Australian cotton industry farewells 'white gold' pioneer

A little more than a month since his final run in a picker, back where it all began, with the Kahl family at Glenarvon, Wee Waa, Frank died on Tuesday, June 11, aged 97.

Leaving behind an incredible legacy that will be remembered for generation's to come, Frank's role in shaping the modern cotton industry and broader Wee Waa community cannot be understated.

To those close, Frank was a true gentleman with a wicked sense of humour, famous for his homegrown avocados and peaches.

He was a weapon on the local Rotary Club barbecue, and a talented swimmer, even into his '70s.

Frank would give the shirt off his own back, but that's just who he was.

Born on January 1, 1927, in Merced, California, US, Frank was immersed in agriculture from a young age.

He lived and worked on the family-owned fruit farm before serving in the American Navy towards the end of World War II.

Frank's father grew peaches and figs before diversifying into cotton and sugar beets after the fruit market crashed post war.

He married his wife, Norma Hadley, on July 22, 1950.

Their love story began on a blind date to the local high school dance, set up by Frank's younger sister Harriet. Decades later, in 2020, Frank and Norma celebrated 70 years of marriage.

During the late 1950s, Frank, like many, grew frustrated with the restrictive conditions under which growers were permitted to farm in California.

That was until an Australian ad in a cotton magazine caught his eye.

It spruiked the work of plant breeder Nick Derera at the Narrabari Research Station (now Australian Cotton Research Institute), who suggested the Namoi Valley would be ideal for cotton production.

So, alongside his mate and neighbour Paul Kahl, Frank attended a cotton meeting in Bakersfield, California, to learn more.

Shortly after, Frank and Paul packed their bags and chased the promise of opportunity half way around the world.

Despite it being the last place the Australian Government wanted them to set up, two trips later, the duo bought Glencoe, near Wee Waa, in 1961, and thrived. Although, it wasn't without its challenges.

Before planting their inaugural 26-hectare crop, Frank faced the mammoth task of preparing the sheep country for cotton. At harvest it yielded 3.7 bales a hectare.

Paul Kahl's grandson, Sam Kahl, recalled their move down under.

"Their partnership agreement was written on an A4 piece of paper with one paragraph about how it was going to work and once they were established, they'd split things evenly and go their own way," he said.

"They started off at Glencoe then purchased Kangaloon next door. The farms were split down the middle but the machinery was picked out like you'd pick a touch team in the schoolyard."

Unbeknown at the time, the pair sowed the seeds for an incredible career that would span decades.

Frank was pivotal in the establishment of the Namoi Cotton Cooperative in 1962, and the formation of Cotton Seed Distributors in April 1967, serving as the inaugural CSD board chair.

In 1997 he was awarded an Order of Australia medal for his service to the cotton industry as well as a Centenary Medal in 2001.

"It's amazing what they did, and what Frank accomplished in his life," said Sam.

"I've been driving around the farm and it hits me because if they hadn't come over here, this would look a whole lot different and it wouldn't be what it is today.

"Both of them never boasted because they had a job to do, which was to set up an industry, and they did it."

During his retirement, Frank spent his time in his slice of Californian paradise at Kangaloon.

"Frank had an extensive orchard of peach trees, persimmons, avocados, flowers and figs, which he gave away," Sam said.

However, when Frank moved into the nursing home, Sam said his mind was always on the farm.

"Whenever my dad, uncle, or I walked in there, we didn't bother talking about what he had been up to because all he wanted to know was what was going on at the farm," he said.

"He'd ask me if there was anything he could do to make my life or job easier because he didn't have a lot going on in retirement."

Week's before he died, Frank took one last ride in the cotton picker with Sam.

"He told a couple of people on the tail ditch that I was going way too fast in the picker," he said.

"Farming was a part of him and he loved that ride. I think he could have quite happily sat there all day."

Frank considered the black soil plains of Wee Waa the closest thing to heaven.

His funeral service will be at the Presbysterian Church, Wee Waa, from 11am, Friday, June 21. Frank is survived by his wife Norma, children, Alice and Thomas, his three grandchildren and great-grandchildren.