James Thompson Thwaites, MBE: 1924-2007

Jim, as he was known was descended from Kenneth and Catherine McKenzie of Fortrose, New Zealand who came from Kildonan, Loggie and Badrallach, Little Loch Broom. He spent his life at Fordell, Mangawhai and in South Taranaki. He served two years in the New Zealand Army in WWII in Italy then with the Occupation Force in Japan. He established his own Pedigree Jersey herd and was on the NZ Jersey Breeders Council for twelve years. He judged at two Royal Shows and in 1984 at Jersy Island as well. He was awarded alife membership of the jersey association in 1975. His champion bull “Glanton Red Dante” was judged “Sire of the Century”. Red Dante had sired , via artificial insemination, over 400,000 descendants.In 1953 he was elected to the board of the first artificial breeding committee and became Chairman of the Taranaki Herd Improvement Association which became the NZ Livestock Improvement Council, serving till 1981. In 1985 Jim was invited to chair some sessions at the World Dairy Production Conference in Australia and in 1990 was awarded the Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to Animal Production by the NZ Society of Animal Production.  In 1991 Jim was awarded the MBE for Services to Dairying and in April 2002, at the Annual World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, James Thwaites received the award of International Dairy Expo Person of the Year. Jim was involved in many other farming related organisations: Farmers’ Mutual Group, South Taranaki Veterinary Group, National Dairy Assn and the Egmont A & P Assn.