NCWSBA Broker Award finalists, from left, Andrew Holgate, winner Tamara Pabst, NCWSBA president Rowan Woods, and Veronike Hartmeier.

FORMER farm hand and firefighter Tamara Pabst has won the 2024 NCWSBA Wool Broker Award, impressing judges with her personal and industry skillset.

Tamara won the award after making a personal presentation and answering judges’ questions at the National Council of Wool Brokers of Australia’s annual general meeting in Melbourne yesterday.

She has won an all-expenses paid trip to the 2025 IWTO Congress in France.

The AWN Rural wool technical officer from Lurg in Victoria was up against other finalists in the competition; Dubbo-based Macdonald Woolbrokers broker Veronike Hartmeier and Guildford-based AWN sheep and wool specialist Andrew Holgate Andrew Holgate.

Before undertaking her current role, Tamara worked as a project firefighter, and a farm hand at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus and the Kilfeera Park Merino Stud. She has supported clients in adopting AWEX’s digital WoolClip program, streamlining their completion of the National Wool Declaration. She also completed the Mental Health First Aid course to help equip her with tools to identify issues and navigate tough conversations.

2024 broker award winner Tamara Pabst with NCWSBA president Rowan Woods.

In her presentation, Tamara said she was passionate about learning from experienced people, sharing knowledge with clients and supporting the next generation. She said she grew up in Melbourne, but her heart has always been in the country, spending every opportunity at her grandfather’s north-east Victorian farm Tamara completed her Bachelor of Agriculture at the Dookie campus and her studying equipped her with skills she has transferred to her broker role.

“I won’t admit I know everything and I can’t find an answer, I’ll find someone who does,” she said.

Her work with Murray McKenzie at the Kilfeera Park Merino Stud near Benalla has helped her class sheep and select rams on her client’s farms.

“I genuinely enjoy helping growers make decisions about what direction they want their sheep flock to take and their wool clip.”

She also now a wool grower with her partner and this helped her understand the hardships and challenges growers face.

NCWSBA president Rowan Woods said the judging was very close, and all finalists impressed with their passion, skills, dedication and potential. They all had broad experience and displayed leadership qualities that will stand them in good stead, he said.

“Obviously all the brokers are doing a good job of fostering them as professional, passionate, future leaders.”

Mr Woods said Tamara impressed the judge with her depth of client focus and was a little more rounded in her personal and industry skillset.

Tamara said she was thrilled to accept the award, thanking the sponsors – the AWTA and Sheep Central – and the judges WoolProducers’ James Kirkpatrick, AWTA general manager, raw wool, Brendon van Rensburg and Sheep Central editor Terry Sim.

She said she had learned a lot through the NCWSBA’s new development program and encouraged other young brokers to participate next year. Mentors Kelvin Shelley, Ben Stace and John Colley.

“I have been able to learn so much in the past 2.5 years at AWN and you have been instrumental in teaching me auctioneering and developing relationships with clients.”

AWN’s general manager for wool Ben Stace said Tamara has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her clients, always going over and above the call of duty to add value to their business. This included in her lead role in the application of the New Zealand Merino ZQ/ZQRX long-term supply contracts. Through her efforts, Tamara has reliably secured premiums exceeding 300c/kg above the auction market for wool sourced from her clients, he said.

Mr Stace said in keeping with her drive to add value through innovation and efficiency, Tamara has actively supported several clients in adopting AWEX’s digital WoolClip program. This initiative has streamlined the process of completing the National Wool Declaration (NWD), enabling growers to understand the requirements better while also minimizing errors. He said Tamara is a team player with a versatile skillset and is equally comfortable in the shearing shed, sheep yards, or with gavel in hand auctioneering on sale day.

Mr Woods said the council had redesigned its young broker program to make it more a development program this year, with the help of the Australian Wool Education Trust. He said five young brokers had participated in the program and four had entered the competition, yielding three finalists.

He said all the young brokers had done their companies proud. He also acknowledge Adele Smith from Moses and Son and Andrew Friend from Jemalong in undertaking the development program.