My main limitation/frustration has been with the Department of Agriculture. I have often pondered how far I could have gone with a University degree. There was a degree of real frustration at having to play second fiddle to a person obviously intellectually inferior but with a university degree.

After discussions with the Senior Veterinary Officer he refused to guarantee the same conditions so I said no-go Joe. So he said off to Merriden for you boy. Grandad Standing helped me draft a letter to the Director of Agriculture pointing out the unfairness of the situation. I was subsequently offered the position of Fertilizer and Feeding Stuffs Inspector at South Perth. This job was to ensure that all agricultural products were registered and complied with standards.

I was situated in the same office as the exports grain inspection office (also Commonwealth). When I was not occupied with my primary role I was assigned grain inspection duties.

On the home front Tracy Kim arrived on the 16th February 1975 and Justin Frank arrived on the 7th January 1978.

The Department of Agriculture which had been remarkably stable and virtually unchanged from when I started in 1962 but there was major re-structure in the 1980’s. Previously all divisions had their own inspection service when over a five year period they all merged into a single service.

In June 1983 I was appointed Inspector in Charge of plant industries and inspection service which combines export grain inspection, fertilizer and feeding stuff and seed certification. Then in 1984 this group was combined with Commonwealth Plant Quarantine and Horticulture Inspection.

I applied for the position of Inspector in Charge of this new group but was beaten on appeal by John Bradshaw in July 1984. The following year he retired and I was appointed Inspector in Charge.

On the 14th August, 1989 the group was transferred to Fremantle and soon after we were joined by animal quarantine, export livestock and the Commonwealth human quarantine service.

In July, 1990 I was appointed Inspector in Charge of the new group which was called the Western Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (WAQIS). The combined group had 150 staff and a budget of $18 million.

On the 16th of May, 1992 the group shifted to the Canning Vale office and remained there until my retirement in October 1996.