such as the Warwick Credit Union Cup Day.
29. Linda Bunch
Warwick Netball Association secretary Linda Bunch is one of our community’s most passionate advocates for women and girls in sport.
Bringing hundreds of players of all ages and skill levels onto the court each week, Mrs Bunch is also an Australian C-grade umpire and a valued mentor to the sport’s next generation.
She was named Netball Queensland Volunteer of the Year in 2016 and has given countless hours to serving the community in the years since.
When she isn’t courtside, Mrs Bunch can be found at Albion Street Auto Centre, which she co-owns with husband Bruce.
28. Jim and Jackie Wedge
Ascot Cattle Co owner Jim Wedge is one of Warwick’s leading voices in agriculture, with he and wife Jackie running one of the region’s most prominent cattle studs.
Snapping up the historic North Toolburra property in 2010, Mr and Mrs Wedge have built up an extensive Angus and Charolais herd in both Queensland and NSW.
The power couple have long been advocates for the region’s primary producers and have proven instrumental in putting Warwick and the wider Southern Downs sectors on the national map.
It was only last Friday that Mr and Mrs Wedge set a new Queensland record at their Ascot sale, more than doubling Angus sale prices and increasing Charolais prices while attracting more than 300 buyers from across the country.
27. Phil Grant
The long-term president of the Warwick Turf Club has brought Allman Park into the top echelons of country racing.
Mr Grant has championed the Warwick racecourse as one of the best in the state’s regional areas during his tenure, overcoming Covid pressures to see Allman Park officially listed as a Tier 2 track under Racing Queensland last year.
The new ranking means Warwick events attract a higher calibre of trainers and horses from bigger tracks in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
He has also proven instrumental in building annual events such as the Warwick Credit Union Cup Day and Warwick Picnic Races into the hugely anticipated drawcards they are today, and continues to bring novel events such as harness racing to Allman Park.
26. Dorothy Jephcott
Making history this year as the first woman to ever be elected as president of the Warwick Show and Rodeo Society, Dorothy Jephcott hopes her step forward will help young women in agriculture for decades into the future.
The former vice president and dedicated volunteer stepped into the new role earlier this month, taking over from long-term president Gerard O’Leary.
Ms Jephcott will head up some of the Rose City’s biggest events and tourism attractions, with the massive Warwick Rodeo and Gold Cup Campdraft set to make its epic comeback next month before moving into the 2021-22 show season.
She has previously served as director of the Australian Stock Horse Society and is herself a keen campdrafter, and is a cattle farmer by trade on her property at The Glen.
25. Nolan family
The powerhouse family unit behind Raheen Stud at Gladfield has risen to prominence as one of the state’s most successful horse racing dynasties.
Owned and operated by Basil Nolan Snr, his wife Di, and their daughter-in-law Natalie, Raheen Stud is famous for breeding champions and their thoroughbreds have brought home huge amounts of prize money in major meets such as the Magic Millions.
The Gladfield stud is also a leading vendor in Australia’s major sales each year.
The Nolan family is also passionate about giving back to their community, and has long been closely involved with organisations and sporting clubs such as the Warwick Cowboys.
Following the tragic and devastating death of Basil Nolan Jnr in a farming accident in 2018, the A-grade Cowboys men’s team play for a Basil Nolan Jnr Memorial Shield each year.
24. Bill and Nancy Gross
Lifelong Warwick residents and at the helm of one of the region’s most prominent agricultural families, it’s a difficult task to find a sector of the community Bill and Nancy Gross haven’t positively impacted.
Mr and Mrs Gross run Risdon Park Feedlot with their sons Howard and Angus, and in the 1980s launched one of southeast Queensland’s biggest industry networks in Gross Wholesale Meats.
The couple are also some of the most recognisable figures on the agricultural show scene, with Mr Gross winning ribbons for his prime cattle across the state and a long-time judge at the Warwick Show.
Mr Gross has also been a patron of the Warwick Cricket Association for years.
23. Cynthia McDonald
The cattle farmer may now be best known in the community for her role as a Southern Downs councillor, but her advocacy for the region began well before her foray into local government.
Cr McDonald and her husband Jamie were instrumental in co-ordinating drought response efforts in 2018, organising desperately needed supplies for other farmers while battling the devastating dry themselves.
Since her election to Southern Downs Regional Council last year, Cr McDonald has remained a passionate voice for farmers and rural residents.
Most notably she backed industry experts in fiercely opposing the decision to upgrade the existing Warwick Saleyards site, and has repeatedly held other councillors to account on grounds of transparency and fairness.
Cr McDonald also served in the Australian Army for 16 years, including a stint at Buckingham Palace in 2000 and deployment to East Timor in 2004, and is now a leading voice in Warwick’s ex-service community.
22. Heath Hoffman
The Junabee dairy farmer and director of the Norco co-operative is one of the region’s leaders in keeping dairy farming a viable industry.
Mr Hoffman has been a consistent advocate for the region’s dairy producers under the Norco label and pressed for a solution to keep the industry progressing.
21. Danny Lyons
The prominent Warwick businessman is behind one of the retail fixtures of Palmerin Street in Danny Lyons Sports, bringing top-notch sporting goods directly to the Rose City for almost 40 years.
Mr Lyons was undeterred by Covid’s impact on the retail sector and remained a business frontrunner, continuing to expand his customer base through a new online store.
His passion for sport and his community certainly doesn’t end with business, with Mr Lyons a key supporter of several clubs including the Warwick Cricket Association, Warwick Cowboys, Warwick District Football Association, and Warwick Golf Club.
20. Spicers Group
While Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner may be renowned across the country for establishing travel conglomerate Flight Centre, his and wife Jude’s business prowess is just as notable at home on the Southern Downs.
The unique eco-tourism venture became the first ‘Great Walk of Australia’ to be located in Queensland, and at the time of opening was expected to bring up to 1300 tourists and $5 million into the region.
The family partnered with the University of Queensland in 2017 to develop a wildlife management research and training facility, and have continued to expand their Spicers Retreat luxury getaways down the eastern coast.
Mr Turner’s connection to the Southern Downs runs deep, as he was born and raised in Stanthorpe before beginning his career overseas.
19. Greg Carey
The man currently at the helm of major meat processing facility Carey Bros Meats, Greg Carey is leading the company and one of the region’s biggest industries into the future.
Mr Carey secured massive State Government funding in 2020 that enabled a significant expansion at the Yangan factory, boosting local job numbers after Covid decimated scores of employment opportunities.
The company has also consistently thrown support behind the region’s events such as the Warwick prime cattle and lamb carcass competitions.
Mr Carey is another businessman devoted to supporting his community, and is a life member of Warwick Little Athletics along with multiple rugby league clubs such as Collegians Junior Rugby League Club and the Cowboys.
18. Integria Warwick team
Integria Healthcare is one of Warwick’s largest employers and seems to only be going from strength to strength.
The Warwick Industrial Estate facility underwent a massive $7 million expansion in 2020 and supports an estimated 90 local jobs, and in November last year announced it would renew its contract with US distribution partner Standard Process.
The move would not only enable the Warwick factory to continue shipping to a global market, but could provide opportunities for Southern Downs producers to supply the facility with natural ingredients in a boost for the local economy.
17. Jason Gard
Rose City Shoppingworld centre manager Jason Gard has guided the shopping precinct through some enormous changes during his tenure, including a $40 million redevelopment project in 2017 and 2018.
First taking the top job at the centre in 2010, Mr Gard has maintained a roster of both national franchises and small locally owned businesses throughout his time in Warwick.
He continues to have a strong influence on the town’s business community and currently sits on the executive committees of the Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick Chamber of Commerce, and Morgan Park Users Group.
16. Karina Devine
Few in the community are more passionate about the arts than Warwick Art Gallery director Karina Devine.
She has been one of the Rose City’s champions for art of all kinds since moving to the region in 2006, and in her time at the gallery has demonstrated her drive to celebrate the work of homegrown artists.
Ms Devine is also one of the leading forces of the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival each year, co-ordinating both the art gallery’s exhibits along with the tree jumpers that line the Warwick CBD and several artisan markets.
This year’s festival brought record numbers through the Warwick Art Gallery doors, chiefly driven by the range of unique and vibrant exhibits brought to the venue by Ms Devine and her team.
15. Julian Noud
He may be a relatively new face in the community, but many residents have quickly learned that Warwick magistrate Julian Noud isn’t one to cross.
Appointed to the region’s court circuit at the beginning of 2020, Mr Noud presides over Warwick Magistrates Court along with those in Stanthorpe, Goondiwindi, and Inglewood regularly.
Not afraid to give those who come before the courts a stern talking to before passing his judgment, Mr Noud has earned a reputation as a strict but fair imposer of the law and is now a fixture of Warwick’s legal precinct.
14. Shane Reid
Whether it’s making the major crime busts or keeping dangerous drivers off the roads, Warwick police Sergeant Shane Reid is passionate about keeping his community safe.
A Rose City local through and through, Sergeant Reid has been previously recognised with a State Government award for his efforts in raising awareness of domestic violence through the town’s White Ribbon Campaign.
Armed with the skills and local knowledge to step in as officer-in-charge whenever needed, the Warwick cop has more recently voiced support for a regulated and privately owned burnout pad to keep hoons off the roads.
Sergeant Reid also devotes part of his spare time to community organisations, including as a committee member of the Warwick Swimming Club and key player in Queensland Police Legacy charity days at the Warwick Golf Club.
13. Dave Burges
The former Stanthorpe resident returned to the region to step in as Southern Downs Regional Council CEO in August last year, and has already made his mark on the community.
Mr Burges has brought more than 25 years’ experience in local government across urban, regional, and rural areas to his role at SDRC and has formerly worked as Quilpie Regional Council CEO.
Since arriving on the Southern Downs, Mr Burges has had a laser focus on maximising the council’s efficiency and been one of the driving forces behind changes to the organisation’s structure.
He was also one of the leading advocates for developments such as the upgrades to the existing Warwick Saleyards site.
12. Graham Buchner
He founded and led the Warwick Clean Up Group for almost 30 years, picking up rubbish and keeping the town’s roadways and lawns in manicured condition, before retiring as the group’s last surviving member last year.
Mr Buchner was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2005 in recognition of his service to the Warwick community through tourism, road safety, and regional events, and in 2018 received the Warwick Chamber of Commerce platinum award for business excellence.
He was named Southern Downs Citizen of the Year in 2017, and his achievements are now immortalised as part of the Legends Laneway beside Warwick Town Hall.
The dedicated volunteer certainly hasn’t let age hold him back, and at 81 remains involved with more than a dozen community organisations.
11. Sheryl Windle
Now in her second term as a Southern Downs councillor, Sheryl Windle continues to advocate for communities from Warwick to right across the region.
She has been a driving force behind urban development upgrades to small towns and villages including Maryvale, Pratten, and Dalveen, along with investing in the region’s council-owned facilities such as the Warwick and Stanthorpe Art Galleries.
Cr Windle has shown her interest in community issues of all sizes through her work with Headspace Warwick, the Warwick Women’s Work Camp, Southern Downs Youth Council, and Southern Downs Industry Education Association Board.
She is a also former president and current patron of the Warwick Hockey Association, and continues to use her platform as a councillor to fight for what she and her constituents care about most.
Check back soon for the final part of the series revealing rankings 10-1 later this week.
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