R. H. Bevin

R. H. Bevin (1921-25) who retired from the directorship of the Service in February 1967, has had a distinguished career in the service of many branches of agriculture.

Born in Dunedin and educated at Otago Boys' High School, Mr Bevin spent four years as a farm cadet in the back country and on farms in North Otago and South Canterbury. At Lincoln College from 1921 to 1923, he gained a diploma in agriculture and in 1924 completed the degree of bachelor of agriculture at Otago University.

After two years as an agricultural and science master at Hastings High School he went to Tasmania where he was with the Department of Agriculture for 11 years, first as a field extension officer and later as head of the Plant Research and Extension Service.

In the depression of the 1930s he helped in the successful rehabilitation of many Tasmanian farmers.

In 1938 he returned to Lincoln College as senior lecturer in agriculture, a post he held for 12 years. In association with Associate Professor A. H. Flay, he organised the course for the diploma in valuation and farm management and as tutor for the course in 1939 he instituted the plan for rural field cadet training.

In 1937 Professor E. R. Hudson began the programme of development at Ashley Dene with the introduction of subterranean clover and Mr Bevin took over a great deal of this work and helped to lay the foundation for light land development in Canterbury.

He was awarded the Bledisloe Medal in 1960. This medal is awarded annually to a former student who, in the opinion of the college council, has, as a result of his training at the college, materially assisted farming in New Zealand or has otherwise advanced the country's interests.

He has served on the college board of governors and council.

In his present position Mr Bevin has been one of the initiators of the Agricultural Development Conference and was closely associated with the production of the material on which the recommendations of the conference were based.

He has travelled on behalf of the boards in South Africa, Rhodesia, the United Kingdom, Europe and North America. Mr Bevin is a former president of the New Zealand Grasslands Association and a past-president of the Old Students' Association.

He was living in retirement in Wellington and is continuing with investigational work on behalf of the Boards, still being chairman of the Wool Marketing Study group; joint member of the two man Airfreight Study commission and member of a three man commission looking into some administrative aspects of Federated Farmers.

Source: P33 1967 Lincoln College Magazine