Late Ralph Schulze acknowledged in Upper House

The late Ralph Schulze AM has been acknowledged in the NSW Upper House for his contribution “as a pioneer of the cotton industry in Australia”.

Upper House member Sarah Mitchell, of Gunnedah, moved that the house acknowledge Mr Schulze’s many achievements in the industry. Mr Schulze was also acknowledged for his “incredible” contribution to the NSW Nationals. “Many of us in The Nationals knew Ralph for a long period of time,” Ms Mitchell said.

“I think that all members in this place, as members of political parties, would know that some people are the glue that holds their party organisation together. Those people have been in the party for many years and are well respected and loved by the party membership. Ralph certainly was that for the NSW Nationals for many decades.”

Upper House member Wes Fang also praised Mr Schulze and thanked Jocellin Jansson for her contribution to the tribute. “Knowing that this motion was coming up, I asked her if she wanted to put something on record, because she knew him very well. She sent this back to me: ‘Ralph was an incredible mentor to so many, but so humble he never realised this. He was a man of the people but, extraordinarily, at the same time his contribution to the cotton industry, agriculture more broadly, the National Party, Rotary International, the disability sector and the communities of Narrabri and Narromine leave a legacy that will live on for decades. His life had purpose and depth, and his passing leaves a gap in many people’s lives’.”

Contributions also came from the floor from Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty, Scott Barrett and Penny Sharpe.