Frank Hadley AM has been remembered as a respected figure in agriculture as well as a co-founder of the modern Australian cotton industry in the Namoi Valley.
Mr Hadley died aged 97 on Wednesday, June 12. Mr Hadley, his wife Norma and the late Paul and Jean Kahl migrated from the San Joaquin Valley, California, to Wee Waa to grow cotton in the early 1960s. The story of the Californians’ dream becoming a reality is legendary amongst locals.
In 1961, the farming duo sowed the first seeds at ‘Glencoe’, Wee Waa and in 1962, harvested a successful cotton crop sparking the start of the modern Australian cotton industry.
The innovative pair didn’t just help to kick-start a new agricultural sector in the region; with the support of their wives, they helped to shape, enrich, and significantly contribute to the social fabric of the community and the growth of Wee Waa and the Namoi Valley.
Following the arrival of the Hadleys and Kahls to Wee Waa, and their initial success, a cohort of American families also embraced the opportunity to move to Australia and grow cotton in the Namoi Valley.
Today, the cotton industry is one of Australia’s most significant contributors to the agricultural sector.
Mr Hadley’s service to the industry was acknowledged when he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australian in 1997.
On Thursday, May 23, Mr Hadley was featured in The Courier following a photo shoot with talented local photographer John Burgess in a cotton field at ‘Glenarvon’, just next door to ‘Glencoe’.
The beaming smile on the cotton pioneer’s face showed how thrilled he was to be back in a field of the fabulous fibre and on farm for picking season, spending the day with the Kahl family and Merced Farming team and also witnessing the legacy he helped create shine through, with cotton now grown across the district today.
“It was a good day,” Mr Hadley told the The Courier after the farm trip.
Mr Hadley is survived by his wife Norma, daughter Alice, son Thomas and their families.
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