THE 80th anniversary of the game-changing Gabo wheat variety will be celebrated on Wednesday in Gunnedah.

The celebration, Seeds of Legacy, will be hosted by Gunnedah Shire Council and The University of Sydney’s Institute of Agriculture.

The October 22 event will include the launch of a new book, The Story of Gabo, written by Dr Lindsey O’Brien and Dr Peter Sharp.

The publication of the book is funded by a Heritage NSW grant through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The grant will also fund a permanent display at the Gunnedah Rural Museum later this year.

(from left) Bruce Beeson, Charlie Beeson and Jim O’Reilly inspecting a crop on Leyburn, 20 kilometres west of Gunnedah, in about 1938 (Image: Beeson family collection).

The Gabo wheat variety was released in 1945 by the University of Sydney and turned the tables for farmers in the Namoi Valley who had battled with stem rust on the fertile, but previously high-risk, black-soil plains.

The release of the high-yielding, rust-resistant variety, alongside new farming technologies like the disc plough, unlocked the region’s agricultural potential, turning it into a significant wheat-growing hub and bolstering the farming community’s confidence.

The Story of Gabo includes the accounts of Gunnedah district families, the Beesons and Hathways, whose contributions in time, farming expertise and land for testing and seed production helped bring Gabo to fruition.

Council’s manager economy and growth, Susan Frater, said the 80th anniversary of Gabo wheat was a celebration of agricultural innovation in the Gunnedah Shire.

“Gabo wheat is a significant part of farming history in the Namoi Valley,” Ms Frater said.

“The Beeson and Hathway families, and the Waterhouse Plant Breeding Station at Curlewis were crucial in the journey of Gabo, helping to turn hope into reality.

“The wheat variety was a game-changer for the north-west and helped increase confidence and profit for the region’s farmers.

“By 1954, Gabo wheat was the most widely grown variety in Australia and the milling and baking industries embraced it with open arms. It also created a genetic platform for wheat breeding programs and eventually became a key variety in international agriculture,” she said.

“At Gunnedah Shire Council, we are proud to be a part of the 80th anniversary celebration of Gabo, and to assist in launching the book that tells the iconic tale of how the variety transformed the Australian wheat industry.”

The anniversary celebrations will include a site visit and field talk at Gabo Farm, followed by canapes and the book launch at the Gunnedah Town Hall.