THREE finalists will vie for the title of Australia’s top young wool broker of the year during Wool Week in Melbourne this month.

The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia’s Young Broker of the Year Award has attracted four entries and three will go on to make a personal presentation at the NCWSBA annual general meeting in Melbourne on 18 July.

The council has received four nominations for the 2024 award. They are Macdonald Woolbrokers Veronike Hartmeier, AWN sheep and wool specialist Andrew Holgate, AWN wool technical officer Tamara Pabst and Moses & Son wool technical officer and EID advisor Adele Smith.

Each candidate has submitted a written application and a two-minute video that will be assessed by the judging panel before three finalists are selected to give a personal presentation at the NCWSBA annual general meeting during Wool Week on 18 July.

The three chosen candidates will make a five minute presentation and answer questions from the judges. The winner will be announced at Wool Week dinner that evening, on Level 17 at the RACV Club, 501 Bourke Street Melbourne, from 7pm. The NCWSBA AGM will be held on level 2 at the RACV Club from 8am.

Veronike Hartmeier

Veronike Hartmeier

Dubbo-based broker Veronike Hartmeier started with Macdonald Woolbrokers in 2022 after a career that has spanned jillarooing at one of Australia’s largest sheep operations Rawlinna Station, wool classing and handling with Joliffe Shearing Services, support worker at the Westhaven charity and four years brokering with Moses & Son. Her role now encompasses client servicing, wool valuing and auctioneering, and in-depth post-sale clip analysis.

Andrew Holgate.

Andrew Holgate

Guildford-based AWN sheep and wool specialist Andrew Holgate grew up on a farm and worked as a shearer for 12 years and Shearing Solutions team leader for 4.5 years before joining AWN in 2021. His formal credentials include a wool classer’s certificate, and stock and station agent licence. His current role encompasses wool brokering, sheep classing, ram selection, genetics enhancement, clip preparation, sale cataloguing, market appraisals, and auctioneering.

Tamara Pabst

Tamara Pabst

Before undertaking her current role as an AWN wool technical officer, Tamara Pabst has 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. Her practical background has made her comfortable in the shearing shed, sheep yards, or when auctioneering wool on sale day.

Adele Smith

Adele Smith

Adele grew up on a family owned wool and lamb property near Crookwell, New South Wales, developing her passion for the sheep and wool at an early age. She started at Moses & Son in 2013 in an administrative support role and progressed into her current role of wool technical officer and electronic identification (EID) advisor. In this role, she has regular interactions with shearing teams while providing clients with service and support, and advises growers on EID technologies.

NCWSBA executive director Robert Herrmann said the NCWSBA Wool Broker of the Year award is again sponsored by AWTA — as the industry sponsor — and Sheep Central — as the media sponsor.

He said the award recognises excellence in wool broking by a younger member of the industry – be it client servicing, auctioneering, innovation or other aspects of wool broking.

“This year’s award winner will be granted an all-expenses paid trip to France to attend the 2025 IWTO Congress,” he said.