Jim Horwood
HORWOOD, James Kentish (Jim) AM BE MIEAust (1926-2003)
Jim Horwood was born in Perth on February 8, 1926. He was the son of pastoralist Francis Joel Horwood and his wife Annie Rachel Eileen Horwood nee Kitto. Jim grew up on the family property “Deepdale” near Geraldton.
His secondary education was at Geraldton High School and then Scotch College. He commenced a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Western Australia in 1946, graduating in March 1951.
Jim was descended from mechanical engineer, Joel Horwood (his great great grandfather), who had established the company Horwood and Sons that ultimately became Horwood Bagshaw. Another relation, civil engineer, Edward James Horwood, was prominent in Australian industry as BHP’s mine works manager in Broken Hill having joined the company in 1891.
Jim had enlisted in the RAAF in the latter stages of World War II and initially served as an air crew trainee. After the war he was a Cadet Officer of the University Squadron Citizen Air Force. He received his wings in 1952 and flew with the No 25 City of Perth Squadron achieving the rank of Pilot Officer.
After graduation, Jim worked for Allis Chalmers, first domiciled in Singapore as Far East Representative and then two years at the company headquarters in Milwaukee, USA, as Territory Manager Asia and Oceania.
By 1961 he was working at Chamberlain John Deere in Perth as Marketing Manager. He was instrumental in the company winning Western Australia’s first export award in 1964 with the company exporting agricultural equipment to Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, New Guinea, Burma, New Zealand, Uruguay and South Africa. He became Managing Director of the company and in 1979, Chairman. He was Chairman until 1987.
He was also Director of Moorland Hire Limited and Impacta Limited.
Jim first married Margot Geddes around 1958 and secondly, on December 19, 1975, Elizabeth Janet Vernon Burt, the daughter of Reginald Vernon Sewell of Koogareena Station. Elizabeth Burt’s first husband had died in 1971 in an aerial mustering accident on Brickhouse Station near Carnarvon. Jim had five children, Genevieve, James, Robin, Benjamin and Andrea.
Jim was active in trade and business committees and associations. He was Chairman of the WA Export Action Committee and the Royal Agricultural Society of WA. He was a Board Member of the Confederation of WA Industry from 1973 and became President. He was also a Member of the Australian Trade Development Council, the Australian Trade Negotiations Advisory Group, the Australian/New Zealand Businessmen's Council Executive Committee and the WA Business Advisory Group.
In December 1979 he was appointed a member of the Australian Meat and Livestock Board for a one year term, followed by a reappointment for a further three year term in December 1980. In 1980 he was a member of an Australian Trade Development Council survey mission to Indonesia and the Philippines. In 1982 he was appointed to the Australian Defence Industry Committee. In 1984 he led an Australian Trade Development Council survey mission to Malaysia and Brunei.
From 1993 to 1996, Jim was Chairman of the Fremantle Port Authority Board.
Jim died on July 2, 2003 at Cottesloe, aged 77, being survived by his second wife and four of his children. He was buried in the Geraldton Cemetery.
In 1949, Jim had become a Student Member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia and in 1959 was elevated to full Member. In June 1988, Jim was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia for services to secondary industry.
References:
Margaret A Sacks, Editor, The WAY 79 Who is Who, Crawley Publishers, Nedlands, 1980
West Australian, 30.3.1951, p6
Western Mail, 12.4.1951, p13
West Australian, 24.5.1952, p1
Overseas Trading, Vol 16 No 13 (July 10, 1964), Department of Trade and Industry, Canberra, 1964
Who’s Who in Australia 1999, Information Australia Group, Melbourne, 1998
