History

Australia officially became an International Wool Textile Organisations (IWTO) member-country in January 1959, following the IWTO Council’s approval of Associated Woollen & Worsted Textile Manufacturers of Australia (AWWTMA) as the Australian member-organisation.  IWTO formally approved the transfer of this role to the Wool Textile Manufacturers of Australia (WTMA) in 1961, when AWWTMA was disbanded.

It was not until 1965 that the Australian Wool Board (AWB), represented by Mr S.S. Nevile, encouraged the WTMA to consider creating an Australian National Committee (ANC) that would be more broadly representative of the Australian wool industry.

Following a series of meetings with other trade sectors and AWTA, a Provisional ANC of IWTO was formed on 27th August 1965, with a membership comprising:

• Wool Textile Manufacturers of Australia (WTMA);
• Australian Council of Wool Buyers (ACWB);
• Australian Knitting Industries Council (AKIC);
• Wool Scourers, Carbonisers & Fellmongers Federation of Australia (WSCFFA); and
• Australian Wool Board (AWB).

Mr S.S. Nevile and Mr H.K. Lay, who were both representatives of the AWB, were appointed as the first Chairman and  Secretary, respectively.

This Provisional ANC determined that, under the IWTO Statutes, AWTA’s link with Government would prevent it from also being a member.  However, it did decide to appoint an AWTA executive as its representative on any technical committees dealing with wool testing issues.  These grounds for AWTA’s exclusion were validated in January 1966, when the IWTO Management Committee reviewed the Provisional ANC’s application to replace WTMA as the Australian member and decided that the Statutory AWB must not be part of the ANC membership.  Despite verbal assurances from Sir William Gunn that AWB would immediately initiate the formal steps to withdraw, the IWTO Council deferred consideration of the application until this action had actually occurred.

During this period of delay, the Sheepskin Export Packers Association of Australia (SEPAA) became a member of the Provisional ANC.

The Australian National Committee of IWTO officially came into existence on 17th June 1966, when the IWTO Council Meeting in Estoril, Portugal, finally approved its membership application.

Subsequently, 2 Foundation Members withdrew, namely, SEPAA in 1968 and AKIC in 1970.

The Federal Council of Private Treaty Wool Merchants (FCPTWM) and The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia (NCWSBA) became Members in 1972 and 1975, respectively.

In 1995, following enabling amendments to the ANC’s Constitution, Australian Wool Testing Authority Ltd (AWTA Ltd), Australian Wool Exchange Ltd (AWEX) and Wool Council of Australia (WCA) all became full Voting Members of ANC.

The ANC Constitution was again updated in September 1997 and, at the same time, provision was made for service companies and other organisations willing to participate in IWTO activities to become Non-voting Associate Members.  The first to take up such membership later that year were the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology, the Co-operative Research Centre for Premium Quality Wool, and the WA Wool Strategy Group.

In 1999, The Australian Superfine Wool Growers’ Association Inc joined the ANC as Associate Members, followed in 2000 by Australian Wool Handlers and  SGS Australasia.

The official name of the organisation was changed on 3rd November 2000 to Federation of Australian Wool Organisations.

During 2001, both Australian Wool Innovation Ltd and The Woolmark Company became Associate Members and AgWA replaced Wool Strategy Group.

Following the closure of WCA, the new group known as WoolProducers was accepted as a full Voting Member in 2002.

A further 2 Associate Members have since been admitted, namely, the Victorian Department of Natural Resources & Environment in 2002 and Interactive Wool Group in 2003.

(Prepared by Mr D.J. Ward OAM and presented to FAWO at the Annual General Meeting held on 8th August 2003)