12 April 1999 Lincoln's Bledisloe Medal to Kiwifruit Leader

John Palmer of Nelson, former New Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board chairman and head of HortResearch Ltd.’s establishment board when it was founded as a Crown Research Institute, is Lincoln University's 1999 Bledisloe Medal winner.

The medal, instituted in 1930 by Governor-General Lord Bledisloe, is Lincoln University's premier award exclusively for alumni or past or present staff members who have made outstanding contributions in their chosen field, advanced New Zealand's interests and/or brought credit to the University.

A B.Agr.Sc. graduate of Lincoln, majoring in farm management and economics, John Palmer has been highly active in farming, horticulture and agribusiness for the past 30 years.

Initially working from the base of the family sheep and cropping farm in Waimea West, near Nelson, he expanded into tobacco and other crops. In the early 1980s, with the decline of the tobacco industry, kiwifruit took over as the main activity on the property.

In 1991 John and wife Sally became involved with a large kiwifruit orchard in Golden Bay and in 1993 they bought a 283-hectare pastoral property in Tapawera which is being developed for hops and berry fruit.

Veg Fed Council member from 1980-82; President of the Nelson Kiwifruit Growers' Association from 1982-85; Nuffield Scholar in 1989 studying kiwifruit marketing and logistics in Europe; and from 1991 grower member on the NZ Kiwifruit Marketing Board and board chairman for five years – Mr Palmer's record of service bears out the characteristics of dedication and commitment he showed as a student at Lincoln where he won a number of top scholarships and was a Senior Scholar in his graduating year.

Mr Palmer's managerial and farming talents were further recognised nationally when he was invited to chair the establishment board of the Crown Research Institute, HortResearch Ltd.

Strong links with the banking and finance sectors have been another feature of Mr Palmer's career. From 1988-92 he was Chairman of Trustbank Canterbury and up until 1996 he was a trustee of Trustbank Canterbury Community Trust.

He played key roles in the public flotation of Trustbank New Zealand Ltd and its subsequent sale to Westpac.

In 1997 Mr Palmer was appointed to the board of Wrightson Ltd and last year became the company's chairman.

He is also a director of AMP Bank Ltd, the AMP New Zealand Advisory Board, Nelson Milk Ltd, and Cold Storage Nelson Ltd.

John Palmer receives his Bledisloe Medal at Lincoln University's Graduation Ceremony in Christchurch Town Hall on 16 April and he addresses the Annual General Meeting of the Lincoln University Alumni Association the following night (7.00pm, Gillespie Hall, Lincoln University campus).

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand